The
leadership conundrum in Nigeria has been an ever recurring decimal in
our march towards self-sustained development. Many authorities have
proffered all sorts of hypothesis on this problem but like the
proverbial offensive odour of an elephant’s fart, it has refused to go
away. Unfortunately, our leaders have failed to adhere to the various
injunctions pertaining to leadership in a community. Most of them are
people of questionable pedigree, dubious characters and most often
people operating on the periphery of crime. Therefore: Ye
shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes off thorns, or
figs off thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;
but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring
forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast
into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew
7:16-20)
Jules Masserman, United States professor of Psychoanalysis, University of Chicago says the leader must fulfil three functions:
1. The
leader must provide for the well-being of the lead ... The leader,
whoever he is, must be interested in your welfare. He must not be
ravenous like most of the vampire leaders of the ‘Third World’; such as
our present day political and religious leaders; who have turned the
masses into their ‘milking cows’, to be exploited to satisfy their greed
and lust.
2. Leader
or would be leader must provide a social organization in which people
feel relatively secure ... a Leader must provide a social order free of
self, voracity and ethnicity. Unfortunately, “there is still with us
much sorrow and sin, injustice, oppression, wrong and hate. Still does
arrogance deaden conscience, rob struggling souls of even the crumbs of
pity, and make, of loathsome flesh and crumbling dust, fair-seeming
idols for worship. Still does ignorance blow a mighty horn and try to
shame true wisdom... Still does greed devour the substance of helpless
ones within its power: Nay, more, the fine individual voice is smothered
in the raucous din of groups and crowds that madly shout what they call
slogans, new, old falsehoods, long discredited! What can we do to make
God's light shine forth through the darkness around us? Prof. Jitendra Dhoj Khand. We
are a helpless people, who have refused to make efforts to help
ourselves; architects of our own misfortune. Like Cassius lamented to
Casca in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,” And
why should Caesar be a tyrant then? Poor man! I know he would not be a
wolf, But that he sees the Romans are but sheep. He were no lion were
not Romans hinds.”
3. The
leader must provide its people with a set of beliefs or national
ideology. It is easy to talk of the fellowship of men under a single
banner. This has not been possible in our clime as the leaders are
bereft of vision and mission; and are not endowed with the spirit of
corporate, political or spiritual leadership. They do not have any
apparition of a ‘promised land’. Neither are they agitators who are more
likely to possess these qualities.
Leadership
denotes the ability to move masses of men, the talent to produce ideas,
and forge the union of theorist, organizer and leader all in one; a
rare phenomenon which we find only in great men of history: Ghandi,
Napoleon, Caesar, Lenin, Mao, JFK and Hitler.
The
leaders we have are charlatans, deceitful leaders and men of untruth.
Like they say: A false man cannot build a brick house! If he does not
know and follow truly the properties of mortar, burnt clay and what else
he works in, it is no house that he makes, but a rubbish heap. It will
not stand the test of time and it will fall straightaway. It is like a
forged bank note; they get it passed out of their worthless hands.”
Heroes and Hero-worship), p.58. It is sad indeed! And the 21st Century is fast going.
Let
me end by quoting the conclusions of Olutola Abolurin in his treatise
on Religion and Religiosity, when he said: Nigeria therefore is not
suffering because of the open show of religiousness, rather there are
too many professing religion who do not really have ingrained in them
the virtues of the religions they profess and have no intention of
seeking the redemptive paths offered by their religions. Religion has
become for many the mask to wear to obtain preferment or to lull others
into dropping their guards in their personal and business interactions.
The
problem we have is the leadership of the society - political, business,
civil, and religious. We all claim to be religious but we do not
reflect the values of our professed religions in our behavior, in
politics or in governance. Indeed for most of us, politics or business
is a “do or die” affair and anything goes. And a lot get away with it.
Institutions to curb our excesses are corrupted by us. Religious leaders
unfortunately also pander to those who are rich or powerful, and in the
process, undermine the religious values that should provide the moral
anchor for the society. By our actions and inactions as leaders we
debase the society and the people become cynical and alienated. We, the
leaders in Nigeria, nay Africa, are the problem.
Barka Juma’at and a Happy Weekend.
Take One:
The
Apapa gridlock, which has been in place for the best of the past 15
years, defying succeeding regimes, is a great sign that Nigeria is a
country that cannot solve the most elementary of its problems. We have
ports in Warri, Sapele, Port Harcourt, Onne, and Calabar. We have also
river ports in Onitsha, Lokoja and Baro. Why can’t we activate them to
disperse these trucks and tankers to other ports and allow Apapa to
breathe? Why must the whole nation depend only on Apapa and Tin Can
Ports? Why can’t we rehabilitate the various fuel depots around the
country so that tankers will not need to come to Lagos to load fuel?
Can’t we quickly complete the roads in Apapa? Can’t we activate the
Apapa rail corridor to join in evacuating goods? When will Nigeria have a
government (leaders) that can solve problems? Emmanuel Okogba, Vanguard Editorial.
Lastline:
My favorite auntie; Alhaja Idayat Adetona was 75 yesterday. A very
genial and quiet woman and an epitome of contentment and a true daughter
of the Ashafa/Motajo ancestry. We wish her happiness, good health and
Allah’s blessing for the remaining tenure in this life.
--
Babatunde Jose iPhone 7
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