Farm House Dialogue - Africa Leadership Forum

and corrupt enrichment to become richer than one’s own country, could not conferimmortality, or even a roll of honour in the hearts of the people. Remember “woe to those,that deal in fraud”. – Surat 83:1. Why then would incumbent or aspiring leaders seek tothread the same path of thorns which their predecessors had trod to their detriment anddishonour?Helmuth Schmidt the former Chancellor for the West Germany, in his October 1998 paperat the Africa Leadership Forum titled “Leadership in an interdependent world and what isexpected of Africa” laid emphasis on enlightened leadership. But, did anyone take note?Did anyone act?Followership Bereft of Guts, And MoralsIt takes two to tango. No unenlightened leader or mindless dictator can get away with it, iffaced with an enlightened followership, unwilling to play sycophant.In the famous words quoted by our inimitable Wole Soyinka in his book, “The man dies,in him who keeps silent in the face of tyranny” perhaps an apt extension would be, “Andin him who remains docile in the face of destruction of the nation’s economy”Where are the successors of the true courageous Nigerians who had stood up in Borno andother parts of the North against foreign trans-Saharan invaders? Where are the successorsof the true and courageous Nigerians who had stood up in Yoruba, Benin, Arochukwu,Bonny and other kingdom in the South against British invasion which was euphemisticallycalled “pacification”? Where are the successors of the true and courageous Nigerians whostood up against British colonial rule, and achieved independence in 1960?Sadly, present day Nigerians, faced with mismanagement of nation’s economy by theirown leaders have gone limp and dump. Each person, family or group seek safety in beingaccommodated in the public service or private sector for “a share of the national cake”Mismanagement of the national economy is no less destructive and improvising thancolonization, pacification or trans-Saharan invasion. Nigeria like any other country, is aneconomic proposition. The test of any leadership or governance must be how it impacts onNigeria’s economic advancement or equilibrium or decline; how the life of the peopleimproves, remains static of deteriorates.There is no real safety in just ensuring “a share of the national cake” which will dwindle tovanishing point, if no input is made to replenish it by higher productivity in every sector.There is no real safety in indulging in graft and corruption in one’s work place to “match”the graft and corruption above.