The president is well-meaning but well-meaning is not enough in Leadership - FAYEMI

Friday, February 7, 2025 - Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi says President Bola Tinubu means well with his policies but it is not enough in leadership.

While speaking with Channels TV on Thursday, February 6, the ex-governor, who described the president as his elder brother, said;

“He (Tinubu) is well-meaning but well-meaning is not enough in leadership; intentionality is critical to success'' he said

Fayemi, who is a high-ranking member of the president’s party and an ally of the number one citizen, said those in power know the truth but do not act the truth “because sometimes there are many mediating factors”.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done many good things, we all must acknowledge that. He’s been bold to take on some of the most difficult decisions that previous leaders have been reluctant to take on.

The fallout of those decisions has caused us huge cost of living crisis. Fuel subsidy removal, convergence of FX window.

Whether you talk about student loan or other efforts at resisting insurgency, taming insecurity, tax policy reform, increase revenue into the federal coffers, some elements are there but need to come together.

This is where effective policy framework go side by side with leadership acumen to get a change of narrative to the story. Maybe that’s the area where we need to do lots more.”

Fayemi went on to say that the leaders of the country must apologise to Nigerians because they have not delivered on their promises to them.

“Clearly, we must apologise to the Nigerian people. We have not succeeded in achieving everything we promised the Nigerian people, but that was not just because we were incompetent but because there were other structural impediments that have made things more difficult for us. 

But clearly, we haven’t done enough to make life abundant for the Nigerian people, and for that, I clearly will not hesitate to apologise to the Nigerian people. We can do a lot more. An apology may give people good vibes or feelings, but that’s not what we really need.

We need to get our acts together, all of us who consider ourselves leaders in that space, because if we don’t, the risk we run is higher than the return we get.” he said