By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA — The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) Enugu, Monsignor Prof. Obiora Ike, says Nigeria is in distress because many of its leaders have failed to provide moral direction and lead by example.

According to him the country’s problems are not fixed in stone, but they will endure if those in positions of authority continue to fall short on truth, accountability and character.

He called for a decisive shift to ethical leadership, warning that Nigeria’s future rests on raising a generation that chooses integrity over expediency.

Ike spoke while delivering the maiden Distinguished Lecture Series of the Enugu Regional Association, University of Nigeria Nsukka (ERA-UNN), under the chairmanship of Engr. Stanley Anih, before an audience drawn from academia, public service and the wider community.

“We are suffering in our country now because many political, religious and educational leaders have failed to be light to the country.

“Teachers should teach students truth and character, our political leaders should be transparent and accountable and our religious leaders should preach the truth and show good examples,” he added.

He said the country’s recovery depends on leadership that people can recognise and trust, leadership grounded in truth and sustained by personal example.

“What we need to move this country forward is ethical leadership that emphasizes truth, good character and good example,” he said.

He turned to young people, framing them not just as inheritors of the future but as its shapers, if guided rightly.

“We owe youths the future leaders of this country the truth, that will direct and guide them to be light and ethical leaders in future,” he said.

The lecture, themed ‘Collaborative Governance: Harnessing Intellectual Capital for Leadership Development,’ also widened into public health, as Dr Louis Okolie, Consultant Urological Surgeon at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, urged men to take early screening for prostate cancer seriously.

“Early detection is key to the treatment of prostate cancer; men above 40 years should always go for screening in order to minimize the rising cases

“It progresses silently in its early stages, making routine screening critical for early detection and effective treatment,” he added.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof. Simon Ortuanya, described the gathering as more than a lecture, calling it a meeting point between the university and society.

Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Mike Onyia, he said the choice of Ike as guest lecturer reflected the association’s tradition of excellence.

Earlier, the President of ERA-UNN, Prof. Chukwuedozie Ajaero, said the series was designed not just to exchange ideas, but to sharpen them for real-world impact and collective progress.

“The lecture series align strongly with ERA-UNN core objective to promote unity among members, foster cooperation, advance socio-economic and cultural interests, and serve as a rallying point for the exchange of ideas.

“This distinguished lecture series will serve as a cornerstone for intellectual exchange, mentorship, and policy-relevant discourse, key ingredients for sustainable development in our region and nation,” he added.

In a brief interview, Prof. Florence Orabueze, Director of the Institute of Maritime Studies, UNN, and Chairperson of ASUU-UNN, echoed the call for ethical grounding, noting that she established an Ethics Committee on assuming office to reinforce values within the union.

The event also featured the conferment of awards of excellence on eight former and serving vice-chancellors of ERA extraction, including Prof. Chinedu Nebo and the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ortuanya, alongside other distinguished Nigerians.

Dignitaries present included the Vice-Chancellor of SUMAS, Prof. James Ogbonna; the Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Prof. Daniel Nwachukwu; and traditional rulers such as His Royal Majesty Amb. Lawrence Agubuzu and Igwe Samuel Asadu.