We need to start with how we have got our governance, education and psychology mixed up in a way that now militate against our well-being. Nigeria is an idea and not yet a nation. Let me expatiate further on this thought. Firstly, nation-building is a destination rather than a bus-stop, meaning; it is a never ending journey. It is a continuous process of constant renewal, regeneration and rediscovery.
Secondly, in the words of our reverend Chief Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo, Nigeria is still a mere geographic expression. Thirdly, Nation-building refers to the policies that core group governing elites pursue toward non-core groups in their effort to manage social order within state boundaries in ways that promotes a particular national narrative over any other. Such policies may vary widely ranging from assimilationist to exclusionary ones.
Additionally, our political leadership should not be as dominant and powerful as we have made them in our socio-politico-cultural system that we have. For example, the King of England keeps the politicians under some form of “control” (though it is not obvious from outside), same in Asia (where they exist) and many parts of Europe, but we have jettisoned this institutional derivative of our primordial sentiment (culture & tradition).
Let me ask this question: in crisis, who would the people of any region in Nigeria listen to? We need heroes, crisis managers and leadership capable of carrying people along. In the history, of nations at crossroads like ours, France had Charles De Gaulle, Indonesia had Surkano, Yugoslavia had Tito, Egypt had Nasser and Turkey had Kermal Mustafa Ataturk, to name just a few. These were all self-confident, visionary leaders and, without doubt, patriotic and genuine nationalists.
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This article is descriptive; examines and it looks at the place of leadership and good governance in the actualization of overall national development in a complex situation. My prayer is that we develop leadership (which is a cascading process) from where leaders would emerge at all levels. This is what is missing. Order is very important in this quest and what we have now is a chaotic approach and unrealistic expectation for our country and continent. The example of the smooth successions witnessed in Lagos State the third largest economy in Africa suffice.
Unarguably, it is the leadership (process) that would build “leaders” amongst “followers” and make them citizens from whom top leaders emerge. This type of process existed in many African societies before the colonisers turned things upside down. They deliberately destroyed the ordered/organised system of leadership so that they can control us; in the same way as in there cannot be two masters on a ship.
Understandably, until we re-establish a leadership that is orchestrated by our true moral system, DNA twist and archetypical mixture(s) of oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and endorphins (as distinct from those of our neighbours across the world), we would remain where we are for a long time to come. Assuredly, the national healing process has just began with the President-elect far-reaching statement. NIGERIA: At The Cusp Of ‘Renewed Hope’ permit me to conclude this article dedicated to Nigerians home and abroad with the paraphrase:
”As your incoming president, I accept the task before me. There has been talk of a government of national unity. My aim is higher than that. I seek a government of national competence.
”In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to abiility and performance. The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria.
”There shall be young people. Women shall be prominent. Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.” ~ Bola Tinubu, Nigeria President-Elect.
Richard Odusanya
odusanyagold@gmail.com
