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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
The president-general of Unenurhie community in Ughelli North LGA of Delta state, Mr. Peter Maison, has described community leadership as more challenging than corporate governance in the Niger Delta region.
Unenurhie’s PG made this known recently during a chat with our correspondent at his residence in Unenurhie town, adding that “No doubt, even so many politicians and government officials know that community leadership is more challenging and tedious than corporate governance.
“This is because community leadership is a grassroots type of leadership and it’s directly to the people. The people know you to your family and biological roots as their leader, unlike the president of a country or governor of a state. For instance, not everyone in this our Delta State knows the governor to his community or family background. It may be only few people in the government circle.
“But the community leadership is quite different from the one of the corporate governance. Every community leader is never hidden to his people. They know him and all the members of his family. This is why community leaders have to be very careful when it comes to financial management and some other stringent decisions.”
Speaking further, the president-general of Unenurhie community advised community leaders across the Niger-Delta region to be very prudent in financial management and also to run an open-door leadership where everybody in the community is a stakeholder in decision making and should equally be carried along in the leadership.
Hear him: “In corporate governance, the people concerned are always warned to follow a laid down procedure in doing anything in the office or government. Though it’s also the same in community leadership based on the leadership constitution; but the difference is that, since the leaders and the followers are living together in the same community in most cases, the followers can strike at the leaders once there is a little mistake especially on financial issues or mismanagement.
“If this is not well managed, it can lead to internal crisis in the community. This is very common with our youths in the Niger Delta region. Issues bothering on mismanagement of funds by chairmen or presidents-general of communities have led to so many crises in many communities in the Niger Delta region in recent times. This can’t just be done to the governor of a state or any government official. The due process as defined by the law must be adhere to by all the citizens in terms of corporate governance. But the community leadership is grassroots based and also the people mostly adhere to their traditional ways of life in handling any issue on leadership,” he said.
The Unenurhie PG however called on Niger Delta youths to show respect and honour to their community leaders during town hall meetings and other public functions, as he added that, the mantle of leadership would soon be in their hands.
Mr. Peter Maison, President-General of Unenurhie community