By Richard Odusanya
Leadership and followership are concepts as old as the existence of whatever organisation or setting anyone could think of. Without these two concepts being well defined in tasks that involve more than a person, there is every possibility or tendency of disorganisation and failure.
Of a greater importance is even the post of leaders compared to that of their followers. Lots are expected of them. Their true test lies in leading right in front, and shouldering responsibilities when things go wrong, instead of making excuses.
These are what good leadership entails. When anything less is offered, it isn’t applaudable and should be disregarded as leadership worthy of emulation.
Leaders who focus on meritocracy coupled with the ability to passionately articulate visions and make people want to follow their leads with humanistic psychology and tendencies, are usually great minds with unparalleled traits such as: selflessness, intelligence, self-confidence, integrity, and determination.
Effective leaders do not get stuck in a rut, they have unquenchable thirst for service; excellent mind, adaptable, flexible, and assertive, which is the hallmark of a great leader. Unfortunately, we as a nation do not have such leadership.
The leadership of the nation has destroyed the vision of the future and turned their backs on the future and embraced the past. The addiction of members of the ruling class to corruption and wickedness vividly set them against all human values and democratic norms.
Government exists to protect the natural rights of the people. These includes rights to life, liberty, and property. The primary purpose and responsibilities of securing lives and protection of its citizens both internally and externally from forces that threaten their rights of existence. Government must continue to protect its citizens from violence and from the worst vicissitudes of life.
The present security and other life-threatening issues in Nigeria today justify the widespread pessimism about the capacity of the present administration under Major General Muhammad Buhari (Rtd.) to confront the current national and global economic, security, demographic, and environmental challenges.
Apart from the issues of insecurity, our citizens have been exposed to unimaginable hardships and presently unable to bear the effects of such excruciating pains. These include hunger, lack of access to medical care, affordable education, and other basic needs of human life, which are expected of any sane and responsible government for its people.
Many of our citizens are either currently out of regular employment or unemployed. Those who are still in service and envied by the unemployed or those not in regular service, have all been weakened and reduced to beggars under a very harsh economic climate. The resultant effects of inflation which are; job lost, large numbers of unemployed citizens and unfavourable business environment have destroyed the private sector and businesses.
The body language, callousness and insensitivity of government agencies and their officials are not helping to ameliorate the pains. These unbearable conditions of our citizens, particularly the oppressed and downtrodden, who have been subjected to series of abuse and frustrations ranging from wanton destruction of livelihoods, properties, complete disregard for citizens rights to lack of empathy by the authorities.
The situation on ground is better imagined than experienced; it is hell on earth! Nigeria has lost its value system. It’s about time we admitted it: Nigeria has become a failed state. Nigeria is suffering from many ills. The tag “One Nigeria” has become a fraudulent expression used to cover up the truth of a disunited contraption.
The over 200 million population are at the mercy of the very few business and political elites, that take and waste all resources without thinking of the effects on those who handed the mantle of leadership to them to manage the abundant and rich resources in the land for the benefit of all. In fact, the government’s irresponsibility is so bad that the situation we have on ground now is that of a people dying of hunger in a land filled with milk and honey. It is pathetic!
There can’t be peace without justice, said the great Sage himself, Pa Obafemi Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano, one of the foremost politicians Nigeria has ever produced, had warned on the impending dangers of bad political leadership to the economy and peace of the country such as ours.
As we speak now, like prophets of the old days, the prophecies and predictions of Pa Awolowo, Mallam Aminu Kano, and few others are now very imminent in our society today. Year in year out, we experience more of bad leadership. From 1999 till date, it has been a situation of continuous deterioration of sanity and commitment in governance by Nigerian leaders.
Now, Nigerians can not go to bed with their two eyes closed for “fishes now eat fishes” to survive. The worst of all has come from this present President “Muhammad Buhari” led government; why on earth would a responsible leader have the time to go check on his cattle ranch when close to six hundred innocent secondary school students are kidnapped, just 2 hours’ drive off his location?!
If things continue in this same way in the next few months, we might experience an explosion more than that which was produced by the US “atomic bomb” of the 1940s.
Save our souls!
LET IT BE TOLD TO THE WORLD THAT NIGERIA IS BLEEDING PROFUSELY AND MIGHT PASS OUT SOONER THAN EXPECTED!
Odusanya is the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI