By Ngozi Onyeakusi—The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has once again restated its commitment to raising professionals, who should display dedication, loyalty in their followership and professionalism both in the nation and in the workplace. To ensure insurance professionals demonstrate professionalism across board, the Institute in its 2023 Ramadan Tafsir Lecture tagged ‘Leadership and Followership in Nation Building: The Islamic Perspective’. This underscores the role of followers in building good society. The CIIN President/Chairman of Council, Mr. Edwin Igbiti, giving his welcome address at the event which held at the Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja, said the Tafsir was derived from the Arabic word FASARA which literally means to lift the curtain, to make clear, to show the objective, stressing that by analogy Tafsir is the body of knowledge which aims to make clear the true meaning of Quran, its injunctions and the occasion of its revelations.
I will like to remind us that we are in a season where we reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with the Islam faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God. It is also a time of intense devotion to ALLAH. “With these reasons, I urge us all here today to continue to use the Holy month of Ramadhan to stay close to Allah by seeking for forgiveness of our sins, praying for our Country, family and humanity in general,” he said.
On his part, the Guest Lecturer, Dr. Sa’eid Ahmad, a medical consultant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH submitted that the topic was very apt and very timely considering a lot of societal issues the world is encountering today most especially as we plan to swear in a new government in the country. He stressed that Leadership cuts across Political, Religious, Society, Career and Family. Leaders are expected to set good legacies for others to follow. On leadership qualities, he explained that leaders must be humane and faithful, leaders must be responsible for conventional sense and prophetic sense, while followers express total submission and loyalty.
He concluded that “to have a successful nation building, both leaders and followers must exhibit faithfulness to whatever duty they are called upon, the ultimate panacea to nation building is for all citizens to assume their own level and measure of responsibility in their various positions, locations and circumstances”.