To ensure that people with sound mind and knowledge are placed at leadership positions, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria (CCRN), Satellite Deanery, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, recently organised a one-day training.

The training, titled “Promoting Sound Leadership through Interaction,” deliberated on how the CCRN team could work in harmony with the church, guiding members to believe in the spiritually of the Catholic Church, balancing spirituality, business and family life as a leader and how leaders could forgive one another.

President of the Satellite Deanery, Mr. Cyril Oghaego, thanked God for the personalities present, including the clergy, lay faithful, and various media organisations from far and near.

He described leadership as an act of managing and positively influencing people towards discovering and fulfilling their destinies. He noted that a leader must either be solving a problem or providing solution for a particular problem.

He said promoting sound leadership through interaction was targeted at achieving better goals and exposing the CCRN service team to the rudiments of leadership at levels.

Dean of Satellite Deanery of CCRN, Rev. Fr. Francis Ike, said the inspiration behind the programme was as a result of the leadership challenges being witnessed in the country. He said that in order to contribute to improve the leadership level, the Catholic, through the Charismatic Renewal of Nigeria, organised the training.

“The leadership training will help to prepare those who have interest in politics. The church is working hard to push out people who are religiously trained into politics, having understood the meaning of leadership, as Jesus has shown us.

“If we begin the practice in our homes and the church, it will help permeate into the society, because the church is within the society,” he said.

Ike, who is also the parish priest of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Ojo Alaba, Lagos, explained that the training would provide a better understanding for future leaders, especially now that the leadership of the country is wobbling.

He said: “The leadership at the national level seems to have no direction. And even if they have the direction, where is the will to propel the dreams and aspirations of those that are being led? That is why the session is important.

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“If you are called to be a leader, it should be a responsibility. It is not about intellectual knowledge, but the will power.”

The priest noted that leadership should be selfless, adding that every leader must be open to criticisms.

“A leader should also be able to retract whatever decision he has taken if he discovers that it is not working out for the interest of the people.

“It is only when our leaders understand that they are there to serve the people, and not for their personal gratifications, that we will begin to get improvement in leadership.”

The chaplain of the deanery, Rev. Fr. Anthony Okeke, stated that the training was also aimed at educating and strengthening people for better performances while serving God and humanity.

He believed that if there was quality leadership. It would translate to good followership.

He said: “The training is not only to operate in the church, but also at business environments, families, communities, associations and in partisan politics.”

Okeke, who is also the parish priest of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Onireke, Ojo, Lagos, hinted that the training became necessary since the church encourages members to go into partisan politics.

“We can no longer leave politics for outsiders alone, thinking that it is a bad game. If we have good people in politics, I think they will make things happen for the benefit of all,” he said.