The sought-after leadership will not be the far in-between flash-in-the-pan good leadership as often cited, but a sustained process of not bad leadership. I have written severally in previous articles that unless our society evolves to a situation that puts premium on collective interest, we will remain underdeveloped. I have had this notion attacked in the past, and quite frankly I am not thrown off. To accommodate other views, I have put that also down to our level of understanding. What remains baffling, however, is how this society that is currently experiencing rot in its public interests on a large scale, seems not to query the elevation of individual interests that are surpassing the interest of the collective. This orientation can only be described as having not evolved much higher than those of the lower animals. As it is, it appears many of us do not want to take responsibility for our actions, but rather wish someone else took the rap.

Leadership itself is another example of common interests. Even if we limit this discussion to that alone, we still have to address the issue. We have witnessed and experienced what it is to neglect a common interest like electricity, roads, or public water supply, etc. The question is who is responsible. Even if we give acclamation to a few good leaders that made these things available on supposedly not too high standard and admonished those that fail to provide these public utilities, why are there rot in what have already been provided. Why have we failed to sustain developments? The flash-in-the-pan Duke, for instance, is no longer leading Cross River State ; but it appears litters are beginning to appear in the streets of Calabar? Today Fashola is transforming Lagos , but can that development be sustained without the commitment of the people living in Lagos . Will a burnt street light bulb be replaced immediately, for example?

A leader forges a path for the people to follow, but how far in the distance up the track can he or she monitor the established path he had led. Those who smear the garb of leaders in Nigeria as the sole culprits in matters of underdevelopment in the country are a bit unfair. To start with, it is the followers that choose the leader, rigged or not and whatever way you look at it. The number of days of any leadership rests on the temperament of the followers. Even if we limit ourselves to the extreme position of self imposed leadership, sustaining such leadership is enormously difficult without the consent of the followers (the people). It is always a matter of the majority. If we remember, the regime of Babangida was terminated without a shot being fired in spite of the panoply of military hardware at Babangida’s disposal. For the first time in living memory, majority of Nigerians rallied around a common course.

Babangida’s exit in 1993 strengthens my understanding that the ace belongs to the people. It is on this premise that we should seek the co-operation of fellow Nigerians, those that have evolved mentally, to engage in the orientation that holds common good (common interest) supreme. For those who are still not willing to hold back their self-interest for the advancement of common interest, public education remains an option. Most Nigerians do not realise the uniqueness of the poor state of public holdings in Nigeria . These public utilities are the only rots in our society and also the ones that are not working properly in the country. People often exhibit surprise when such realisation hit them. It is the pattern that shocks them, but it is a fact. It is a phenomenon that is strange in an environment that is supposed to have evolved beyond primitive setting.

However, when people snap out of this disbelief, they quickly attribute it to bad leadership. I often state, ‘Good, but how do you suppose to get the desirable leadership. …There must be a way out of this mess.’ It is here that the Nigerian seems stuck. The quickest way out for most Nigerians is a resignation for God to provide good leaders. It is not uncommon to hear the Jerry Rawlings solution of gathering past leaders for summary execution as an option. There is hardly a mention about individual’s contributions that could have been a catalyst to the rot. I am sorry if I offend the sensibility of some Nigerians; it seems cowardice and mentally lazy on the part of the rest of us. Everybody appears to be waiting for the other guy to do the right thing before they could lift a finger. The natural instinct of self-first holding supreme comes to fore.

Our reactions to public issues are based on our perspective. It will always be based on the degree of our understanding. If we consider it critical, we react swiftly otherwise we let it ride. Let us suppose an evil bad leader emerges and decrees that our streets should be flooded and bathe with acid; how will the majority of the people react? Acid will burn alright, so the situation will be considered by many as critical, but what about the inconveniences of poor public utilities? Most Nigerians, it seems, can live with that. Like I pointed out earlier, it is a matter of perspective. The moment man defines an issue as self-interest; such interest begins to drive him to greater heights and he is never discouraged to pursue excellence on that interest. 

Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick,

Lagos

Robot  # 1 | 19.09.2008 22:36

To think outside the box on an issue as contentious as leadership, in an environmen...Read the full article.