LEADERSHIP: MERIT OR ETHNICITY?

Where there are any two humans, there would most likely be division. Whether they are related by birth, ethnicity or race. Between North and South, rich and poor, tall and short. If a Nigerian, whose ethnic affiliation leans towards another by way of language and culture,tells you that, he is related to you ethnically, do not listen to him. Run way from him. It is all flatteries. Deep within him, it is a superficial sentiment that serves no real purpose and wouldn’t hinder him from plunging a knife into you. When time for politics arises or when push comes to shove, he would be your staunchest foe. He would whip up anti-ethnic sentiments against you.

I was speaking to someone once when the topic of ethnicity in Nigerian leadership came up. I spoke about the importance of seeing people on the basis of their input or integrity rather than their origin. He eyes bulged. ‘They would cut you down to have. You have to have your own man up there!’ he eyes snarled.

In Nigeria many people consider ethnicity to be as important as leadership. But can we carry on forever on this pedestal? We should bow out from ethnic considerations and move into ability. Looking at leaders according to their measure. One would have expected leadership to be consigned solely to the best, the strongest, the fittest. The one that is able to carry the ship through thick and thin; but in modern day Nigeria, it is a mirage.

We have had a nation for 46 years and the old ghost of ethnicity continues to hunt us. The president or leader of Nigeria carries with him his entire ethnic group, albeit unintentionally; thrown to him by the bent, sully world of our leadership. His every action is interpreted on the basis of his ethnic group. Till today, ethnic groups are pilloried for the actions of their own in pre and post independence. When they talk or write condescendingly about these leaders, it is usually a smokescreen to defame their ethnic groups. Infact, there is no such country as Nigeria. What we have are hamlets of ethnicities strewn apart in division and held together by the thread of hypocrisy. Whatever action he does is framed and seen on ethnic lines. Never my own,it belongs to them! they say. It is in this nonsensical cry that breeds a schizophrenic escapism from responsibility and fuels selfish agitation for leadership. The president’s people come into stereotypical light.His people are meant to take the heat; the bad mouth for the actions of a man they had no chioce in installing. But this is modern day Nigeria where the idea of unity is a concept of imagination.

Pity an Onitsha man, today who insists his people took off from the old Benin kingdom and landed in their present day location. He may be correct in his belief, but in today’s Nigeria, he would be seen as Igbo because his outlook in terms of language and culture are steeped in Igbo tradition. He may have 500 years of oral history to back up his assertions, but it would still not wash in modern Nigeria. He may trace his Obi Kingship lineage all the way to a rebel Eze Chima, who lead an insurrection against an iron-fist Benin king and journeyed into the wild blue yonder and landed amongst the Igbos in the East; and over years shed their language and culture. All these may be true, afterall, America today is historically a conglomeration of European ethnic groups .At different periods in its history-- French ,Spanish, Danish etc were spoken; but today most Americans speak English. Nnamdi Azikiwe, in one of his books emphasized the origins of his people the Onitshas in clear terms; to be one of Old Benin ancestry. But this would not sell for a mile, even though he spoke Hausa and Yoruba just as good as the natives, perhaps even more than he did the Igbo language. The question is: how long would we tarry on this narrow road? Isn’t it time that we embrace a system that emphasizes qualities and downplays ethnicity? Haven’t we come of age? If not,when? So what if one ethnic group holds presidency for 6000 years? Should that matter? This all boils down to the unity question that calls into question our compactness as a nation.

The fact is that in Nigeria, there is little or no unity anywhere, both at state and national level. States that are predominantly monoethnic are fractured along sub-ethnic lines; while states that have a large stock of indigenous mixture of ethnic groups divide along tribal lines. And so people grow out of this narrow prism and become pests at national level. At state level they clamor for governorship. They argue that only governorship would bring succor to the morass of decadence plaguing their land. The fact is until Nigeria enthrones a system of meritocracy; a system where the best assumes leadership irrespective of origin, we would continue to be held down by mediocrity and would never rise up. We must insist on substance. The experience. The ability to lead a vast ship of state like Nigeria’s, surely demands more than the feeble requests of ethnicity; an able determination.Take for example our various states .They have received millions in revenue but tales of corruption come back more swiftly than development .

Consistent rioting mostly hinged on ethnicity has served to strengthen ethnic awareness in Nigeria.Infact, shortly after the return of democracy in 1999 at least 5 riots broke out within that year :Shagamu riot, Ketu/mile 12 riot,Bodija riot,Ajegunle riot and the Kano riot.Since then we have had other riots including the recent upheaval in Maiduguri which claimed hundreds of lives.

Since 1960 we have had 12 different rulers. Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, became prime minister before independence and retained power after independence till 1966. Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi, became the military ruler of Nigeria following the 1966 coup in which Balewa was killed.A counter coup in 1966 led to the emergence of Yakubu Gowon the chief of army staff.Gowon’s government was dethroned in 1975 by a coup that saw Brigadier General Murtala Muhammad emerge as the new military ruler. However, his reign would be short-lived. A bloody coup led to his death and Lieutenant Olusegun Obasanjo took over the reigns of power. Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s-- a minister during Nigeria's First Republic---emergence in 1976, following a general election marked the end of 13 years of military rule.

On the new year’s eve of 1983, a much appreciated coup that disposed the Shagari government -- reviled for corruption-- brought in Muhammad Buhari. However, in 1983, his chief of army staff, Ibrahim Babangida, ousted him in a bloodless coup. Babangida resigned on August 27, 1993. Chief Ernest Shonekan replaced him in a short-lived government. On November 17, 1993 General Sani Abacha, his vice president and Babaginda’s defense minister overthrew him.At the age of 54, Abacha died on June 8, 1998. General Abdulsalami Abubakar, assumed power. On May 29, 1999 former military ruler, General Olusegun Obasanjo returned to power again, breaking the chains of 15 years of military rule.Of all these, all, apart from Obasanjo ,Shonekan and Ironsi--and depending on what you believe Muritala--are Northerners.Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe was ceremonial president from 1963 following the proclamation of republic; he was disposed in the military coup of January 15,1966. Muritala’s origin has been a subject of controversy.Some people say that he’s an Auchi man,a group found natively in today’s Edo state.So as the argument runs, Northerners should take the backseat and allow Southerners assume the reign of leadership because they have had a ‘monopoly of government.’ This argument fails to take into consideration Southerners who aided in the various governments.

Ethnic based organizations emphasize our fractured existence as a nation. At the heart of this matter is the problem that has held Nigeria down since independence. My dream Nigeria, is a place, where personality, achievement and hardwork triumph over any cheap undeserving consideration for leadership. Where the struggle for altruistic leadership outmatches any base consideration. Frequently, our news reports blare with reports of people/bodies making sectarian claims to presidency . To them, the solution lies in a figure with the same ethnicity. But I ask a question: What has indigenous rule done for us in past 7 years of democracy? You would have thought arguments for leadership would be made on the grounds of merit rather than ethnicity; but in Nigeria, you are more likely going to be seen as a fool for espousing such ‘myopic’ position.

PDP’s recent adoption of Governor Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as its presidential flag bearer has not been excluded from ethnic interpretations; imputed on the president.

Ugo Harris, Coordinator of Nigerian Democracy and Justice Project Washington, DC argues that Nigeria should begin inculcating leadership skills in our young and fostering an atmosphere based on merit in his article VACANCY FOR LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA: ‘ We, as a nation have to start looking seriously on how to start developing and cultivating leadership qualities on the younger generation, in our schools and in our industry. Our country is doing little to develop the younger generation on the act of leadership, taking risk for Nigeria’s survival, educating the young generation against corruption, human right and human dignity lessons, respect for our laws and making every Nigerian to be proud of Nigeria by the actions of our current leaders. Leadership means so many things in so many ways in different settings or in an organization. We have to look at leadership from a lot of different angles, and the contributions people make in any organization to improve the organization and the degree of their contributions.’

Surely, the need to move towards a Nigeria, where ability reigns, should take central focus; as a way forward .The vain structuring of Nigeria on ethnic lines,North/South divide elevates mediocrities to tribal relevance.People who are caged eternally to their little fiefdoms .Different groups have lived together across ethnic lines and areas and share great tradition together but close perception blurs it.The days of selfish, nauseating, sectarian demands for governance must never factor in any way! There should be a collective, sharing of responsibility in government; where everybody holds hands. Failure and success should be partitioned in equal measure. We must probe for substance and settle for no less!