NIGERIA’S JOURNEY TO NATIONHOOD: FILLING THE LEADERSHIP GAP

(Modest Thoughts With Ayuba Yilgak'ha in  Jos, August 6, 2023; SMS: 08116181263)

Nations are organic. Therefore, they evolve, changing from one stage or form to another. One of the major catalysts of state evolution and revolution is leadership. Leaders are like drivers, pilots or captains who take people to destinations of interest. The quality of leadership, therefore, determines how well and far a nation can go.

When nations found the speed they travel at is not good enough and or their destination is nowhere in sight as expected, the review becomes inevitable. In the journey to nationhood, the destinations of interest include but are not limited to holistic freedom, peace and stability, unity and integration as well as economic self-sufficiency!

At different points in history, nations, leaders and pundits have had cause to ask questions. Ask questions about the quality of their existence. For example, Edmund 1972 once asked, “Have we travelled three thousand miles not to be free?”

In Nigeria today, concerns about bad conditions of life of the citizenry have thrown up questions. What is the essence of the independence our founding fathers fought for (and attained in 1960)? Why do we have to fight for 30 months if we cannot guarantee the peace and security of one another? What is the democratic struggle we fought to enthrone 20 years ago all about? Is Nigeria’s rooftop collapsing? Is this nation of ours on the right path to nationhood? Are we lost in the wilderness, where exactly are we?

Over the years, the leadership baton of Nigeria has changed hands as it is in a relay manner. Each generation of the succeeding leaders had, at least, made modest achievements to their credit but there is still much left undone. The likes of king Jaja of Opopos played their part in defending the ownership of our land; Awolowos, Ahmadu Bellos, Azikwes, Tafawa Balewas fought hard and ejected colonial intruders from our soil. Gowon and many others fought for the unity of the country while progressive forces like members of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Solomon Lar etc. fought for the return of democracy in the country. Yet, there are still more battles to fight: the battle against structural imbalances, corruption, insecurity, economic backwardness, etc. These many problems by all standards are deep-rooted and cannot be solved by wishful thinking!

Anyway, every problem is an opportunity to provide a solution. Therefore, the opportunity to end Nigeria’s economic slavery, insecurity, corruption and structural imbalances is here with us.  Many countries around the world had had such huddles but overcame courtesy quality leadership. For example, in China, it was Dend Xiaoping that came to the rescue; in India, it was Manmohan Singh (finance Minister); For Singapore, it was Lee Kuan Yu, etc. In Nigeria, who can help us? An opportunity to write somebody’s name in the sands of time, as the man who brought Nigeria out of the wood of underdevelopment is here!

 

Political leaders must know that they shall not be leaders forever and the followership must also know that they might be on the saddle tomorrow. Today as always, while most the incumbents whom the law allows are seeking reelection; we have also seen former leaders fighting their way back to corridors of power. There are some from the followership who are trying to give it a shot for the first time? Which way do we go, the way of the incumbents or the voted-out-of-power bidders, and or should we go for new hands entirely? Here lies the dilemma of decision-making in an election season. The choice (s) to make often comes with a certain degree of uncertainty.

The Nigerian state seems to be in a state of leadership limbo. The atmosphere is always suggesting a lack of faith in those who are in power and a lack of power in the hands of those who have faith. In order to manage this limbo, it must be understood that every leader is the product of the larger society it emerged from. Leaders are specimens of the total population and culture from where they are drawn. Therefore, citizens have to do the needful to get credible leaders. In other words, it takes rare determination to produce good leaders from a largely corrupt population.

Those who aspire to be in a position of leadership must acquaint themselves with tested leadership qualities which include fearlessness (Humble fearlessness); emotional intelligence (not easily angered or acting on impulse) and moral decency. What morality does is that even when there is a legal lacuna, a moral leader will exhibit the right sense of statesmanship.

Leaders believe in the abilities of their followers and seek to inspire and motivate them in speech and action. Hear this inspiring one: “In view of men like those in the advanced guards, there is no doubt the regeneration of the human race” (Edmund, 1972). The guard, to whom this inspiring line refers, will most likely put their best in the discharge of their duties, I imagined. Leaders have a vision, seeing and taking action that will serve a country’s greatest good in future times, say the next 50 years.

Fellow Nigerians, before us now is yet another opportunity to choose those that will lead us in the next four years, commencing from May 29, 2023. In times like this, the advice and caution of Octavia Estelle Butler, multiple awards-winning American Science fiction writer becomes instructive and should be reflected upon with all the seriousness it deserves. Her words: “Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunist who controls the fool. To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.” This quote needs meditation to fully internalize the implications of voting wrong leaders!

In a few months ahead, Nigerians of voting age who have registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and have their respective Permanent Voters' Card (PVC) shall be going to the polls to elect from among us leaders who will represent various levels as members of state houses of assemblies, national assembly (both senate and House of Representatives), governors and, indeed, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We must go into this all-important exercise with the “unfinished dreams” of the country in mind. The dreams as earlier mentioned and for the purpose of emphasis include but are not limited to the need to end economic slavery, insecurity, corruption and structural imbalances in the country. The issue, therefore, is to determine which of these candidates or combinations of candidates have what it takes to address our pressing problems?

The choice is ours to make.  We must wear our thinking cap and think clearly before we vote in the coming general elections. We must learn to choose wisely if bridging the leadership gap the country is battling with, for decades, is anything to go by. Preparation in leadership matters a lot. Best wishes to Nigeria and Nigerians!