The Search For A New Nigeria (5): The Consequences Of Failed Leadership -By Richard Odusanya

A blind person asked a Rabi: “Can there be anything worse than losing one’s eyesight?” He replied: “Yes, losing your vision.”

There is no better way to describe a set of leaders without vision. This is the NIGERIAN predicament presently.

This is because many stakeholders have opined that the country is now sailing without a rudder as it were. There’s no clear cut direction viz-a-viz a leader blazing the trail.

Leadership is supposed to be a process of social influence, which maximizes the effort of others towards the achievement of a goal or set objectives. Little wonder that Peter Ferdinand Drucker, an Australian consultant and educator, defined leadership in this way: “Leadership is the lifting of a man’s vision to a higher sights; the raising of a man’s standard; the building of personality beyond its normal limitations.”

True leaders act with integrity, and in doing so they establish trust. True leaders genuinely value their people, and in doing so they create loyalty. True leaders are in the business of assisting people to realize their full potentials, and in doing so they Inspire hope and encourage excellence.

The problem of Africa is clearly that of poor leadership and the resultant effect of same. This is what we’re experiencing presently, and witnessing in our beloved country, Nigeria.

A country of unimaginable resources turned into a certified and officially designated world poverty headquarters. It recently added a new feather to its cap, “3rd worst country” – no thanks to poor leadership (“The Rodents”).

The present situation and circumstances that we find ourselves in Nigeria today is clearly a failure of the system and that of the leadership. A leadership that is only interested about power without corresponding responsibility is bound to fail. This is the result of high-mindedness, greed and self-centered mentality.

The failure of leadership has brought up the issues of social malady, hunger, insecurity, kidnapping, banditry and Bokoharamists insurgency. It has also resulted in the following unpalatable maladies:

1) Schools have closed down, therefore denying the children the opportunity to compete with their counterparts in future.

2) Shortage of food and rising prices of food because farmers cannot go to farm.

3) Businesses are at a standstill because of kidnapping on the high roads.

4) Assassinations and insecurity have become so rampant that no one is safe.

5) Students and under-graduates have become easy targets to extort money from their parents. Some are even killed in the process.

7) Prices have skyrocketed in every facet of the economy.

8) Movements are restricted to a few areas leading to loss of revenue.

9) Security agencies are overwhelmed thereby leading to insecurity everywhere.

10) Aid workers are not left out as this has led to international condemnation thereby denigrating us in the eyes of the outside world.

NIGERIA WILL RISE AGAIN! OUR COMPATRIOTS ACROSS THE GLOBE WILL REJOICE AGAIN!! AFRICA NEEDS THE GIANT!!!

Richard Odusanya is a Social Reform Crusader and the convener of AFRICA COVENANT RESCUE INITIATIVE ACRI.