Nigeria: The Leader we DESPERATELY need
- As requested on June 4, 2006
By D. Akinsanya Juliuson C. Dipl
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This was, I believe, said by John Acton, the famous historian. However, he did not go on to suggest that the opposite is also true. Absolute powerless is no guarantee of absolute impeccability. We, Nigerians don't have as much power as we truly want, but I believe, we do have some. To make the most of the power that we have, we need to act with immense sincerity, integrity and sensitivity. We need to do the right thing and we'll get the right result. We can't buy wisdom by the pint. We can though obtain ignorance in this way. After a couple of glasses we will know nothing about anything - even if we feel sure that we know it all! Wisdom, arguably can be bought - but not with money. We have to pay for it with experience and we certainly can't measure the stuff. So, how much wisdom do we have now in this country of ours? In some nations elections are never held. The same people hold the same positions of power for decades. Are the citizens any worse off? They might or might not be. We can't ask them because they are not allowed to comment! Democracy as we are made to believe or understand is not about efficiency. It's about respecting the right to disagree.
The Journey so far
I believe a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…..just a single step. Let's close our eyes and think of a clear blue sky above us. Let's once again, visualize a ladder, emerging from the top of our head. Let's watch it go upwards, ever upwards, into that wide blue yonder. Now, let's conjure up an image of, we Nigerians somehow climbing that ladder. We keep climbing and now at the top, let's look down. There is our situation in Nigeria, the one that seems so big, daunting, urgent and overwhelming seems small in the distance - doesn't it? Grown ups in our midst know what they are doing at all times. Kids and the minority, just wander around in a state of confused innocence. Or so at least, we are taught to believe. There are though, many smart children in this world and many dumb, confused and heartless adults. In that latter group (the adults) the dumbest of the lot are the folk who think they know what they are doing when really they have no clue, no idea. I believe we (the minority) have got that childlike urge to explore something different now and we mustn't dismiss it. It could change our world and our country for better.
The selfless leader we need
The Most High will surely bless us with a God fearing Leader. A leader who will appreciate how extremely important it is for a leader to know the true meaning of leadership, security and understanding. I said this before and by God, I'm saying it again. Any LEADER that's not guided by principle is not a LEADER and I repeat, that person is not a LEADER but a wishful thinker. The leader Nigerians need is once again, someone who embodies the best and understands the ideals and value of communities and also hard-work. God will give our country a better leadership and better future. I'm sure we have more than enough intelligent leaders with what it takes to lead the nation, let's pray to God for guidance and to lead us. The well deserved leader will surely emerge, but only from the minority. In order for the God fearing leader to form a perfect union with the clearheaded citizens of Nigeria, he will be prepared to establish prosperity and well-being and insure integrity, also declare himself free and independent from all bondage past, present and future. He will surely be prepared to divorce himself from self-righteousness and release the nation from poverty, lack, foolishness and negativity. He will be a consummate listener and be prepared to deal with serial blackmailers and jobless character assassins, which have destroyed many innocent lives for far too long, through their evil and unrepentant hearts.
Ita David Ikpeme was a young humble Major when he singlehandedly transformed Ondo State. Lateef Jakande destroyed no property, yet Lagos was transformed and highly respected the world over, through his vision, selflessness and dedication. The Great Obafemi Awolowo delivered more than he promised. We are asking God for a serial anti-corruption and human rights practitioner. Nigeria deserves a leader who is prepared to break free from acts of dependency, self-denial, dishonesty, indecision and timidity. We need a leader who is prepared to seek the common good, promote unity and justice, disdain the arrogance of power and provide moral leadership; A leader who will remove himself from working just for money and false security and commit himself to adding value and making his heart sing in everything he does; A leader who is prepared to rid himself of all that, he knows might jeopardize his determination to succeed.
We need a leader who is prepared to dedicate himself to personal success and honesty. A leader who will also center himself in the flow of truth, wisdom and inspiration; A leader who will be dedicated to helping and encouraging youths operate at their personal and professional best. We, the minority are prepared to work together under the leadership of a man of purpose, a man of vision and a man of understanding. We do not need a YES man, who will surround himself with visionless, spiritless, incompetent and clueless advisers and non-certified subservient diplomats, who are willing to abuse the rights of Nigerians in order to be accepted by their colonial masters and or willing to disrespect those who have sacrificed their lives for this worthy nation.
The worthy Nigerian leader will learn how to mentor others to greatness and create a self-propelled workforce. He WILL be more versatile and be sure of his approach. He will share his vision more effectively and boost productivity. Nigerians the world over are intelligent enough to understand the fact that, the world belongs to passionate driven leaders, people who do not only have enormous amount of energy but who can energise those whom they lead. Right now we need a revolutionary objective. Nigerians don't want to be managed, we want to be led; to be inspired to higher levels of excellence and we want a leader who can develop our potentials. We need and will surely get a leader who will understand that, how well his team performs depends on his leadership. We Nigerians are wise enough to understand, that people are not led by plans and analysis, but creating inspiration, self respect and a sense of excitement is what it is all about. Nigerians need and will surely be blessed with a leader who will appreciate the fact that, his ministers and ambassadors may be very skilful, but understand that, what really makes the difference between good performance and outstanding performance is the WILL factor, commitment, energy and belief; an ability to generate innovative ideas and pull it through. We desperately need a leader who will learn how to ignite the will to win in his team, especially his ministers, advisers and ambassadors. Our nation is an independent country not a village or town. Nigeria is a leader of leaders and she deserves a mature and energetic leader who is not a recipe for disaster. Nigeria deserves cultured, understanding, competent, charismatic, sensible, sensitive and mature ambassadors, consuls and representatives. Our country is desperately in need of diplomatic missions with efficient, competent, understanding and serial networking commercial, cultural and public diplomats.
Be tough and strong
In life some obstacles are opportunities. If we seek a way past them, we will eventually find success. Others are impenetrable. They are too big, too broad, too high or too deep. No matter how much effort we make, we will be wasting our time. How are any of us supposed to know the difference between these two types of difficulty? There's only one way we can find out. We have to try for a while and see how far....But what if we choose the wrong thing? What if we reach the wrong tomorrow? What if we wind up lost, sorely regretting our weakness or lack of insight? When we are thinking like this, as said many a time before, let's remember the words of Franklyn D. Roosevelt: "The only thing we have to fear in life....is fear itself." As we sow seeds for the future by our own actions, let's ask ourselves, "Are we acting out of nervousness or enthusiasm?" If it's the former, let's please forget it. If it's the latter, let's let it lead us, as long as we are clear in our hearts. We must remember that, yesterday's perfect solution is today's irrelevant idea. Life moves on and we must move on too. We can't keep repeating tried and tested formulae - nor can we assume, just because something once suited us, that it will be perfect forever. We don't necessarily have to alter our situation but we do have to look at things from a different angle. We must learn not to overlook the potential value of something (so far) unfamiliar.
We must always understand that success is forever dangerous and failure is forever valuable. Success gives rise to arrogance, overconfidence, pride and prejudice. Failure by contrast, produces humility, wisdom, cautious and a willingness to learn. At the moment, in this great country, we have a reason to feel triumphant and a reason too, to feel deflated. Understandably, we want to focus on the factor that makes us feel so very good. The greatest benefit is going to ensue from a good, hard look at our most pressing problem. What isn't working? Why isn't it working? What can we do now to make it work? It takes courage to ask questions like these but if we can now summon that strength, we will come up with answers that inspire and uplift us. No matter what you and I think or believe, even the Most High Himself forgives us of our trespasses. How many of us do forgive those who trespass against us? We must in this country understand that, it is our lack of forgiveness that always lead us into temptation, so now, who is going to deliver us from the evil we have created with our tongues and our actions, if not the Most High to whom kingdom, power, glory and authority belongs. Let's be glad of the unexpected. Let's embrace the unusual, the innovative, even the downright disruptive. We surely can soon put things back the way they were if we really want to - but the likelihood is that with the help of the enemies of progress, the serial blackmailers, the absolutely nothing in our midst, we might not want to.
The Path of what’s next?
Let's recall, the last time we said "Right, that's it, we're never ever going to do this (or that) again." Let's dwell, for a moment, on how pleased we’re that we made such a decision and how different life has been since then. Now, let's face facts. We are back in a situation which looks suspiciously like the one which led us to that choice. Do we, on point of principle walk away? Or do we give it one more try, to see if we can get something constructive out of it? That decision, soon, I surely believe, will be made for you and I. We can argue with the past as much as we like. It won't respond. It can't change. It can not even argue back! Happily, we don't have to resolve our differences with it. We can remain uncomfortable about anything that has taken place before now. This as far as I'm concerned won't do us any harm as long as we don't carry the dispute forward as we always do. The future does not need to be argued with. It needs to be cajoled, coaxed and persuaded. We can talk it into something we really like and enjoy. As said before, let's look to the past and weep but look to the future and hope.
We surely can't start with a clean sheet. There are already too many things written on it. Even if we try to erase them - or paint over them - they will continue to show through. Let's not, therefore, try to make a break with the past. Instead, let's try and make an agreement with it. Let's offer it some way to fit comfortably into our future. Let's take its legacy and turn it into something we can feel proud of and pleased with. I am not talking here about the part of the past we already like. No! I'm talking about the part we are not so sure of that we can now make peace with. We might say, if only we had known, back then, what we know now, perhaps we'd never have done what we did. But then, if we had never done it, we'd never have gone where we went. And then, we'd never have found out what we have discovered. Let's not bother travelling down the road of "what if? It leads nowhere. Let's head, instead, along the path of "what's next?" And be glad of the lesson we have just learned. It's yet going to help us ensure that the next destination we reach is a deeply pleasing and rewarding one. Whilst doing this, let's not forget to appreciate the founding fathers and mothers of our great nation, our genuine heroes and their achievements no matter how little. This is the right time for Nigerians, to understand the fact that, Nigeria is a country that was deliberately designed to fail. Let's thank the Most High for blessing us with a nation that has outlived her enemies and become the stumbling block for many. May that same God bless the citizens of Nigeria with Wisdom to do good without making noise; Knowledge to know, that noise makes no good; and Understanding to know that good makes no noise! Peace profound.
D.Akinsanya Juliuson C. Dipl
Don't be an ostrich. Take your head out of the sand and look at what's really going on. If you do this, you will start to see constructive solutions instead of just reasons to become ever more anxious. Don't be a donkey. Stop following imaginary carrots and fleeing from non-existent sticks. Don't be a butterfly either. Don't flit from topic to topic whilst ignoring the issues that matter most of all. Be yourself, seek wisdom and be proud of who you really are - yourself. As long as you are brave, you will make wise choices in life.
