Prof. Adeyinka Omigbodun, a university scholar and former president of the West African College of Surgeons, has expressed concerns over the current hardship Nigerians are going through to make ends meet in the wake of the hike in prices of commodities.

Mr Omigbodun, who blamed the hardship on bad leadership confronting the country, said the street protest being agitated by some Nigerians was not the best option to address the current challenges people are facing.

“It is not until you protest on the street before you get your feelings known. It is a good thing if something is not being done properly for the followers to make their feelings known so that corrections can quickly be made. And by so doing, a responsible and listening leader will do well to listen to what their followers are saying.

“It is also the product of followership, so, all of us must strive to be better leaders. If everybody is doing his bit in a corner, I can assure you, as a nation, we will develop. Every nation in the world battles leadership problems and Nigeria isn’t different,” he said.

The medical expert spoke on Wednesday at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, while delivering the fourth Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe distinguished lecture.

Mr Omigbodun, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Ibadan, who spoke on the topic “Leadership, Mentorship and Academic Development in Nigeria”, added that both the leadership and followership in the country have serious roles to play if Nigeria would progress and overcome her challenges.

He explained that peaceful demonstration is the right of the citizens but observed that followers also have a critical role to play in ensuring the right persons are in power to initiate masses-oriented policies.

“There are leadership challenges at the national, state, and local levels, and even in the community. A situation that changes from time to time is also incumbent on followership to support leadership.

“I noticed that a lot of people just spend efforts disparaging leadership and sometimes altering curses on the leadership. No way can that go well for the population. Let us do our best to advise and pray for our leaders.”

While extolling the virtues of the late Akinkugbe, a physician and first Nigeria’s professor of medicine at the University of Ibadan, Mr Omigbodun said the medical icon contributed immensely to the growth of the country’s health sector.

Extolling the virtues of the late Mr Akinkugbe, Mr Omigbodun acknowledged the legacies of the late medical icon, describing him as an astute administrator and great leader, the type that any county needs to move forward.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Adesegun Fatusi, said the institution always celebrates excellence as part of its reward for leadership, especially in emulating the qualities of the late Mr Akinkugbe.