:::::::::Nigeria Horizon:::::::: Alternative news for national development

There have been many polemics about what Nigeria’s problems are. Some people believe that the problem is that of leadership, while another school of thought sees our problem as that of followership, and the third axis believes that all our problems are man made. I want to say like many others that our problems are admixture of all of the above. I struggle a lot of times to come to terms with all the problems that afflict us and watch helplessly a total system atrophy that exists in our body politic.
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with many rare resources, is endowed with credible, virtuous and upright leaders, but unfortunately, the prevailing conditions made it extremely difficult for such leaders that we need direly at this moment to emerge. The system is designed and set up for failure, at every step of the way, unscrupulous people handle positions that should be held by credible and trusted people, it is even made worse by the immunity nonsense in the constitution. It is a truism that needs no proof, once a judge is biased, the case is lost, and when ever the players are playing against the referee, the outcome is already pre-decided, that is the situation in which many credible Nigerian political gladiators find themselves. The selection process is fulsome and buggered up with many anomalies which made it almost impossible for the type of leader we need to emerge.

The statement made by senator Aliyu a retired DIG further accentuates the rotten system we have in the country. No one should be surprised that many members of the National Assembly are certified 419ers, certificate forgers, robbers, murderers and cheats. What do you expect these crops of leaders to do? Can leopards change its spots? In any decent society, such people should never be allowed to contest any elections let alone occupying such sensitive positions. Where was he when these people were filling their nomination papers? Where was he when the political parties allowed these avaricious men and women to flag the flags of their various parties? We can never progress as a nation with these crooks at the elms of our affairs, any wonder we are moving backward! We have people who should be behind bars ruling us, what a tragedy and a twist of irony! Honestly speaking, all these kings must die! What good thing can come out of this type of system? Thieves would only beget thieves, cheats would beget cheats and crooks would always produce their kinds. I really could not understand Aliyu’s threat at this point to name the bad apples among his colleagues now, they ought to have been named and shamed long time ago, somebody should just tell him to shut up now and for evermore! He has no point to prove any more, the damage is done. However, criminal investigations should commence without further delay, anything less will only add another feather to Nigeria’s cap as a nation where anything goes.
Nigerians both great and small placed so much value on material acquisition and landed property, all to the detriment of moral uprightness, and assiduity, they pursue personal aggradandizement with candor and vigor. Our values system is faulty, and the foundation of our society is questionable because, people who are ruling us have no moral basis to rule, in many cases, they do not even have the legitimacy to be there. Power is seen as an extension of cash and carry chieftaincy titles that all of them chase around and willingly conferred by equally compromised Royal fathers.

Everything seemed to be wrong with our society, it is shocking to read that our military officers have gone to the extent of depleting the armory and dealing in arms, the gory part of the news is that, these discredited officers are selling these arms to robbers and militants only to use the same ammunition to murder their comrades in arm. What a breach of trust! To my utter bemusement, some shameless monarchs and highly placed people find it cool to intervene and try to obstruct justice by appealing to the military authority not to do the right thing! It is unthinkable! These are the type of military personnel that can sell and betray their country in war times of war. Their action is tantamount to treason; they deserve the maximum penalty under martial law.
We need a complete review of how we select our leaders in Nigeria. We must all be involved, active, pro-active, go berserk if need be, we can no longer be the biddable followers we used to, it is no longer fashionable. We have to take back our dear country from all these bipolar leaders that call the shots, with all the necessary will- power we can muster, anything less, we would remain under their bondage and spell perpetually.
I took sometime to look at what leadership really entails. Theodore M. Hesburgh asserted that “the very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet”. As a leader, is not enough to know how much to do, but how to behave when you don’t know what to do, because in most cases, we are never in trouble because of what we don’t know, but most often, we are in trouble because of what we know but aren’t true! People say ignorance is bliss, but sorry, not any more. Our actions or inactions will come back to hunt and hurt us. Without any fear of contradictions, Nigeria has not been blessed with a true leader that knows how to behave when he/she doesn’t know what to do. Our past leaders did not show the evidence that they really knew where they were going.

My research showed me five common denominators or factors of great leaders, they are all what we know, but never put to good use. A great leader must create passion (good passion) and be passionate about his passion. He must know that, there are one hundred and ninety nine ways to get beat, but only one way to win; and must get their first. He must be able to turn fear into energy, dare to dream, develop penchant for imagination. Like Albert Einstein said, “the imagination is everything. It is a preview of life’s coming attractions.” In the contemporary world, more than ever, the possibilities are limited only by your imaginations. The first law in Psychology says “if there is any controversy between imagination and reality, imagination” always wins. Imagination is a strong tool in the hand of a leader that is worth his salt. Great leaders are able to empower others. He must be able to demonstrate that he knows and believes in his own ability. An unknown author on leadership says that “the whole world steps aside for the man (leader) that knows where he is going” great leaders do not take solace in silence in times of moral crises, neither do they seat on the fence during a period of moral dilemma. They take stand and stand by their decisions. Great leaders must define a clear vision and possess enough resources in the form of charisma to allow for mobilization of the followers. Great leaders do not use force or beg to enjoy obedience, but they command and ensure obedience, because they themselves are embodiments of obedience to the wishes and aspirations of the people. Lastly, great leaders should and must be able to communicate their vision and mission convincingly, unambiguously and clearly to the people, not that alone, through their abilities to combine in various degrees the above common factors, they would be able to attract, enlist, create support and harness the people’s power to turn all their imaginations into reality.

Having done all the above, leaders must be able to respond quickly to change. In nature, the only permanent phenomenon is change. Now, the next question is, where do our leaders stand in this mirror? We need the leader that will do what ever it takes to plan consciously, ready to step on many big toes to get the job done, it does not happen in vacuum, it takes conscious, deliberate and painstaking plans. It is happening around the world, arbitrariness in government is no longer acceptable, and Nigerians must join the band wagon, join hands and end the bonanza and camaraderie of our ruling elite. We need a leader with clear vision, good track record, courage and desirous of bequeathing a lasting legacy and a banner without stain. May God help us.