WHAT NIGERIA CAN LEARN FROM ROTARY INTERNATIONAL, RTN. OMOTUNDE, AMACHI SPEAK
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Rotarians across board have established that the greatest lesson that Nigeria could learn from the international organization is its unique model of leadership. This leadership style ensures that no vacuum is left in leadership, that there is no rancour in taking leadership role, and there is no abandonment of projects year-on-year. They made this known to Trek Africa Newspaper as the new Rotary Year 2024/25 began on 1st July at the handing-over fellowship and installation of new President for Rotary Club Ikeja GRA, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
Speaking on the matter of leadership, the new President of Rotary Club Ikeja GRA, Rtn. Chinedum Amachi told Trek Africa Newspaper, ‘One of the things we learn at Rotary Club is leadership. It is core for us. Leaders in various clubs ensure transition which will align with the goals of Rotary International to make positive change. For every year, there is a President, a President-elect, and a President-in-waiting which is a 3-year plan of transition. The incoming President already knows what the current President is doing so that you will know how to continue and also learn the mood and swings and agenda of the club in alignment with the club across the globe.’
The 2024/25 President of Rotary Club Ikeja GRA, Amachi informed: ‘For Nigeria, our politicians even though they know the truth but they are not applying it. In Rotary club, you can only serve as President once. Our outgoing President has a project that we will continue even though his tenure has ended. That is what is lacking in Nigeria, once there is a transition and a person starts but they don’t finish, the next person will not continue it, they will abandon it and start their own leading to corruption. Nigerian politicians can emulate the model of Rotary, it will be great.’
The immediate past District 9110 Governor who is the first-ever female Governor of the district, Rtn. Omotunde Lawson added: ‘By virtue of the fact that Rotary International has interactions with government at different levels, that by now we would have imbibed the culture of Rotary Club which is seamless transition but unfortunately, it is not like that.’
‘We are nonpolitical, nonpartisan, we can give reorientation. Probably we can breathe the air of seamless transition into government. We urge non-rotarians who are in government to copy what we do. We recognize service to others more than self’, said Rtn. Omotunde, the first female District Governor 9110.
