By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart in Kaduna State, Mr.Victor Mathew Bobai, has enjoined Nigerians to elect leaders that are really out for the development of the country and not those aiming for personal gains.
Speaking to New Nigerian in Kaduna on Saturday, he opined, “Nigerians need leaders who know how to cultivate the ground of our nation for development; leaders who want to prepare our nation for technological advancement and not their own names. Nigerians need leaders who do not desire to be famous but leaders that are faithful, pursuing fairness, equity and justice with boldness and uncompromising adherence to the rule of law.”
He stated that most nations, in modern terms have not only defined the process through which their leaders emerge, they have put structures in place to compel leadership to develop more followers in order to ensure smooth political succession.
“The truth, however, is that in a few less developed countries, particularly in Africa, leadership succession is often problematic. Preparatory to the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, controversies have started building up regarding,” he lamented.
He stated that the 2022 National Youth Project (NYP) report negates the feeling of trust that the leaders would upgrade their society to a status befitting Nigerians as the world’s most populous black nation.
He regretted, “Unfortunately, it has not been so and this reflects the weakness in government governance in Nigeria. No society can achieve economic development through poor government governance as the dynamics of the global arena change rapidly.
“In Nigeria, most leaders rule with impunity as they conduct state affairs with disregard to the provisions of the statutes. Any analyst who has taken the pain to observe most of our leaders may likely see their true treasure. Their perception of success, achievement and recognition does not match realities in the nation they govern.”
He believed that that is why most leaders fail woefully in both good and difficult times, as it is not because the challenges of Nigeria are overwhelming but the failure of the leadership in Nigeria is that leaders could simply not provide exceptional leadership, which Mo Ibrahim’s award stands to acknowledge and reward.
He stated that in the last five decades, questions have always been asked about the quality of leaders emerging from Nigeria, stressing that it is because there have been a lot of crises which have assumed political, socio-economic development, environmental and humanitarian dimensions.
“Any political observer would want to know the problem with both leadership and followership in Nigeria because only marginal peace exists within the country in the last 50 years,” he stressed.
According to the PDP stalwart, political succession has been very difficult in Nigeria and many African countries to an extent that followers have expressed their displeasure through incessant civil unrests and uprisings, saying that some leaders even chose to expire in office because they believe they are the only ones who can deliver their people from hunger and poverty.
He noted that some leaders in their arrogance see themselves as liberators created by the creator to take their people to the ‘promised land’ filled with milk and honey, when indeed the nation they govern is heading towards the wilderness.
He explained, “This was very common when military rule was the vogue in Nigeria and most African nations. With democracy, the situation has not really changed. Nigerian politicians in elected and appointed offices should interrogate themselves by asking if they had provided security, as well as eradicated poverty and hunger since 2015 when the people entrusted the country to them to govern.”
He added, “We propose that Nigerian leaders should make effort to provide outstanding leadership firstly; to the citizenry, and secondly; to other African countries. The world and especially African countries are looking up to Nigeria to lead the way when it comes to political succession. Nigeria in terms of size, human and material resources, remains the hope of the black race. Nigeria’s survival is therefore crucial not only to Nigerians but more so to Africans as the race for 2023 general elections continues.”
