Former president good luck jonathan he has urged African leaders to seek to improve the lives of the people they serve, and has stressed that such a legacy of good works will speak for them after they leave office.
The former president declared this past weekend in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, where he won the ‘African Peace and Democracy Icon Award’ at the inaugural edition of the African Heritage Concert and Awards.
Advising leaders to prioritize the rights and humanity of citizens, Mr. Jonathan also noted that the well-being of citizens must guide national aspirations and development initiatives on the continent.
Speaking further, he stressed that the duty of leaders is to manage their countries properly and efficiently, and “not to dehumanize human beings and make life difficult for them.”
“What people will remember you about is what should guide our decisions, and I think every leader should start thinking that when he leaves office, one day he will be remembered in one way or another, positively or negatively.
“Will the world remember you for killing people? Will the world remember you for needlessly imprisoning people, will the world remember you for destroying its systems, or will you be remembered for doing good?” he questioned.
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Other honorees included the former President of Tanzania, the late John Magufuli; Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and former Botswana President Seretse Ian Khama.
Thanking the organizers of the event, Heritage Times (HT), for a successful programme, Mr Jonathan also argued that such a gesture of thanks would encourage African leaders to do more to improve people’s lives.
He further said: “I was the president of Nigeria for only five years. I think the small contributions I made during that period and probably after I left office might have convinced the organizers to honor me today as the Icon of Democracy and Peace in Africa. This means that it’s not really how long you stay in the office that people will remember you, but how well you served them and how little impact you make.”