BY CHARLES KUMOLU

…Ooni of Ife preaches forgiveness

DESPITE being convened to mark the 25th anniversary of Equity Chambers of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife, the 2012  Professor D.A. Ijalaye Lecture,  provided an avenue to ponder on the vexing issue of the manner of leadership at all levels of government in Nigeria.

With the lecture  entitled:Leadership: A Key Factor To A Better Nigeria, many were not in doubt that most discourses at the forum, centred on the need for a new breed of leaders in the country.

On hand to raise the curtain on the occasion, held at Ogubanjo Hall, OAU, was a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor  Kalu, who was the guest speaker.

Dignities at the event were: Oba James Adedotun Adegoke,  Dean, Faculty of Law OAU, Professor Olu Adediran, Deputy Managing Director/Deputy Editor-in-Chief, The Sun Publishing Limited, Mr. Femi Adesina, Chairman, Editorial Board, The Sun, Dr. Amanze Obi, Editor, Magazines, Mr. Shola Oshunkeye, Head, Department of Business Law OAU, Dr. S. B. Odunsi, Head, Department of International Law, Dr. O.S. Oyelade, among others.

Kalu, in his lecture, which was the highpoint of the forum that also attracted a sizable number of law students,  traced the failure of Nigeria’s socio-economic development to unpreparedness of past and present leaders.

The former Abia chief executive, who spoke to the admiration of the audience, regretted that since independence, the nation has had leaders, who were not ready for the burden of leadership foisted on them.

He said, ‘’Maj.-Gen. JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi, Gen Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Sheu Shagari, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, and  President Jonathan were all unprepared for leadership. Goodluck Jonathan became Bayelsa State Governor when his former principal DSP Alamieyiesegha was impeached. All he wanted in 2007 was to get a full term in office as governor. But he was drafted to be Vice President and within three years he became president. Was he prepared to be president? The answer is no.”

Orji Kalu

Still citing examples of unpreparedness on the part of those who had governed Nigeria, Kalu said, ‘’In 1966, the military struck through Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, and some other young military officers. At the end of it all, they could not seize the reins of power. It was Major-General J.T.U. Aguiyi-lronsi who became Head of State. Did he prepare for power? No. It was just thrust on him by fate.

In 1976, the military struck again, through Lt. Col. Buka Sukar Dimka, and the head of state, the charismatic and inspiring Murtala Muhammed, was assassinated. The then Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, became Head of State. Was he ready for the responsibility? No. In fact, according to Gen. T. Y. Danjuma, the then Chief of  the Army Staff, Obasanjo had to both be cajoled and threatened, before he accepted the responsibility of being Head of State.’’

Reluctant leadership
Continuing, he said, ‘’In 1979, Alhaji Shehu Shagari wanted to just be a Senator. He ended as President, unprepared for the big task.  Chief Ernest Shonekan was a corporate chieftain at the UAC. Ruling Nigeria was the farthest thing from his mind. In 1993, he was drafted into office as leader of the Interim National Government (ING).

In 1999, Olusegun Obasanjo had just returned from prison, when he was drafted into leadership again. I remember he said: ‘How many ‘P’s do you want to make out of me? I have been President, I have been Prisoner, yet you want me to be President again’. Obasanjo ruled for eight  years, despite not being prepared to be President initially and even planned for a third term.’’

Giving further examples, Kalu added thus: ‘’And, my friend, Umaru Yar’Adua? He had been governor in Katsina for  eight  years, and, according to him, he was preparing to go back to the classroom to teach chemistry. Suddenly he was drafted to be President. We know of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, ‘the best president we never had.’

We know of Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, the man who wanted us to bid farewell to poverty. We know of many others who had prepared and groomed themselves for leadership. They never got it. But the reluctant ones get shoved into office and power. What is the matter with Nigeria? Researchers in our academia, please help look into this, and tell us what the problem is.’’

Lamenting further, Kalu said,  ‘’At 52, there has been consensus of opinion over the years that the problem of our country is largely leadership. Professor Chinua Achebe put it succinctly in his seminal work: ‘The Trouble with Nigeria published in 1983: where he said  “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water, or anything else.

The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example, which is the hallmark of true leadership’. Prof Achebe gave this lamentation almost 30 years ago. Before then, the same diagnosis had been made by many commentators about Nigeria, and till today, the same thing is being said. It means our country is in the grip of bad leadership, and until we extricate ourselves from that evil grip, we will not make much progress.’’

Azikiwe’s Independence speech
Going down memory lane, the former Governor  recalled: ‘’Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, in his 5th independence speech to the nation in 1965, noted  ‘The leaders of our various communities are servants of the people of Nigeria. They were selected to strengthen the bonds of national unity. Their main task is to promote understanding among the various tribes of Nigeria. So long as they faithfully do this, so long shall they have proved themselves capable of enduring the complicated problems of leadership in Nigeria.”

However, Kalu singled out the  late Umar Musa Yar’Adua as a leader who,  despite being unready for the job, had a good vision for the country.

‘’Musa Yar’Adua had a good vision, a good approach to leadership in Nigeria. He wanted to be a servant-leader, somebody who will love Nigerians, and serve them with all his might. But there was a problem. His health. If my good friend, Umaru Yar’Adua, had been healthier, he would have served Nigeria very creditably. But he died in office, and we are still where we are today, groping for direction, like the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years,’’ he added.

Kalu, whose speech was intermittently punctuated by applause from the audience, also recalled that his persistent call for a better deal from the ruling class  caused a between him and  Obasanjo.

Speaking specifically on the defunct third term agenda, the former Governor,  who is a presidential hopeful in 2015, disclosed that Obasanjo used his power then to cripple all his chain of businesses ranging from oil, airline, banking, and a host of others because of his opposition to the third term agenda.

Also speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the  Ooni of Ife, His Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, Olubuse11, Kalu noted that traditional rulers have a major role to play in the search for a solution to the security crisis in the country. He said it had become worrisome that religion had become a source of division in the country.

In his remarks, the Ooni appealed to the former Governor  not to take offense against anyone attacking him now. Sijuwade, described Kalu as one of the few leaders that have contributed to the progress of the country.

He said, ‘’You are one of the few leaders who have contributed so well to the progress of the country. I can never forget you as a person. This country can never forget you. Your present predicament is for you to learn. God will not leave you and your family. I have told you and I am saying it again: Don’t be annoyed with anybody but continue your prayers to God.’’

Continuing, the Ife monarch said, ‘’Anywhere you go, success will be yours by the special grace of God.” Sijuwade also informed Kalu that a committee of traditional rulers, of which he is one, is working assiduously to ensure harmonious existence in the country.