The Virtuous Leadership

It takes enlightenment to know the enlightened. And just as it takes a beautiful mind to know and appreciate beauty, it takes leadership traits to discern and promote virtuous leadership.

"In a world, Virtuous Leadership means achieving greatness by bringing out the greatness in others. It is not enough to be merely good. The world today desperately needs good men and women with the dynamic strength of character that renders them capable of leading others to greatness." Excerpt from "Virtuous Leadership: An Agenda for Personal Excellence" by Alexandre Havard.

Our major problem in Nigeria is not about the inability to agitate, protest, or riot. Our main problem is the inability to recognize and sort the valuables from the worthless. Even when we are conscious of their existence; hatred, greed, selfishness, and bigotry will cloud our sense of judgment, when it comes to taking the necessary actions to vote them into public office. 

How many Nigerian intellectuals or those bantering furiously in social media knew who Professor Ibrahim Ayagi was before his demise? Only a few do. And that's another big problem in Nigeria. How can you make a change if you can't resist the imposition of stooges and morons on you as political leaders by their godfathers?

When the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo died on May 09, 1987, a former British Prime Minister wrote, 'If Obafemi Awolowo were to come from England, he would have succeeded in being the Prime Minister of Great Britain over and over again.' Not the exact quote, but close. His message was clear. The best prepared and the virtuous leaders of Nigeria politics or within the larger society died unfulfilled in their search for Nigerian greatness.

Former President Ibrahim Babangida made a humongous mistake for not allowing MKO Abiola to take advantage of his Presidential mandate and govern Nigeria. But what you cannot take away from IBB is his foresight and the ability to appreciate in real-time the essence of virtuous leadership better than any other Nigerian Head of State before him or after him post-independence. He went for the best, whether Ndigbo or Yoruba.

Nigeria is still one country; if you can't govern it as one, and if you still subscribe to the antediluvian concept that one region is a conquered territory or that a certain region cannot produce the Minister of Defence or the Minister of Interior, stay in your neck of the woods. Never aspire to rule this country.

Today, we have a President who cannot form a government or constitute a formidable executive team because he doesn't know Nigeria and Nigerians. And those who should have come to his aid to support him to search for the talented ten, cannot overcome the persuasion of greed and cronyism.

All the Shehu, Adesina, and lackluster Ministers of this administration are still on the job five years after, because the President, together with whoever the so-called cabal is, do not appreciate the concept of virtuous leadership. If you cannot identify integrity, selflessness, wisdom, and creative acumen in others, with a goal of bringing greatness out of them, you are not ready for prime time.

The same problem confronting Aso Villa is existing at all the state capitals. Because of the overt dependence on monthly allocations from the Federation Accounts, State Governors are least concerned about the creative instincts and managerial acumen - or the lack of them - of their Commissioners and Advisers. That the majority of the Governors are indolent and poor managers of men is an understatement.

For instance, you made one guy a Minster for three huge Ministeries; he did not perform, judging by the situations on the ground. He left Nigeria more in the dark than he met us, and our highways more dilapidated than he met them. Not done, you brought him back to power again to serve for another four years in two of the former three ministries. A guy who didn't know what to do with the Lagos/Badagry International Highway and the Apapa/Wharf road in four years does not deserve to remain in office as the Minister of Works.

In a more decent clime, his abysmal outings in the Power/Energy Sector and Road Networks for four years would have been a disqualification. But not in Nigeria, where cronyism, nepotism, and godfatherism have been taken to an obscene level. That would not have happened under the administration of Atiku Abubakar. And it would not have happened under Chief Obafemi Awolowo or under Professor Ibrahim Ayagi.

Even if you do not understand what virtuous leadership obtains, at least, use performance indices as a benchmark in judging who is to stay or go after two years in office. As long as you remain the good boy, non-confrontational, no mentioning of restructuring or true federalism, you're safe. And that's Nigerian leadership.

It takes enlightenment to know the enlightened. And it takes integrity to discern nobility in others. If you don't have it, you can give it, or identify it in others. That's what leadership is about. And it is missing in Nigeria.

Until we develop it and practice it at the top, we cannot change the system and move our country forward. It's not about jingles and commercials. It is by actions. It has to trickle down. As the President or Governor or Local Government Chairman, you are the mirror and the light. Shine it brightly. Let your integrity and your virtuousness trickle down.