Chinua Achebe and Nigeria’s leadership crisis

 

 

Albert Chinualumogu Achebe, universally known as Chinua Achebe, is one of the finest writers the world has ever known. His craft and artistry aside, he is also one of the finest human beings there is. As an institution, he stands steadier and taller than most of his contemporaries. Of his many works, his political commentary, The Trouble With Nigeria, which was published in 1984, is where I borrow today’s theme.

In this seminal work, Prof. Achebe had remarked that “the Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility and to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership.” His central argument, therefore, was that “the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” Almost three decades after the book was published, Achebe’s verdict remains true and valid. Indeed, keen observers of the Nigerian political space would agree that things have got worse. Much worse!

At the local level, government and good governance are non-existent. And at the state level, it is hard to think of a great exception to the rule of mediocrity. Even in the two southern states where there is a lot of talk about “progress and development and newness,” it is simply just talk. Or, a little bit of progress and a whole lot of publicity and fanfare. At the federal level, some have argued that it is a contradiction in term to speak of a government. The centre, it appears, is where people go to hone the art of triviality, ineptitude, iniquity, and stealing.

Nigeria has a federal system. At least, that was what it was designed to be. In reality, however, it is an abnormal system — an abnormality with no comparison anywhere in the developed or developing world. At the state, and at the federal level, there seems not to be any sort of real and functioning separation. And the supposed “checks and balances” are also not there. And not many politicians are worried that there are no separation of powers and checks and balances amongst the three tiers of government. The incestiousness is blinding. But more than that, one arm of government feeds off and enables the other in the free-flow of depravities and debauchery.

Now, let’s begin with the Judiciary. As I alluded to in a previous essay, The messy state of the Nigerian Judiciary, one could spend days cataloguing what is wrong with the Judiciary, i.e. structural and procedural deficiencies; low pay for judges; poor infrastructure; and the residual effects of several decades of beating and ungodly enticements from the executive and legislative branches of government, and from powerful individuals within the society. It is possible that many of our judges — at every stage of the judicial branch — are being paid off to render favour or unfavourable judgments as opposed to following the dictates of the law. The High Courts and the Supreme Court, especially, seem suspect.

From 1958 through 1972, Chief Justice Adetokunbo Ademola held sway. He was followed by Justice Taslim Olawale Akanni Elias; Darnley Arthur Alexander; Atanda Fatai Williams; George Sodeinde Sowemimo; and my neighbour of several years, Ayo Gabriel Irikefe. Later, there was Mohammed Bello (1987 to 1995). Those were the golden and honourable years. In the intervening years, the apex court, it seems, went to the dogs and became a shell of its once glorious self. Verdicts that defy common sense and the rule of law are being rendered; otherwise, justice is being delayed or denied. Imagine electoral disputes taking 1-3 years before being resolved. And what manner of judicial system allows suspects to be held for several years without any form of resolution? My goodness, who is the Chief Justice, and where is competent and first class leadership?

As bad as the judiciary is, the National Assembly is a bloody joke! Other than being the most compensated lawmaking body in the entire universe, what is it they do anyway? Year after year since 1999, lawmakers of the Fourth Republic have produced some of the most absurd and bizarre dramas in the country.  Many have become instant millionaires. Many Nigerians refer to the House of Representatives as the House of Representa-thieves. The Senate is not much better. Since 1999, both chambers have become nothing but rubber-stamp for the executive arm of government. In the National Assembly, as with the Judiciary, first-rate leadership is also lacking. All they want to see is the dollar sign.

The executive branch is where leadership matters the most. The President is the man who captains the ship of state. He provides the vision and direction. He allays the peoples’ fear. He gives hope. He dictates the nation’s sea-current. He helps move the people and the nation forward. But he does not and cannot do it alone. Therefore, he appoints advisers and ministers that can help him realise his vision for the nation. Consequently, he must surround himself with some of the best and brightest the nation has to offer. To do this, he must be a good judge of character. And he himself must be a man of good moral character. And he cannot be provincial or limited in his worldview. These characteristics have been lacking in many of our presidents.

A few years after Achebe published, The Trouble With Nigeria, and thinking further on the crisis of leadership, he opined that the “Nigerian politician has deteriorated.” Today, the deterioration is almost complete. We know that Olusegun Obasanjo was a colossal disaster. And the late Umaru Yar’Adua was a mild one. As for President Goodluck Jonathan, well, he is in a class all by himself. Under his watch, leadership, on a whole series of issues has been absent. After every episode of natural or man-made tragedy, he invokes God’s name — as opposed to providing leadership and real life solution to the nation’s woes and challenges.

If President Jonathan doesn’t know this, he should know it now: Nigerians are hungry for accountable, responsive, and reliable leadership. They want a president they can count on. They want a president who understands their pain and their struggle. They want a president who can help put the nation on the right path. And so, the time for real and competent leadership is now. Otherwise, resignation would be in order.