ADVICE TO DORA AKUNYILI

Professor Dora Akunyili, the current Minister for Ministry of Information and Communication have launched a pet project called “Re-Branding Nigeria” which most Nigerians are skeptical about it success as many attempts had been made in the past and are not successful. In the opinion of this writer failure of leadership is the cornerstone of most of Nigeria’s problems.

My advice to Professor Akunyili to emerge successful in the Re-Branding Nigeria Project is to put more effort in Re-Branding Nigerian Leaders. We have leaders whose concern are not about establishing justice and serving the people as well as protecting their rights. Leaders who sacrifice the truth for their selfish intrest or their cronies intrest. And are in habit of committing disloyalty and dishonesty to the trust bestow on them by the Nigerian people.

In civilized nations of the world, power and authority is principally for protecting the rights of the oppressed people of the society against the oppressors, exploiters and opportunist. Leadership in such societies is about maintaining welfare, progress, establishing social justice, removing injustice and providing enable environment for the betterment of lives of their subjects.

Nigerian leaders that emerged from the controversial democratic process in 1999 to date are to be blamed for the bad image Nigeria and Nigerians are been viewed in other parts of the world. Corruption that is beyond human comprehension is been committed by those in position of authority. Many are kleptomaniacs with no shame or human feelings. They rig elections, using the apparatus of power, state treasuries and agencies conducting elections to deny citizens their universal franchise right to elect leaders they feel can bring about positive development to their nation.

Politicians that had rigged themselves into power are presently in the fore-front in presenting Nigeria to the world as a nation of not trustworthy people, where the fundamental human rights of citizens is not valued and a country where leaders embezzled state resources and escape the law.

Mismanagement and implementation of policies that are against the intrest of Nigerian people such as retrenchment, removal of subsidies and inability of government to fund education and health is daily increasing the numbers of frustrated Nigerians. Millions of Nigerians are unemployed and those engage in petty trading are having their kiosks, shades and containers destroyed under flimsy excuses without any better arrangement for them.

Nigerians are presently yearning and praying that they should have or their present leaders should change to, wise leaders capable of managing their resources, who have respect and regard for the lower class, the poor and who will improve the living conditions of their people. Leaders who control their desire and restrain themselves from corruption and looting of public treasury, using their occupied offices to amass ill-gotten wealth. But leaders whose concern will be welfare, mercy, love and kindness to their subjects.

We need leaders that are steadfast and firm. Who do not condone corruption and does not partake as such behavior if allowed will even make those that abstain to become tempted if those engage in the practice go scot-free.

Those leaders who are kind and shows concern to the Nigerian people. And lighten their burdens and abandon coercing them in that in which they possess not the ability. Leaders who when their subjects complain of burden, suffering and bring about prosperity to the country.

Leaders that will not right size or downsize their workforce and will grant generously to their workers enough salary which will eliminate their lacks and through which their need for greasing of the hand will decrease. Leadership who will investigate the affairs of the masses who are unable to gain access to them.

The leaders we need are the ones that will respond to their subject’s requests and demands, as such request do not impose burden on them, such as demand for social amenities and betterment of their lives. Leaders that if any of their subjects should report injustice, they will take their time to explain to their citizens their justification for implementation of policy they view as inflicting hardship on them.

Way of life of our leaders should change from flamboyancy and living beyond their salaries and allowances. The Leaders should set examples to their subjects by their families attending public hospitals and schools. And they should not prolong seclusion from their subjects, for a leader s seclusion from their subjects is a kind of constraint and results in lack of knowledge of affairs. Seclusion from subjects deny them the knowledge of affairs of state and great appears to them as small and the small as great. The beautiful appears as ugly and the ugly as beautiful. And the truth becomes strained with falsehood. For the leader is only a Man and he does not know the affairs which Men hide from him.

And those leaders with the vision of not hurrying to implement policies before their proper time, of neglecting them when they are possible, of stubborn persistence in them when they are impracticable and of weakness in them when they have become clear. Leadership that will put everything in its place and perform every action at it’s time. And who are in government not for the sake of power and to use their position to acquire ill-gotten wealth. But are in government to implement reforms that the Nigerian populace will be safe and prosper in all sectors of life.

Nigerians need leaders that will consider corruption, amassing of wealth and misappropriation of treasury funds by government officials as treachery. Government officials should win the confidence of electorate by their sincerity and honesty, as people are aware of how they dress, where they lived, the car they owned e.t.c before been in government.

Leaders, who will fight poverty across the country as it weakens an intelligent man, make reason and wisdom puzzled. Leadership that will not let the luxury of government and power to overlook the condition of the Nigerian populace.

We want leaders that will treat Nigerians with humbleness, lenient toward them, meet them with open face, and accord them equal treatments. Leadership that will protect human rights without distinction of religion, state, tribe or region.

Re-branding Nigeria Project will be an effort in futility if those at helm of affairs do not Re-brand themselves. Change in their attitude will create a rapid change in behaviors of Nigerians. As people tend to copy their leaders in whatever they do. Re-branding Nigeria should make Nigerian leaders from federal, state and local government’s levels the centre piece of the Re-branding.


Shehu Mustapha Chaji

shehuchaji@yahoo.com