Africa remains poor because leadership is all about positions, titles, and qualifications – Rev Prof Larbi
Reverend Professor Emmanuel Kingsley Larbi, Founder and Chancellor, Regent University, Ghana, says, Africans need a mindset that sees leadership as rendering selfless service and using the resources to develop the greater good.
He said Africa still remains poor because the people including our leaders who had been entrusted with resources and authority to lead in the political, religious, and socioeconomic spaces thought leadership was all about positions, titles, and qualifications.
“A continent that can boast of enormous human and material resources could still have the bulk of the world’s poorest nations. For us, occupying a position is more important than what the position expects you to do and that’s why assembly members want to be called honourable,” he said.
Prof. Larbi said this after the platinum launch of his two books, “God’s Master Plan for Humanity,” and “Born to Win; The Memoirs and Reflections of a Trailblazer,” which sought to champion a positive and development mindset towards leadership.
He said the bane of Africa development is the challenges of leadership, and we must begin to “look at things differently, understand things differently, and do things differently.”
“With all the potholes, wells, and dugouts on our roads, we don’t see these duty bearers fixing it – we don’t see the MPs, Ministers, CEOs, MMDCEs fixing the challenges in our communities. All we hail is titles and qualifications. If you are a chief what are your duties to the people,” he quizzed.
Prof. Larbi, who was instrumental in the establishment of Central University and contributed immensely to its growth, had given scholarships and other opportunities to several youth and students in various fields of study and work.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the Chancellor of the Regent University, said, his book, “Born to Win” talks about social, theological, economical, especially educational issues where the book underscores the value of education as the emancipation of an individual.
He said: “Education is the key factor for ending poverty as hereditary. The poor man gives birth to a poor person and the vicious cycle continues until something disorganises the system, and someone is liberated, and that person also brings salvation.”
The first platinum copy of the books was bought at the cost GH¢120, 000 by Dr Paul Fynn, the Chancellor, Wisconsin International University College, copies of the diamond books sold between GH¢10, 000 and GH¢20, 000 whilst the gold copies was sold between Gh¢5, 000 and GH¢ 10, 000.
Rt. Rev Dr Samuel Ayetey-Nyanpong, Reviewer of the book, “Born to Win,” said, the book “contains the principles for success and good leadership, keys to skills development and corporate governance, the importance of skill development and training amongst others.”
He said a purchase of “Born to Win” would be a token of commitment to change, a charge to excellence in the transformation of lives, a consideration to remain aligned to the will and purpose of God and a treasurer to impact generations of now and the future.
Source: GNA