Article ; Honesty the key to good leadership

J.G Holland in a prayer said 'God give us men. the time demands strong minds, great hearts true faith and willing hands. give us men whom the lust of office does not kill; men whom the spoils of office cannot buy; men who possess opinions and a will; men who have honour; men who will notice; men who have honour; men...' on and on he prayed for men who possess qualities that makes us prefer to them as honest.

      Yes, ethical values are conditions for effective leadership, but you do not need to harp into a nonest man, justice,equity,accountability,firmness,integrity,and a whole lot of other virtues because he knows where lies his faults, admits them and does his very best to correct them because he that would govern others,first should be master of himself.no man enters a locked house without a key, and if the key is not there yet ,every one will have to wait its arrival. this is the case of the honest man as he is the only one who hold the key to good leadership, the only one capable of the results wanted and expected from his followers.
      One would ask, what makes a place underdeveloped? bad and ineffective leadership. and what makes bad and inefffective leadership? dishonest and dogmatic leaders. it can be noted world-wide that countries with the lowest rate of development, highest rate of inflation,high unemployment rate and highest rate of crimes are the ones with leaders who keep telling themselves that they are doing right , those who makes mistakes and justify themselves. those that do not accept advice and clampdown on all forms oppositions and yet they are doing right. they are the ones who claims to be honest men and yet they know that they lie and thier truth are mere propanganda.
     Successful leadership thrives on a leader who is honest, a leader who can boldly stand and admits his faults, who possesses all the qualities that makes us refer to him as honest and knowing the facts that a leader alone cannot rule the people, he therefore drags along honest people with him. a wise man once said 'a leader without followers is someone just taking a walk 'a tree cannot makes a forest' for an effective leadership. The leader must surround himself with men and women who shares his vision;persons unimpeachable in character and records; persons who are ready to serve the people selflessly and in truth by leading the way in the march to progress and development.such leaders would bring to public office honesty,accountability, probity and respectability.
       Nigeria needs leaders who will declare their assets before and after their tenure; shun corruption and other vices that has bedeviled this country since independence.
As a Nigerian child if i where to make a wish, this i wish for with my whole beign. for only a good, honest and purposeful leadership free from the shakles of curruption, nepotism, mediocrity, tribalism and ethnicity can heal the years of waste and give our dear country a new lease of life.