The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA’s) President has urged graduates of the Young African Leadership Development Institute (YALD) that the change they want to see in Africa must first begin with them.
Quoting India’s Mahatma Gandhi saying that, “Be the Change that you want to see in the world,” Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe told the graduating class of YALD that they have been prepared to be the leaders that Africa deserves.
He made these comments recently when he served as key lecturer at the 5th out-door exercise of the Development Institute ceremony held in the Township of Gardnersville.
Gongloe said the graduates should be the evidence who are prepared to provide leadership for Africa because the clearest evidence of their preparation will be the demonstration of what they have learned noting, “Africa is looking for leaders who will not convert public money to their own and build big houses overnight or own a fleet of expensive vehicles or maintain a lifestyle in public office that they did not have before ascending to public office or sustain after leaving public office.”
He stated that best leadership is by example, therefore, if those graduates of the YALD are to be true agents for change in the leadership for a better Africa, they should exhibit that by examples in everything they do indicating, “If you have been trained by YALD to be the leaders that the African people are looking for, then begin today by your conduct in dealing with the people that you will meet today.”
He hoped that YALD graduates have been trained to be the model of African leaders; leaders that will put the interest of the people first and make their personal interests secondary pointing out, “Leaders that will be humble and honest to the people; leaders whose conduct will stimulate public trust and confidence in government and leaders who will respect the rule of law and protect the rights of the people.”
“Given that you have been trained to be leaders, specifically African leaders, you will be judged beginning today on whether you are the kinds of leaders that the people of Africa are looking for to fill the serious deficiency that Africa faces today in having leaders that they can trust,” Tiawan urged.