By Arikanki
Leadership issue is at the heart of the challenges facing Nigeria at the moment and indeed, it is also the solution. In Nigeria today, there is excruciating poverty, insecurity, political uncertainty, bad roads, youth unemployment and corruption requiring creativity, innovation, decisive leadership and people involvement to design solutions to them.
Famous leadership coach and author, John C Maxwell, wrote that everything rises and falls on leadership. For example, when a country’s football team is consistently losing matches, the clarion call by the fans is to change the coach. Also, when an organisation is underperforming, the board resolution is to change its head or the chief executive officer and bring in fresh brain. Most often than not, the company will pick up again. This is also true of a nation. If a nation is not making meaning full progress, the right of the citizens is to use their power through the ballot box to produce a new leader.
Therefore, as political parties round off campaigns in preparation for the presidential elections next Saturday, it is necessary for the voters to thoroughly scrutinise the candidates before voting for them especially the presidential candidates.
They must do a critical appraisal of the type of leadership they truly want for Nigeria, so that they don’t get emotional about their decisions in choosing a leader at this crucial moment. Of course, few important persons are jostling to become the president of Nigeria but we can only have one president at a time.
With the advent of technology to strengthen democratic institutions, elections can be credible in Nigeria. The voters are more discerning and can decide who they want to vote without coercion. It is generally believed that the incursion of military into Nigerian politics is aberration and it drew back the country. Democracy remains the only tool for progress.
Starting with a visionary leadership we can find something that are working and continue to do them and we will make progress. Since 1959 through 1979, 1999 and now 2019 Nigeria has started one form of democratic election or the other. In between, the soldiers have always come to draw us back. Nigerians voted and elected Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, Presidents Shehu Shagari, MKO Abiola, Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar’adua, Jonathan Goodluck and now Muhammadu Buhari.
Apart from Abiola whose election was annulled by the then junta led by Babangida, all the other elected presidents tried to lead the nation as they could. They had the opportunity to carry out their visions and plans. Possibly, some of them did not have the nerve to appoint the right people to help them articulate and carry out their visions and plans, thus they did not have much to show while in office.
Now, as we approach another season of presidential election, which is a week away, we need to take stock and chart a way forward on the type of leadership we want. Like I wrote earlier, the good news already is that the Nigerian electorates are now more discerning. They have suddenly realised the value of their votes. With technology, within a short time, we can have the results from each ward all over the country immediately after voting, collating, counting at polling stations. Now Nigeria election can be credible if we want it so.
Moving forward, as we prepare to go the polls we need to ask our presidential candidates critical questions about themselves, what they plan to do differently and how they intend to go about it. We need to weed out those we know do not have the will to become decisive president. Nigerians can no longer afford a trial and error president. We need to know who among the candidates has made enough preparation and ready to perform. We should know what we want and what we want our leader to do for us. As a nation, we cannot afford to gamble again. Nigeria is in dire need of a leader with a blaze of energy, a leader who can think critically with a genuine heart for service. And when we elect that person, he will ready to serve.
The country at this time needs a selfless, servant leader. In his book, The servant leader within, Robert K. Greenleaf described a servant leader as someone who “Begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant –first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.” That is the type of leader we need as our next president.
We need a leader who knows where the shoes pinch. Nigeria needs a leader with integrity who is free from lies and deceptions, who will use wisdom with power. We don’t need a leader who will promise one thing and do the opposite. We need a leader with conviction. We need a leader who can reflect, contemplate and deliberate wisely over issues affecting the people. It is a fact that whenever there is a good president in any country, there will be noticeable developments and prosperity in that country. But on the other hand, when a country is unfortunate to have a bad leader, there will be visible poverty, oppression, intimidation and the majority of the people will be in lack. Nigeria needs a can-do leader who will not be influenced by bad advisers.
I urge Nigerians to ‘shine their eyes’ and vote for a leader that can take us to the promise land next Saturday. Let me end this piece with a quote from leadership author, James Kouzes and Barry Posner who wrote “Beyond the horizon of time is a changed world, very different from today’s world. Some people see beyond that horizon and into other future. They believe that dreams can become reality. They open our eyes and lift our spirits. They build trust and strengthen our relationships. They stand firm against the winds of resistance and give us the courage to continue the quest. We call these people leaders.”
[Punch]
