THE NATION ON SUNDAY AUGUST 18, 2013
Comment & Analysis
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Obasanjo’s pontification The former president does not understand the relationship between age and leadership
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F there was any fog concerning former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s psychological condition, it was illuminated by his remarks at the Fourth Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development (CESDEV), University of Ibadan (UI), in collaboration with African Sustainable Development Network (ASUDNET). He seized the platform for self-glorification, and by the time he was done, it was unmistakable that he desperately desired worship. His keynote address at the forum on “Leadership in Africa’s Quest for Sustainable Development” turned out to be an enthusiastic exercise in hitting a straw man just to expand and extend his own overdressed conceit. Demonstrating that consuming affliction commonly recognised as delusion of grandeur, Obasanjo sought to achieve the impossible image of a flawless hero, whereas quite a few would question the basis of his self-perceived greatness. It is ironic that the momentous episode, perhaps unwittingly, served the purpose of providing an opportunity for the public to, once again, focus on his years in power. In what amounted to a lamentable abuse of logic, Obasanjo argued that the “younger generation” was to blame for leadership failure in the country and, by extension, on the African continent. Specifically, in the case of Nigeria, he referred to an alleged “failed generation of leaders,” and listed some names. On his list was former Vice President in his administration, Atiku Abubakar, and former House of Representatives Speaker, Salisu Buhari. He also named former Bayelsa State governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; former Edo State governor, Lucky Igbinedion and former Delta State governor, James Ibori, among others. Although it is true that these individuals were linked with unflattering controversies, Obasanjo’s classification betrayed his confusion and prejudice when, in one revelatory moment,
TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM
•Editor Festus Eriye •Deputy Editor Olayinka Oyegbile •Associate Editors Taiwo Ogundipe Sam Egburonu
•Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye
which, however, does little to obscure them, he may need to be told in the clearest terms that good leadership is not necessarily a question of age, and that the world has left behind such promotion of gerontocracy suggested by his comments. Interestingly, it is relevant to note that the world considers as a sour entertainment the recent re-emergence of 90-year-old Robert Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe. Indeed, it suggests that, contrary to Obasanjo’s thesis, gerontocratic leadership may well be the bane of the continent. In addition, his position fails the test of logical validity by sweepingly implying that leadership by the under-50 is doomed to fail. This is a primitively outdated idea inspired by a mechanical gambler’s fallacy, which erroneously assumes that because some leaders who were under-50 allegedly failed, therefore, no such leader could succeed. His is an example of a pessimistic blanket judgement informed by sterile thinking. With the benefit of hindsight, it is reasonable to link Obasanjo’s infamous 2007 effort to seek an unconstitutional third term in office with his expressed thoughts on age-based leadership. By his twisted logic, good leadership is a function of age; therefore, the older one is, the more likely one would be a success at leadership. To go by his latest performance, this irrationality would appear to have motivated his move to sit tight. It is striking that Obasanjo, 76, was civilian president for eight years from 1999 to 2007, after a period as military head of state between 1976 and 1979, yet he seems unable to appreciate that the leadership question is less about age and more about vision and integrity. It is no secret that, even though he came to the presidency at over age 50, specifically at age 62, his track record is not particularly complimentary. Indeed, he is faced with the charge of “wasted years”, which he ought to tackle with humility and honesty, rather than engage in pompous pontification.
LETTERS
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HENEVER the history of the banking industry in Nigeria is written in future, the tenure of the present Central Bank Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi Lamido, would go down as one with a remarkable difference when compared with the previous holders of the office. He has taken steps in the past to check the rot in the banking system and his latest directive, as broadcast during the 9.30pm news hour on the Murhi International Television on Monday, 5th August, 2013, to the effect that all banks in the country should compile the list of issuers of dud cheques and forward same to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for necessary action. It is indeed another milestone in the string of laudable achievements recorded by him since his taking over the control of the Apex bank in 2008. It would be recalled that a day after this directive, the case, among several ones previous reported in the newspapers, was that of a 29-year-old hairdresser, Mrs. Joy Jegede, who was sent to prison in Ilorin over issuance of a dud cheque to the tune of N620,000, as reported on page 3 in the P.M. News edition of Tuesday,06 August, 2013. There is no doubt that this is the first time that this ne-
he also reportedly mentioned former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a top opposition figure who is acclaimed as a positive example of purposeful leadership. This glaring case of incorrect inclusion put a huge question mark on Obasanjo’s leadership standards. It is noteworthy that Obasanjo was quoted as saying, “We had some people who were under 50 years in leadership.” His age specification with regard to his definition of “younger generation” was not only unfairly limiting; more important, it also constituted a retrogressive and individualistic attempt to determine for society what age bracket its leaders should belong to. He needs to be reminded of the fact that the country’s constitution accommodates leaders who are under his prescriptive magical age of 50 years. Such reminder, it must be said, is a sad commentary on his memory. Furthermore, while it is unclear how he arrived at his age of leadership suitability, it is important to point out that there are sufficiently positive present-day examples of leaders who reached the political apex before age 50, especially in leading Western democracies. Two instances will suffice: US President Barack Obama who at age 47, in 2008, became the first African American to attain that exalted height; and British Prime Minister David Cameron who in 2010, at age 43, became his country’s youngest leader since 1812. Given that Obasanjo is evidentially contemptuous of these instructive histories
Kudos to CBN Governor on dud cheques farious action that has continued to add to the already dented image of our country is being brought to the limelight and addressed. The Central Bank Governor is, however, enjoined to nip in the bud any possibility of circumventing or frustrating this laudable directive by providing a means through which victims of issuance of dud cheques can reach him directly. By doing so, the room
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for any cover up or collaboration with any bank customer by any of the banks in the country would have been closed. In addition, the directive should cover the period the last five years since he began the cleansing of banks nationwide. He should borrow a leaf from the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, who out of an act of exemplary leadership, volunteered the direct email ad-
dress through which he can be reached by the public all in a bid to sanitise the Nigeria Police Force, an effort that is no doubt yielding good results. The CBN Governor is also advised to go a step further by publishing the names of issuers of dud cheques in the newspapers as was done in the past when the identities of chronic bank debtors, bank directors and defaulting companies that wrecked some Nigerian banks
were unmasked to the public at the beginning of his tenure in office. In addition, any branch of any bank that is found to have compromised the directive in any way should equally be exposed to the public and sanctioned accordingly. Odunayo Joseph Tel: 08053488121 Email: odunayo_ joseph2006@yahoo.com
Towards improving supply of power by PHCN
NDEED, Nigeria, manacled in total darkness, ravaged by the cosmic power of this dark age, personifies all the poetry in noise-making, vanity, necromancy and mysticism. Is the PHCN epileptic power supply not enough challenge to elicit a brain storming that could end the nightmare of inefficiency in the power sector? Many challenges besetting this country ought to pre-occupy the attention of our engineers, individually and collectively. Had
this been the case, Nigeria won’t be swimming in darkness of underdevelopment up untill now. Our engineers are not sleeping on how to swim out of the quagmire, instead they are throwing unprofitable challenges to their innovative rivals. Hear Thomas Edison, a renowned American Electrical scientist: “Everybody steals in commerce and industries, I have stolen a lot myself, but I know how to
steal.” (Thomas Edison, 1847 1931). Many Nigerian scientists trained abroad through government and community scholarships. What did they bring back to Nigeria, either by way of transfer of technology, copying or even stealing, as Thomas Edison averred? There is even an Edison Medal of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers for outstanding scientists. Nigerians are dying and falling sick due
to emission from generator fumes and noise. Let our engineers sleep on this challenge and come up with a solution once and for all. The ASUU should please end their strike now as our children are suffering. Some legendary inventors died in penury without any government assistance in funding their research work. Self-sacrifice is the key to solving most of the challenges in Nigeria today. John Jimoh Ijebu-Ode Ogun State
Kogi West not for the highest bidder
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OGI West Senatorial District is one of the state’s political hotbeds politically, therefore all politicians in the area want to represent it at the National Assembly, hence the glamour by all characters of politicians to want to vie, for any elective position to represent the area. But of recent some funny and comic politicians have been indicating their desire to have a go in seeking for the senatorial seat come 2015 general elections. Some politicians whose antecedent of not having to shown the impact they made on the people when they held sway in the previous dispensation are now seeking another way of making themselves relevant. The district is not for highest bidder and cannot be swayed by some failed politicians who did not identify with the aspirations and general needs of not only the area but the entire state. The representation Kogi West needs in 2015 should be centred on robust, articulate and highly purposeful contribution that would show case the area as the people who presented their best eleven to bring the best for the senatorial district. Bala Nayashi Lokoja.
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