PARADOX OF LEADERSHIP, THE ELITE AND ETHNOCENTRIC FANTASIES

Leaders across the divide must make sacrifices to keep the country one, writes Samuel Akpobome Orovwuje

“The way to right the wrong is to turn the light of truth upon them.” – Ida B. Wells- Barnett

The year 2021 should be an introspective one for all Nigerians as the existential soul of the nation is being tried by political and bureaucratic elite actions and inactions. It is hard to believe that progressives and the selected assemblies have become dangerously inexperienced, declaring choruses of ethnocentric varieties of nationalism.

Insecurity has exposed the fragility of the Nigerian system – a system that prioritises leadership and political elite idleness above all else. Before now, we were already in a leadership crisis; yet the bulk of leadership initiatives do not offer effective alternatives to nation-building in line with global best practices of federalism and decentralisation. Regrettably, governance and leadership are extremely self-serving and polarised. Security breakdown is increasingly worrisome. The nation is sick and the new narratives of herdsmen killers, banditry, kidnappers, separatist agitations and armed violence spell existential danger for national unity.

Leaders across the divide must make sacrifices to stop the country drowning under the weight of numerous competing ethnic separationists political agendas, particularly when the public communication messaging is provokingly precarious and the self-validating orthodoxy of the political elite think-tanks (most of whom are ethnic upstarts) is disturbingly divisive. Authentic leadership is better appreciated if it is accessible and mind-broadening to encourage new voices which question existing governance and nation-building templates.

The elite and the Buhari administration need fresh and engaging ways to tackle intractable national issues and the existential questions that confront sustainable peace. The government should reach out beyond the bureaucratic state channels and must resist setting out with executive/legislative power arrogance as often exhibited by ill-mannered opportunistic racketeers and spokespersons; instead, efforts should be made to reform the electoral law and to genuinely seek a new federal system for a consistent and predictable Nigeria! The president and other well-meaning leaders of thought must act boldly and quickly and in line with constitutional provisions. We need uncommon moral and soft power interface to guarantee social justice, fair play, equity and accountability in order to forestall the imminent implosion. God forbid!

Crucially, the will and aspiration of the Nigerian people remain largely unaccomplished, and this is largely due to a lack of informed civic participation and engagement. This has resulted in a downward spiral of leadership and low government performance in the last 55 years.

Evidently, there are numerous structural challenges Nigeria faces. How do we as a people unpack the seemingly vicious cycle of underdevelopment and political corruption skewed in favour of a select few? How do we reinvent and reinvigorate the 1963 republican constitution and some democratic norms enshrined in the 1999 Constitution? How do we improve civic participation and engagement? How can the youth play a significant role in enabling new voting patterns to enhance democratic, functional and inclusive governance in Nigeria at every level of government, and, finally, how can non-state actors galvanise their creative energies towards credible elections?

Recent debates within the country have centred on the challenge of insecurity and criminality as impediments to political, economic and social development. The downward leadership spiral, wherein insecurity, criminality and multidimensional poverty are mutually reinforcing must be tackled simultaneously with restructuring and genuine constitutional amendments. The ongoing public hearing has now become a central component of efforts to overcome state fragility. However, the points to consider are – Who are the potential change agents who support an overwhelming reform process? Who are the potential opponents? What are the incentives? How can we deal with their concerns? What are the citizens’ perception of the current national assembly and historical activities of parliamentary oversight? Can this be used to mobilise reform? Does this create fear and misunderstanding? All these are questions begging for answers.

Indeed, parliamentary geography of the national assembly and the executive control/oversight mechanisms is a highly political issue. The promotion of ethnic and national balances to ensure legitimacy and sustainability in democratic governance remains to be seen. Going forward, we the people must purge ourselves of financial handout, thuggery, ethnic nationalist incentives and polarisation of alternative platforms, religious division and disempowerment marking the political space to ignite a purposeful nation.

Truly, for the people to gain democratic mileage from the redundant and treacherous elite, they must unite in meaningful numbers around a shared value and commitment to a new Nigeria rather than fan the narrative of secessionist and identity politics. The strategic gateway forward is to create a new and sustained narrative of trans-partisanship politics geared towards the enthronement of authentic leadership and the election of representatives that are committed to the people and the national interest.

Furthermore, the various ethnic and political constituents as well as the voting public should not accept money, in order to break the divide-and-rule political engineering mechanics and the stronghold of the dyed- in- the wool elites masquerading as representatives of the people. It is a shame that the APC True Federalism Committee Report of 2018 with a view to entrenching a workable federal system based on the rule of law, common citizenship and respect for ethnic diversity, meritocracy, and devolution of powers and the removal of the incommodious items from the exclusive list to the concurrent list in the 1999 Constitution.

Sadly, the current national assembly is still swimming against the tide of a federal structure. The ninth Assembly is organising a constitutional review that would not stand the acid test on the issues of restructuring. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen how far they can go with the ambitious and treacherous promise of drastic change which they have promised the people.

In addition, the issues of decentralisation of the judiciary, democratisation of the local government system, railways, prisons, fingerprint and criminal identification records, stamp duty, value-added tax, registration of business names, food, drugs and poisons other than narcotics, minimum wage, gender equity/balance and other contentious issues are flexible in recognising circumstantial differences, history, culture and other inimitableness of each state of the federation, which will be a sweet-smelling savour that will assuage the well-founded fears of the federating units.

Lastly, episodic and symbolic efforts of constitutional amendment are like the mouse in the corn sack. The urgency in the national conversation is a call for truth-telling. Therefore, a bill for the creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) will be a good entry point and an existential pathway to constitutional reforms. Truth-seeking and the dialogue process will be essential elements for the restructuring and authentic democratisation of the political space and put an end to leadership apathy and ethnocentric imaginations that are inimical to genuine nation-building.

Orovwuje is the Founder, Humanitarian Care for Displaced Persons, Lagos. He can be reached via orovwuje@yahoo.com