A CLARION CALL
Written by ISA ABASS USMAN [ANALYTICAL_ANALIZER]
Often, it is convenient to pass judgements as not everyone is cut out for the rigorous auditions associated with political leadership under whatever circumstance. Yet, because political leadership produced under democratic dispensation is one of the most important innovations of civilization and remains the best means of legitimizing leadership by ensuring that leadership and power are arrived at through majority decisions as reflected in periodic elections.
Nigeria is today at a critical crossroads – one where the quality of leadership – more than anything else is one that will determine the destiny of over 170 million people for the next generation.
Why is the issue of leadership so critical, especially for Nigerian youth who have not have the opportunity to experience genuine and quality leadership, nor realize that a choice as simple as the choice of who to elect has more far-reaching consequences than they can possibly imagine? Is there anyone out there that will set aside partisan considerations and set the records straight so that we can at least learn from history and not repeat the mistakes of history?
In all these, it is therefore important that we remind ourselves as Nigerians that in democratic political systems, some of the defining attributes of leadership are lost or muted based on how we desire to interpret our history. Should we rely more on distorted historical accounts; we are more likely to end up producing dishonest leaders.
This may perhaps be one of the many justifications why we can have a President of the Federal Republic that can attempt to prove that stealing is not corruption. This may also account for why billions and trillions of naira will be missing, misappropriated, disappeared from public treasury, etc. and no probe can lead to any judicial action.
There is no doubt that the scale of Nigeria’s problems calls for the development of good competent and courageous team of leaders to drive the business of governance. We need to approach this challenge as citizens and offer our contributions in our different roles wherever we find ourselves.
The 2019 elections, from all indications, is not just about making a choice, it is not about choosing between PDP and APC; it is not about our interpretation of, or capacity to distort, history; it is not a contest to showcase how rascally we can be.
we must be ready to tenaciously seek to develop the capacity to engage all our leaders to consider and negotiate all proposals. That way, our democracy will have a meaning and the provisions of Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 constitution, which declared that “sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority” shall be true.
Written by ISA ABASS USMAN [ANALYTICAL_ANALIZER]
abassusman10@gmail.com
+2348132999998
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