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Nigeria’s Search for Visionary
Leaders:An overview
By Dr Raphael Ogar Oko
Newsdiaryonline Sun May 29,2011
Today is May 29, 2011! Nigeria begins a new phase of her history
and future as President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is inaugurated
as the new President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has a 4 year mandate
which will terminate in the historic year 2015.
Despite his emergence at this time, Nigerians are truly yearning
for visionary leaders who will be able to address the
multidimensional challenges facing the country. It is generally
believed that civil leaders are better positioned to serve the
interest of the majority of the people. Yet, Nigeria has
struggled throughout her history to sustain civil rule.
Surprisingly, civil leadership was not imported to Nigeria by
the colonial masters as the pre-Nigeria state had civil leaders
in various chiefdoms, kingdoms and emirates.
From the colonial era, the amalgamated nation of Nigeria passed
through 9 colonial leaders as Governor Generals from Lugard to
Nnamdi Azikiwe. Eventually, Tafawa Balewa emerged as the 10th
leader and first Prime Minister. In a way, Indpendent Nigeria
leadership began with Tafawa Balewa through the 1959 elections.
It was expected that Balewa will complete a second tenure of his
leadership and open that realm of the third tenure of civil rule
in Nigeria which could have been followed to provide the needed
leadership for Nigeria. Unfortunately, Tafawa Balewa was
dethroned and this brought a new phase into Nigeria's leadership
history -the emergence of military leaders.
The history of military rule in independent Nigeria began with
Aguiyi Ironsi, whose rulership was shortlived and replaced by
Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria's 12th leader from amalgamation era, and
also has maintained the
record of the longest serving uninterrupted ruler of
Nigeria. After Gowon's 9 year rule came Murtala Muhammed whose
killing brought Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State until 1979.
Hence, the 1959 - 1979 dispensation featured both military and
civil leaders.
A new opportunity for Nigeria to re-write her history
came in 1979 when Obasanjo handed over to an elected civilian
Shehu Shagari with the hope that he will sustain civil rule in
the new 1979 - 1999 dispensation by completing the 2
constitutional tenures (1979 - 1983, 1983 - 1987) and
consequently open the way into the third tenure of civil rule in
1987, and indemnifying Tafawa Balewa's failure. Worse than
Balewa, Shehu Shagari could not take the
second tenure of his leadership beyond 3 months after swearing
in on October 1, 1983.
Shagari's government came to an abrupt end on December
31, 1983 leading to a new military ruler Muhammed Buhari. Like
Aguiyi Ironsi's tenure, Buhari's rulership was shortlived and
Ibrahim Babangida emerged as new military ruler similar in
circumstances with Yakubu Gowon. After 8 years, IBB stepped
aside and appointed Ernest Shonekan as Interim President
who was later declared illegal by the court. This led to the
emergence of Sani Abacha as Head of State in a similar position
to Murtala Mohammed as both of them could not handover but died
in office. Finally, in the 1979 - 1999 dispensation, Abdulsalami
Abubakar emerged in circumstances similar to Olusegun Obasanjo's
emergence in 1976. Again, like OBJ, Abdulsalami Abubakar emerged
in Nigeria's history as the second military ruler to handover to
an elected civilian. His 1999 handover to Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo signalled the birth of a new age for Nigerians.
With the emergence of Chief Obasanjo as an elected leader in
1999, a new opportunity to restore the historical failures of
the 1st dispensation (1959 - 1979) and the 2nd dispensation
(1979 - 1999) has been provided. This is the core responsibility
and challenges for the new dispensation (1999 - 2019). First,
the inability of Balewa to complete the second tenure has to be
indemnified and restored. The reason for military interruption
need to be addressed, which revolved around religious
sentiments, tribal/ethnic affiliations and mismanagement of
resources leading to corruption in high places. So, the emerging
civil dispensation has the responsibility of promoting religious
harmony, regional integration and resource management and
utilization (the 3Rs - Religion, Region and Resources).
The 1999 - 2019 dispensation need to restore the failures of
Tafawa Balewa and Shehu Shagari. President Obasanjo indemnified
the failure of Balewa to complete the second tenure by
preventing military interruption from 1999 - 2003 and 2003 -
2007. The National Interreligious Council (NIREC) was created
with the mandate to restore the religious sentiment issues while
National Rebirth was meant to address the problems of
regional/ethnic
affiliations. The EFCC and ICPC emerged to address the problem
of corruption and misuse of public and private resources. To
what extent these institutions and initiatives have realized and
seek to fulfill their mission remains a major challenge. As
Tafawa Balewa was replaced by Aguiyi Ironsi, many felt that
Obasanjo will handover to someone from the former Eastern region
of Nigeria to indemnify Ironsi's failures.
However, the next challenge after securing two uninterrupted
tenures of civil rule from 1999 - 2007, was the task to
indemnify the incurred debt from Shagari's attempt at restoring
Balewa's failure to complete two tenures as provided for in the
constitution. This is the core challenge for the 2007 - 2011 and
2011 - 2015 era. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua emerged as flag bearer to
lead the way to restoring Shagari's failure to complete the two
tenures. Unfortunately, he died before the end of the first
tenure and this created a vacuum that almost brought the nation
down completely but due to the merit of the age, before his
death, a *"voice message"* allowed the National Assembly to fill
the gap with Goodluck Jonathan as acting President and was
eventually sworn in as inherited President, making him the first
Nigerian to grow in politics from deputy Governorship position
to Governor, VP, Acting
President, Inherited President, President Elect and today has
emerged Executive President of Nigeria, after the 3rd tenure of
civil rule. Let us shout a big and loud *mansei *as we bring to
a close the end of the first ever third tenure of civil rule in
Nigeria and usher in the fourth tenure of civil rule. Among all
the generation of people born in Nigeria, no generation has ever
witnessed life in the third and fourth tenures of civil rule in
Nigeria. Therefore, this is a moment of celebration, a new day
has come before our own eyes and great opportunities flowing in
our land. However, if we fail to realize the meaning of this new
age and effectively utilize it to correct all the historical
failures of this nation, then this generation of Nigerians will
be the worst ever to have emerged, and it would have been better
if we were not born at all. How lucky is Goodluck Jonathan who
leads to this new path to greatness. Yes, a new Nigeria is
possible! We began from the military engagement that brought
down Shehu Shagari in 1983 and struggled through the challenging
moments of Buhari who desired earnestly to wipe out corruption
but in a military fashion. Then came the maradonic days of
Father IBB, who desired to lead Nigeria longer than anyone in
Nigeria’s history. The 1993 elections were rated as free and
fair but it could not produce an elected President and the
aftermath of the annulment of the election laid the foundation
for IBB to step aside and the other issues are well know stories
already. The 1999 elections by the military that
brought in Chief Obasanjo was not good enough. In fact, it was
less than good, implying it was *bad*. In 2003, the elections
were rated as *worse*while the 2007 election became the *worst*
in Nigeria’s electoral history. It means that Nigeria was rather
falling in her political development instead of growing.
However, the 2011 elections have been rated locally and
internationally as *good* and with Goodluck emerging at this
time, we need to grow toward better elections in 2015 and even
the best in 2019.
With the constitutional
provision for two tenures of civil rule, President Jonathan has
the opportunity of emerging the longest serving civilian leader
in Nigeria's history, if Nigerians re-elect him by 2015. It is
for this providential reason of indemnifying the Shagari
failures that Gen Buhari has played a very key challenging role
in preventing Jonathan from securing the 2011 - 2015 mandate, as
he was the ruler that ended the second tenure of Shehu Shagari.
Unknown to many Nigerians, the Buhari struggle to return to
power has more providential role than mere aspiration for
leadership. The unfulfilled desires of Buhari who was cut short
by IBB has driven his aspirations to return again, but
unfortunately, the merit and expectations of the age could not
provide him the needed the support.
A summary of the leadership of Nigeria through the 3
dispensations areprovided below and watching closely shows a lot
of similarities based on providential positions occupied.
*1959 - 1979 dispensation
1979 - 1999 dispensation
1999 - 2019 dispensation*
1. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
1. Shehu
Shagari
1. Olusegun Obasanjo
2. Aguiyi Ironsi
2. Muhammadu
Buhari
2. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
3. Yakubu Gowon
3. Ibrahim Babangida/Ernest
Shonekan
3. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
4. Murtala Mohammed
4. Sani Abacha
5. Olusegun Obasanjo
5. Abdlusalami Abubakar
Nigeria has entered a new age and a new history is being made
before our own eyes. Nigerians born from 1999 have no direct
experience of military rule even though our civil rule is still
growing with challenges and by 2019, the first generation of 20
years old Nigerians to have lived without military rule will
emerge. These* special children born between 1999 – 2019 are the
true future of a civil Nigeria and it is on their shoulders that
a complete Nigeria shall emerge. We have passed through the eras
of the old and new
Nigeria and now we are entering the completed testament age of
Nigeria. No one merits this age by his or her efforts alone. It
is the grace of God and the special luck of the providence that
has offered us this unique opportunity.* Fellow countrymen and
women, now that a new age has emerged at this moment, it is
important all the secrets of this nation be made open. We have
spoken figuratively and in parables, but now we have to speak
plainly about the new future of Nigeria. No one has ever
understood the providential dispensational history of this
nation and all the failures of the past until this time. The
1999 – 2019 offers us the clearest order of growth in political
leadership. The first tenure was 1999 – 2003, with the
subsequent tenures as 2003 – 2007, 2007 – 2011, 2011 – 2015 and
2015 – 2019. The year 2011 is the beginning of a goodness for
Nigeria. By 2015, we should expect a better Nigeria than today’s
Nigeria. Eventually, by 2019, the best Nigeria must emerge. So I
wish you all goodluck in 2011, betterluck in 2015 and bestluck
in 2019. Never again should Nigeria return to military rule
whether directly or indirectly as serving or retired military
officer. Civil rule has come to stay and we must sustain it
forever until we grow from democracy to true kingship when the
Kingdom of God in heaven and on earth shall finally be
established and a new global family of humankind under God
becomes a substantial reality.
All human beings without exception are born with inherent
potentials to do a lot of things and assume any position in the
society. The hidden potential is somehow "dead" in the person
but as there is life after death, such potentials need to be
resurrected, nurtured and developed to be effectively utilized.
This is the fundamental purpose of education, to produce useful
people for the society. After human beings are born, they are
made by education. Yes, we need visionary and committed
leadership who will be sensitive to the plight of the common
man. The question is how will such leaders emerge? Surely, not
just by election only. They need to have such qualities
developed in them and this cannot be done by the ballot box.
This is the work of education. Education in Nigeria has only
produced selfish leaders based on the philosophy of "education
for self reliance". We need a new vision of education and an
education system that is based on "education for collective
reliance", where the leaders live for the sake of followers.
Many Nigerians are not properly educated and therefore suffering
from "educationally transmitted diseases". In such a situation,
inequality replaces equality, major tribes vs minorities, rich
against the poor, etc is the order.
So, President Jonathan has the responsibility of not only
completing the second tenure of Umaru Yar'Adua but must seek to
address the multi-dimensional challenges facing the country
through religion, region and resources. He needs to create a new
national culture for Nigerians, raise a new generation of
Nigerians who have no affiliation to religious sentiments,
ethnic identity and to corrupt tendencies. I must warn, as to be
forewarned is to forearmed. The battle is not yet over! The
victory celebration should not get us drunk and force us to
sleep carelessly. We must realize that the present dispensation
(2011 – 2015) is the dispensation for development and has the
providential duty of indemnifying the failures of Shehu
Shagari’s era 1979 – 1983 – 1987. In particular, the 1979 – 1983
era has been
indemnified by the completion of the Yar’Adua’s 2007 – 2011
tenure. Now, the second tenure of Shehu Shagari (1983 – 1987)
need to be indemnified. So, the first hurdle is to overcome the
first 100 days in office, which Shagari could not achieve after
his re-election. Religious challenges, ethnic/tribal sentiments
and corruption which led to the interruption of the Buhari led
military coup will return to confront the present leadership and
citizens of Nigeria. We must be very careful, watchful and
mindful of our thoughts of others, words about others and
actions with others in the next 100 days. No one should ever
allow anything that will create any challenges to derail this
new path of our nation. Let us open our eyes, ears, clean our
heart, develop our head and use our hands to ensure that we live
beyond the Shagari days. This is the new responsibility of the
new generation Nigerians living at this time.
Again, I will like to re-emphasize: the battle to ensure
continuity in civil rule is not yet won. The elections have been
won but as we know, in democracy, a winner is someone with a
majority vote and not necessarily a winner of all votes. We need
to win the inner battle after the outer electoral victory. This
is needed to restore the October 1 – December 31, 1983
challenges. Between May 29 – August 20, 2011, we should
indemnify the failures of Shagari but standing firm with the new
President and together on September 6, 2011 gather to celebrate
100 days of civil rule during the fourth tenure of democracy in
Nigeria. This is part of the new future of Nigeria. Religious
leaders need to be actively involved in the days ahead.
Regional associations and agitations should be addressed from a
wholistic perspective. Resource utilization must be a serious
priority and this will require combating corruption. The core
three points agenda should be *religious harmony, regional
integration and resources utilization. So, NIREC, Human Rights
Commission and EFCC/ICPC and the MDGs need to be strengthened to
address religious issues, citizenship rights and effective
resource utilization respectively.*
The surest way to begin this path is for the President to seek
to become an embodiment of the new national interreligious
culture, become a national (interreligious and inter-ethnic)
citizen of Nigeria and not an Ijaw man from Bayelsa. He needs to
live beyond the temptations of corruption and set up
institutions that will help Nigerians in this direction.
Religious fanaticism, regional agitations and ethnic
indigeneship as well as corruption in all places are*
educationally transmitted diseases.*Therefore, Mr. President
must fix the quality of education (both religious and secular)
and the challenges of almajiris, boko haram will be properly
taken care of as well as militants and area boys/girls. They
were not born this way but have been made by our educational
philosophy and system. Only education can truly "re-make" them.
We need a visionary leader who must fix our education system now
in a manner that education will inspire us as global citizens,
we shall be empowered to care for each other, we shall become
connected to information, each other and to resources and
finally, our nation shall be celebrated as a nation that has
fulfilled the purpose it was created for. We need a new Nigeria
family in this last days of the finaldispensation to build a new
world as we enter the promised land by 2020.
Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko is the International Coordinator, Global
Educators for
All Initiative
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