Nestor Chukwuorie Nzeribe PhD

A few days ago, precisely on Sunday 24 November, 2024, the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, described President Bola Tinubu, his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, and other previous heads of the Nigerian state as leaders who found themselves in power by accident.

Kukah made these remarks while delivering a keynote address at the official commissioning of Start-Rite School’s new building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja.

Further in his address at the Start-Rite schools event, the Bishop noted that it was evident in their performance, that none of Nigeria’s past and present leaders were fully prepared before assuming office in a world where the demands of leadership are rapidly evolving.

In particular, he observed that the present president, Bola Tinubu who took over from a Buhari who had already given up, was struggling (with meeting the responsibilities of his office) despite having said he was prepared for the role, and we are still trying to get off the ground.

He expressed worry that the fundamental element of knowledge was still missing in Nigerian leadership, noting also that the practice of democracy in Nigeria appears to be worsening under successive administrations.

Of course, regime protectors who are only concerned about the jobs they have to keep, may have disagreed with his analysis. But Bishop Kukah only painted frank and thoroughly objective pictures of the quality of leadership we have so far had in Nigeria.

And the rudderless sail of the ship of state vividly attests to the veracity of his claims. In different sections of it’s national life, the evidence is legion and unassailable that under successive administrations, Nigeria’s national challenges have continued mutating instead of diminishing, developing extra heads like the mythological hydra.

Nothing can be more descriptive of leadership unpreparedness, than the fact that every successive administration’s activity in office, since after President Sbehu Shagari’s ouster on 31st December 1984, including Tinubu’s, has always focused more on “correcting the mistakes of the past”.

Indeed Nigerians have been forced to accept as sheer fate, the trauma of tracing their national progress backwards. Citizens have become familiar with the fact that the best days of Nigeria are in the past. And even as other countries are recording astonishing statistics in the improvement of the living conditions of their masses, an unending cycle of regression continues across all areas of social activity or effort.

Presently, Bola Tinubu is in power. It may not yet be known, at least not to the paid protectors of his regime, the extent of damage his unpreparedness for the office he presently occupies, is wrecking on the national economy, cohesiveness and psyche.

Perhaps, the privileged few who somehow are immune to the effects of the present negatively disruptive governance misadventure, may only have their turn of deja vu when another leader takes over from him. A new leader after Tinubu would certainly commence his own stint of “correcting the mistakes of the past” including the ones being made under Tinubu now. This is exactly how leadership functions in Nigeria.

Of course, the so-called corrective measures to be applied by a leader after Tinubu, would be in addition to the new leader’s own leadership errors, (even if unacknowledged) made freely for a future successor to also concentrate on. Perhaps, only then would the protectors of todays regime have a better understanding.

To my mind, this is one of the clearest illustrations of the cycle of leadership unpreparedness that Bishop Kukah was referring to in his address. Every honest Nigerian patriot knows that he spoke truth to power without fear. Bishop Kukah who has an enviable track record as a courageous non-conformist is not easily intimidated. He carries his sincere love for Nigeria like a stoic wherever he goes, and never misses an opportunity for rebuking those whose patriotism is only dictated by access to the nation’s resources.

Preparedness for leadership, is a simple logic that speaks volumes through the conduct or performance of a leader in office. It has nothing to do with ambition or power craziness. In deepening the discourse on this phenomenon, we have more than a handful of global examples to look to.

One clear case that aptly challenges the lingering Nigerian narrative, is the emergence, leadership conducts and eventual phenomenal achievements in office of Lee Kuan Yew. Lee’s ascendancy to power followed a trajectory of knowledge -driven servant-leadership. Born (Harry Lee Kuan Yew) on 16th September, 1923, Lee was a Singaporean statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 5 June 1959 to 28 November 1990.

Before he became Prime Minister, he served as the de-facto opposition leader in parliament, to Chief Ministers David Marshall and Lim Yew Hock of the Labour Front. In 1959, Lee led his party to its first electoral victory and was appointed the state’s first Prime Minister. He remained in office till 28 November, 1990.

When Lee Kwan Yew became Prime Minister of Singapore, he had a focus. Like an architect, he had a design whose forms and details he had mentally created. He understood what existed as his country’s challenges and designed their solutions by the right knowledge. The design that he had in mind was his vision of a transformed Singapore that would leapfrog from third world status to first world reckoning. He also understood how a vision must be translated into a mission and he did just that through a combination of right knowledge and actions. As Prime Minister, he was handed a country that was literally good for nothing. Apart from its human resources and strategic geographical location, Singapore did not have much in terms of natural resources to rely on. When it became an independent republic free from Malaysia on 9 August 1965., it was beset with many uncertainties as it sought an identity of its own.

Actually, Malaysia did not nurse any feelings of loss neither did it miss Singapore when it left to become a separate state. It no longer wanted it! Singapore faced massive unemployment and a declining entrepot trade while grappling with a rapidly growing population. Entrepot trade in its formal practice is the process of importing goods and then re-exporting them without any additional processing or repackaging. The trader acts as both the importer and exporter in this type of trade. It is still the mainstay of the economy of Singapore. But through knowledge -driven visionary leadership, Lee was able to redefine the practice. Instead of going on with entrepot as import and re-export or transhipment, Lee introduced and developed an extended concept of intermediary trade to entrepôt trade. By purchasing raw goods and refining them for re-export he built additional value into the goods that his country imported and re-exported. For example, metal is imported from India to Singapore, processed, and then re-exported to China, earning the country massive incomes from what it neither produces nor uses.

Bishop Kukah lamented that in the leadership of Nigeria, the fundamental element of knowledge was still missing. Basically, the most important asset in the leadership preparation mix, is knowledge. But basic knowledge of facts and the issues that are behind causes, is only but one part of a knowledge tripod that drives functional and transformational leadership. The second of the three legs is, knowledge and access to the right solutions. And the third is, knowledge of application modes and methods. It stands to reason that until when applied properly and the expected results are obtained, no knowledge is considered as true knowledge. Perhaps our accidental leaders always have the kind of knowledge that makes sense in the head, but cannot be effectively communicated through results-producing actions.

If humility, honesty and sincerity were seen as noble virtues in Nigeria, perhaps Labour Party’s Presidential candidate in 2023, Mr Peter Obi, among all of Nigeria’s aspiring and eventual leaders, could be regarded as a different case, in the preparation for leadership debate. Before he presented himself for the presidency of Nigeria, Mr Obi had substantially cleared himself of such material and moral commitments that could expose him to a crisis of interests. His children were all gainfully employed and had no history of loitering along the corridors of Government House even when their father was governor of Anambra State. Again, Obi showed a good grasp of the positive correlation between human capital development and overall economic prosperity. Without the imposition of draconian taxations, he prioritized health, education and security through policies that launched Anambra into positive limelight. It is to his credit that his antecedents as Anambra state governor, have yet to be matched by either his successors in Anambra or any other governor elsewhere in Nigeria.

When he showed up for the presidency, Peter Obi demonstrated that he was willing to learn how to confront the multifarious challenges of a nation in dire need of development. While the rest of the major candidates haughtily pretended to be gods holding the magic wands for our national transformation, Obi undertook study trips abroad to better equip himself for the job. The need to add the experiences garnered by other nations whose challenges of development were similar to ours, to what he already knew first hand, made him become a student. His humble steps underscored the fact that, to be a good leader, one must first be a good follower. But in a country where noise and empty claims are valued above substance, he was derided by his opponents and their paid mouthpieces. And some of his opponents who had refused to show up for simple events like media interviews or debates were the loudest in deriding Mr Obi. However, he undauntedly subjected himself to learning. He undertook trips to Egypt, China, Singapore, India and other countries whose past socioeconomic conditions were similar to our present experiences, in order to learn the things they did differently to bring about the present transformations. Peter Obi who knew the place of preparation for leadership with the right knowledge, did not become president eventually. Infact the one who claimed to have spent his whole lifetime preparing for the office is now in charge. He has led for over eighteen months now and already, Nigerians are yelling for the return of his clueless predecessor. Perhaps, a Peter Obi presidency could have made a lot of things different.

Again, what does it take to be prepared for leadership? It is often said that some leaders are born while others are made. The first category to my understanding refers to the leader who emerges after passing through a process that was deliberate in preparing him for the task of leadership in a certain situation. The second idea describes the leader who wasn’t at all in the consideration for leadership, but by a twist of fate, has leadership thrust upon them. In a biological sense, there is nothing known as a born leader. It is incumbent on anyone who finds themselves in a position of leadership to know what is needed or required of them. They must develop a vision as a future state to aspire to and work towards. Every leader is expected to be trained and prepared for the roles of leadership if they must lead well. Adequate knowledge of the people and respect for them is key to an enhanced leadership performance. A leader who is contemptuous of the people he leads will waste the people’s resources without being checked. Leaders who employs impunity as a method, by such actions only demonstrate how disconnected they are from the people. Let every leader so-called seek for knowledge in humility.

Meet Veteran Musician, Steve Black who recently chatted with New National Star Newspaper Esther Egbe about his career and more.

Veteran singer, Steve Black, who recently turned 70 years old, has expressed satisfaction over the success of his music in European markets, even though it was not widely accepted in Nigeria.

Speaking to our reporter Black revealed that his father buys a lot of records then, highlife music both by Nigerian and Ghanaian musicians so I had the opportunity of listening to those records on my own when my father wasn’t home. I developed a love for music and started thinking of singing and that’s how I started music in 1968 in Ajegunle in Lagos State.

My very first challenge came from my parents, they didn’t like the idea of me being a musician. I overcame that by running away from home to join my friends to pursue the musical career full time. The next challenge was having a place to learn how to play instruments and what instrument to choose and surviving during that period was another challenge, but I made up my mind that there was no going back.

I will say my father was my influence ,because he was the one buying all the records and I loved listening to those records ,but he never knew he was influencing me and when he discovered that I was going to play music, he got very angry and stopped buying records, but we became friends again when he found out that I was serious.

The Veteran explained that playing abroad favoured him more, because till forever I am still earning royalties on the works I did then unlike here where there’s nothing like that unless you’re a King Sony Ade and other big wigs like that ,but abroad, once you’re talented and good, you don’t have to be a big star to earn royalties on your works or what you did with other musicians.

In our days we weren’t doing collaborations, but as a session musician I had recorded with many musicians like CLOUD 7, ERIC KOL, CHRIS OKOTIE, ONYEKA OWENU, OBY ONYIOHA, WILLIAM ONYEABOR, CHRISTY ESSIEN IGBOKWE, and many others, and if all these were done abroad, I will still be earning royalties from those works.

There’s no creativity in today’s music like during our days, but today’s musicians are very lucky, they have things we didn’t have during our days like better equipment, better technology, social media and better paycheck, but we were better musicians, and it will remain that way for a very long time to come.

My career was in the 80s and 90s when my albums that were not accepted in Nigeria by record companies became very successful in Europe. It brought me international fame, money and great satisfaction. As a matter of fact, I’m still earning royalties from those albums. Meanwhile, that was what I struggled so hard to accomplish in Nigeria, only to realise that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, I quickly did something about it and got results.”

My advice to young artistes is that using drugs is very wrong. They should remember that no matter how young they are today, they will definitely get old. If they are lucky enough to make money, they should invest in other things that can sustain them in old age, because musicians don’t earn gratuity and pensions like civil servants. It is what one keeps that one will fall back on when one gets old.”

He concluded that his current challenges are “The challenge I am facing at this stage of my career is not being able to travel round this country like I used to, because of the insecurity. I have fans all over the country, and they would love to see me on tour with my band, but the fear of kidnappers is the beginning of wisdom.”

Brigid Brophy was a notable English novelist, essayist, critic, and activist who was born in London in 1929 and died on August 7, 1995 in Louth, Lincolnshire at the age of 66.
She was a prominent figure in the 1960s and 1970s literary and cultural scenes, often appearing in newspapers and on television. She was known for her witty, satirical novels that explored the psychology of sex, as well as her plays, nonfiction, and activism for social reform. Miss Brophy’s writings are still very relevant for understanding and combating some of today’s socially disruptive practices. She was married to Michael Levey, the Director of the National Gallery.

In 1973, Brophy published a collection of stories entitled, “The Adventures Of God In His Search Of The Black Girl” Other works by her include- Mozart the Dramatist, Prancing Novelist, Fifty Words of English Literature We Could Do Without (in collaboration with Michael Levey and Charles Osborne) and Black Ship to Hell. Her 1973 collection has a story which is focused on the less appreciated criminality and the more popular criminalization of poverty entitled- The Sage on the Commonest Crime. In the fiction, a sage and his disciples got engaged in a discourse when one of them wanted to know what the commonest crime was. A fellow disciple with apparent enthusiasm quickly suggested “theft” as the commonest crime. He argued that unless one could count traffic offences as crimes, the largest category of convictions for crime, he said, is for larceny. When the sage asked to know the disciple’s source of information, he replied that it came from a table of statistics. Obviously not impressed, the sage countered that such a table must have left out the commonest crime of all.

Being unable to suppress their heightened curiosity, all of the sage’s disciples wanted to know what, in his own opinion, was the commonest crime. In reply, he told them it was, “poverty.” The sage’s answer drew murmured protestations because his disciples found it hard to fathom that people could be counted as criminals just for being poor, especially, when they are so, for reasons beyond their own control. But he remained undaunted in his opinion. Taking a very different approach in determining what a crime is, he disregarded the idea of seeing criminality only as behaviour that if or when committed, those who are the culprits are regarded as law breakers and punished under law. Of course, sometimes there are law breakers who are never caught and a lot more also, who even when apprehended, still are able to evade the consequences for the crimes they had committed.

The sage’s expatiation of his perspective focused more on the inescapable consequences that people suffer when apprehended and are convicted of crimes. He relied more heavily on the consequences for crimes committed and not necessarily on the act, drawing his disciples attention to the inalienable fact that the same are the consequences which the poor without crime or conviction, are subjected to. He mentioned the denials and deprivations, the deplorable living conditions and the restrictions that make the poor half human; and the cruelty that society both consciously and unconsciously visits on them, as conditions that only convicted criminals are made to endure. The sage’s conclusion was that poverty is the worst and commonest crime. He however noted that although poverty is the commonest of all crimes, it is not the poor who are guilty of it.

When Brophy in 1973, published the story about the criminality of poverty, she perhaps must have been concerned about the social and economic conditions that existed in her England. However, it is important to note that during her time, even the poor of England enjoyed a reasonably decent living standard almost equal to what the rich enjoy today in Nigeria. Reading this particular story, the ideas she creates in your mind however, are the exact depictions of the miserable state of the poor in 21st century Nigeria. Today in Nigeria, daily escalating hardship has made life for the poor solitary, nasty, brutish and short in a manner that is similar only to what Thomas Hobbes describes as living in a “state of war.” It is a prevalent state of anomie where corruption that takes resources away from the poor public, is endemic because the kind of leadership that stagnates growth and breeds despair is celebrated. With a poor governance system that creates room for waste of scarce public resources in place, the poor of Nigeria struggle for survival under conditions that are similar to a terrible state of war!
The economic condition of the poor in Nigeria, is indeed dire. Highlights of the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) survey reveal that: 63% of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimensionally poor. Multidimensional poverty measure is a means used to capture the complexity of poverty that considers dimensions of well-being beyond just monetary poverty. It serves as an index that measures the percentage of households in a country deprived along three dimensions, namely -monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services. Under the multidimensional poverty measure, you are able to capture a more complete picture of poverty. Because nominal earnings have not grown on a par with soaring inflation, another 10 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty in 2023.

Based on World Bank projections, about 40.7 percent of Nigerians are estimated to live below the international poverty line by the end of 2024. But rather than adopt an economic relief and growth stimulus approach, the Nigerian government, ever so wieldy and in control of almost everything, continues to churn out harsh economic measures based on increased and multiple taxations. Available statistics on the levels of poverty in Nigeria show that 65% of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.
Although arable land in Nigeria is up to about 40.48%, the agricultural sector which is the main employer of labour in Nigeria and the mainstay of it’s rural economy has become massively grounded due to insecurity. Farmers cannot go to their farms to cultivate crops for concerns about personal safety, and in the few places where they do, their produce are either harvested or destroyed by bandit herdsmen. And in some places in the banditry ravaged north of the country which have extensive swathes of uncultivated arable land, farmers are taxed heavily by criminals before they can access their farmlands. Revenues from crude oil which provides the needed foreign exchange continue to be mismanaged with a larger chunk of what is earned allegedly ending up in private pockets. With no genuine and impactful efforts by the federal and state governments to halt what is by every indication, an overwhelming slide into poverty, a lot of the poor who have been forced to live like condemned criminals, are embracing criminality as perhaps, the only option left.

State culpability in the worsening poverty crisis in Nigeria is beyond denial. While millions of poor Nigerians struggles for food and survival, politicians and political leaders live fat on public funds. Without a pang of guilt, they appropriate scandalous sums as salaries and allowances to insulate themselves from the unsavory impacts of their profligacy and corrupt management of the nation’s resources. Even the paltry sums earmarked for social intervention programmes are never allowed to reach the poor through the collusion of corrupt politicians and thieving civil servants. In the meanwhile, the fate of a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs is yet to be ascertained almost one year after she was relieved of her duties in the Ministry on allegations of graft.
As Nigerian political leaders continue to personalize it’s public wealth and dehumanize it’s poor, the world out there have moved far ahead. Nigeria needs to be sincerely intentional about catching up with the civilized world in the measurable areas outlined in the Human Development Index, HDI globally recognized parameters. Social safety nets with deliberately created social advancement opportunities, and credits for health, education and housing are urgently needed to revamp the terribly worsened living conditions of the poor. Some of Nigeria’s suffering and dying poor might have contributed one way or another to their own economic predicaments in failing to make good use of opportunities in the past. Such failures however, are not enough to absolutely absolve the government of its responsibility of not allowing the already dire conditions of the poor become worse.