The Ezekwesili Personal Principles and Individual Integrity “Test” (EPPIT) as Our Guide Moving Forward

On the basis of pure principles with a new Nigeria ahead of all of us, there is need for the nation to be guided by individuals and institutions with high values, using what could be called the Ezekwesili Personal Principles and Individual Integrity Test (EPPIT).

Henceforth and periodically our potential and current public leaders could take the EPPIT informally and we could generally measure their works and deeds constructively. In this way, a future Nigeria would be led by competent individuals and solid Institutions. For much too long, public institutions in Nigeria have revolved around corruption, religious strain and ethnic divide, resulting in chaotic institutional practices.

The EPPIT could help in fetching out individuals who would help our public and private institutions. The EPPIT could help reveal the quality of the individuals occupying our institutions. It could help uncover individuals who would use their knowledge to develop public policies that bring about public good, restore institutional confidence, and act as a tool to help reveal individuals who are all about better management of resources, whose focus are on value-added services and are comfortable with a living in a manner that is not excessive.

EPPIT could assist in revealing persons who, with decent and dignified ethics, could help nourish our God-given assets in a non-personal and collective manner.

The EPPIT could help reveal potential leaders who are concerned about the improvement in the standard of living of the people. It could help reveal immoral politicians that are always money hungry and are all about looting the public treasury. It may help reveal those who value intelligence, development and democracy.

The EPPIT could help reveal a line of potentially aspiring and active leaders who believe in the spirit of uplifting leadership, inclusive leadership, trusting leadership, and collective leadership towards institutional, political, economic and governance successes.

The EPPIT should be extended to others in the media, military, police, education, and healthcare and all other public-related institutions. The test could also help uncover those who may undermine national empowerment and who are all about personal power, selfish needs, and self-enrichment.

The EPPIT which was informally carved out from the nation-building pronouncements and deeds by Obiageli Ezekwesili could guide us to identify individuals imbibed with the spirit to building a common national character, expression, and loyalty through robust institutions.

Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist, a Consultant in National Psychology, and a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association. [email protected]

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Articles by John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D.