Abubakar Evuti: As we grope for leadership

The question: ‘Who is a leader?’ If hollered at a young Nigerian will only elicit astounding, jaw-dropping answers.

We can not answer correctly for we only faintly recall the chaotic days of Gen. Sani Abacha, the short reign of Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, the almost endless democratic reign of Gen. (Chief) Olusegun Obassanjo, the short days of Umar Musa Yar’adua, and now the laughable reign of the I don’t give a damn Goodluck Jonathan.

A few Nigerians have however taken the time to marvel at the qualitative leadership of men like Julius Nyerere and Captain Thomas Sankara. The average, un-exposed Nigerian should never be blamed if s/he answers the question “who is a leader?” thus: A leader is a man (it has always been the men) who seizes power or wins an election (usually they rig) then becomes the occupier of Aso Rock, from where he dictates the price of fuel which determines the price of food and other things. A leader is that man with a siren-blaring vehicle ahead of his convoy who sends other road users off thin, battered roads or, as we have seen in recent times, shuts down traffic long before leaving for his destination. A licensed looter of public treasury — THAT is a leader.

On September 13, 2011, I was at Yar’adua centre in Abuja to see “Nigeria the Beautiful.” a play by Odia Ofeimun. Nigerian lecturer who was teaches in South Africa, while presenting his paper concerning Nigeria and Nigerian politicians, said: “We can not imagine a successful Winston Churchill in a failed Britain. Why then should Nigeria (a failing polity, if not a failed one) be peopled with so many successful politicians (leaders)?”
The lecturer asked if we agree that there can not be successful politicians in a failed polity and – without thinking – we signified that we did. The lecturer then began to mention the names of Nigerian politicians and labeled them all failures. Obasanjo, he said, was three times a failure!

Now the lecturer must have spoken out of vexation and from years of frustration. Frustration that has caused people like him to flee Nigeria. He, like most people could not fathom how a country as South Africa (only recently coming away from its days of apartheid) could be rising so quickly and so firmly to the position of the greatest country in black Africa while Nigeria (the so-called Giant of Africa that aided South Africa through apartheid) is still wallowing in a pathetic state despite abundant human and natural resources.

In his book: “The Trouble with Nigeria”, Chinua Achebe assessed that the problem of Nigeria is “simply and squarely a failure of leadership!” Several writers have echoed this to the point that, according to Daily Trust’s Adamu Adamu, it is now a cliché.

Why then has Nigeria failed to produce a leader? A competent, incorruptible, just leader? Yes! I suggested the answer to this question in my article titled “2015: Why We May Fail Again”, but that is because there was a candidate as Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (For Buhari has, over time proven to be an incorruptible politician). What if by 2015 there is no Buhari-like candidate? What if Buhari wins (like we believe he did in 2003 and 2007) and the sitting Government won’t give way?

Now we must understand that Nigeria is neither the USA nor a country in Europe; Nigeria is a country in Africa. A continent perceived to be the dumping ground for all kinds of unwanted products, a continent for economic exploitation and all other kinds of exploitation, and a continent that must remain so!

That is why Nigeria is no mistake, except perhaps the mistake of colonialists, if we could stop being fools for one moment and get things done. Our potential can never be overemphasized. Our destiny is to rise and become powerful and end all kinds of suffering across black Africa. We should wax so strong and break all chains of imperialism here and across Africa! It is our destiny to see that the face of hunger is not the thin, crying African child. Nigeria should do that, for with great power comes even greater responsibilities!

Our politicians should not necessarily be saints but they should be filled with the love of country like Sarkozy of France and Obama of America—leaders who are painfully aware of where to steal from and where to steal to, and who to steal from and whom to steal to. Imagine if all those refineries, hotels, estates, schools, hospitals owned by thieving Nigerian politicians were all built here —in Nigeria!

As we grope for leadership, we must understand what we are looking for. We must understand that we are not looking for a man (or a woman) who is just lucky. We are not looking for a man who, in the name of transformation, borrows endlessly, tirelessly and shamelessly, plunging us into un-atonable debt. We are not looking for a man who believes that the nod of Barack Obama is far more important than the lamentation of his people. We are not looking for a man who will stand with arms folded behind him before Hillary Clinton! No!

We are looking for a man who will not allow anyone to tell him how much the crude oil of Nigeria should be sold or in what currency should it be sold or bought. We are looking for a proud and humble, gentle and aggressive man, a pan-Africanist and an anti-imperialist; a man who is of the notion that “he who feeds you controls you!”

Will Democracy (the system where the larger population, no matter how stupid, decides who the leader should be) ever let us find that man?

(Please plant a tree today)

The writer is on Twitter @ngugievuti