Nigeria’s Depleting Stock Of Role Models -By Ikechukwu Amaechi

Three weeks ago, I got a message from someone who identified himself as Lemuel Iyalla, saying that he was directed by Dr. Christopher Kolade to invite me as his guest to an event where he will be honoured on September 7. The text came with an audio message which explained what the event is all about: “The Heritage for Life Foundation and Greenland Classics invites you to a Nonagenarian Concert and presentation of a book titled Spirit of our Treasures in honour of Dr. Christopher Kolade, CON, former Nigeria High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and Chief Emeka Anyaoku GCON, GCVO, CFR, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.”

Then it laid out the breadth and scope of the event. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President will be chairman while Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Ademola Adeleke of Osun are the special guests of honour. Dr. Raymond Obieri, former president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE; Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, chairman, Platform Petroleum Limited; and Dr. John Momoh, chairman of Channels Television, are distinguished guests of honour.

Mr. Donald Duke, former Cross River State governor, wrote the foreword to the book, Spirit of our Times; Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, will deliver the keynote speech and Ituah Ighodalo, Senior Pastor Trinity House, will anchor the event, which will hold at the Church of the Nativity, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, thus completing the cast of distinguished Nigerians slated to play official roles at the event. But who is Lemuel Iyalla? Neither the text nor audio message gave me a clue. So, I decided to call the ‘mystery man” on phone. Iyalla, a 39-year-old man, hails from Engenni Kingdom, Ahoada West Local Government of Rivers State. A graduate of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the University of Lagos, he said the idea of the award was divinely inspired.

Iyalla’s Heritage for Life Foundation is searching for 12 Nigerians who, through their unimpeachable, sterling character and integrity have contributed to nation building as role models to Nigerian youths. Rebranding Nigeria should not be about empty sloganeering, he insists. It is a process that must transcend ephemeral mundane considerations to include a total reformation of the spirit being. This can only be achieved through value reorientation – a complete change of attitude towards all the wrong actions and attitudes that have become Nigeria’s bane. The idea is to take a peep into the past for values that would reshape national character and image and the best way to do this is to identify those Nigerians who have remained consistent in living good exemplary life, people who can be role models to beleaguered Nigerian youths.

In Dr. Kolade and Chief Anyaoku, Heritage for Life Foundation found two nonagenarians living a life that sets a positive example for others to follow. Iyalla insists that both men are living with integrity: honest and ethical in all their dealings, treat others with respect, kind and generous, and continually striving to make Nigeria in particular and the world generally a better place. So, having identified two of such individuals, the search continues for the remaining ten. This initiative couldn’t have come at a better time than now when Nigeria is being embarrassed globally by the conduct of its leaders.

Today, we have a President who is fighting so hard to ensure that the university he claims to have attended in the U.S. – Chicago State University – does not release the details of his so-called studentship and academic qualifications obtained therefore, a President whose primary and secondary school results presented in 1999 is now completely expunged from the records of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, without any explanation. We are in an era where a serving National Youth Service Corps member is at the same time a serving minister, where somebody nominated as a minister claims he sat for five subjects in his senior secondary school certificate examination, SSCE, obtained only two credits with which he secured admission into the university, and yet, the Senate shamelessly cleared him. Today, he sits in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, as a minister.

Some Nigerians say he shouldn’t have been cleared. But why not? With two credits and an SSCE certificate, is he not better than his principal whose education is still controversial? How many of the lawmakers who screened him have genuine certificates? But more importantly, what motivation does the average Nigerian child has to go to school when many of those superintending over the affairs of the country have questions to answer over their certificates? Like most Nigerians of my generation, I have known Dr. Kolade almost forever, but only by reputation. It wasn’t until he chaired the 2019 TheNiche Annual Lecture delivered by his bosom friend, Professor Anya O. Anya, that I came to know him closely.

His humility is disarming and his passion for the Nigerian youth is infectious. He is an incurable optimist, who believes that Nigeria ultimately has a great future. In the last one year, we have had at least five meetings in his house with none lasting less than two hours. And all the discussions centred on the Nigerian youth and why he believes there is hope for a national rebirth. As he once said to me: “I am hopeful about Nigeria because those who are 35 years and below are in the majority and people like me who have grown old are in the minority. That means that the people with energy, intellect, ambition, are in the majority. So, my hope is that since the majority of our people are young, they should have ambition, they should have hope, they should have energy because we need those things in order to grow and become better.”

Of course, he knows that I don’t share in his optimism because as I have always told him, there must be basis for hope and I see none in the horizon. When he read my column on August 3, titled, “Nigeria: Is there a reason to be hopeful?” he called to accuse me of taking a potshot at him. Truth is, I didn’t. But that is how passionate Dr. Kolade is about Nigeria. He agrees that things are bad. But he is eternally hopeful. Even if every other thing fails, he believes that God didn’t make a mistake and cannot leave Nigeria’s fate in the hands of evil men.

It is remarkable that at 90, Dr. Kolade keeps thinking not about self but the collective good. Inching towards 91, the man Nigerians call ‘Mr. Integrity’ has seen it all, ordinarily earning a bragging right. But for him, a devout man of uncommon humility, longevity is an unmerited favour from God and all praises must go to Him. He has earned his stripes of honour and deserves some rest. But he is not resting. Instead, he chooses to still be in the trenches, disappointed at the turn of events in his beloved country but hopeful of a complete turnaround for good: an optimism buoyed by the country’s youthful population. His life-long passion is to mentor the youths and even as old age and the domestic accident he had two years ago has limited his outings, he still makes out time to talk to them because on their shoulders rest the future and hope of the country.

For a society that would rather celebrate crass inanities rather than substance, it is heart-warming that Heritage for Life Foundation has put together this event in honour of these two national treasures – Dr. Kolade and Chief Emeka Anyaoku. But I am worried. Born on January 18, 1933, Chief Anyaoku will be 91 years next year. Dr. Kolade will reach that milestone on December 28, 2023, three weeks before him. These men blessed with longevity are, no doubt, in the departure lounge and there are only few of them. What happens, with the way things are right now, when they are all gone with the buccaneers holding sway all over the place? Your guess is as good as mine!