Leadership and the Need for Peace
Leadership and the Need for Peace.
By Joseph C. Ibekwe
I have spent the last 25 years of my professional life studying, learning, teaching and writing about the concept of leadership and societal development. I have come to a simple conclusion.
80% of problems in the society are created by those in public leadership positions, not by the citizens. In almost all cases, ordinary citizens are victims of the vices of public leaders.
The two most dangerous public leaders are political leaders and religious leaders. The next to them are business or what you call corporate leaders.
Then media leaders and their reporters help to shape the narrative that drive society to peace or anarchy, depending on who is paying the bills for the news.
The security agencies only carryout instructions or do the bidding of the political leaders.
About Nigeria’s situation presently, those responsible for the killings, rapping, kidnapping, violence, ethnic hatred and bigotry, irresponsible possession of firearms, are the political and religious leaders in this country, at whatever level they function. They are the ones to be held responsible, not really those unschooled folks wielding dangerous weapons and destroying the lives of fellow citizens.
Our political and religious leaders are the ones secretly and openly supporting the gradual disintegration of this country. As usual, these leaders will play to the gallery; publicly accuse their own foot soldiers of misbehaving, but tacitly supporting their onslaughts.
This is the irony of the nation’s tragedy.
The ordinary Igbo person is not your problem. The everyday Yoruba person is not your problem. Your Hausa neighbor is not your problem. The everyday Fulani person is not your problem. Those of them in the city want to continue enjoy good life, those in the bushes just want to feed their cows and get money to do others things they enjoy. The Tiv man is not your problem. The Ijaw person is not your problem.
Who then are those that trouble this nation? Political leaders and religious leaders! Period!
They are responsible for our tragedy. Until they accept the truth of their complicity, the everyday, ordinary citizens of this country will continue to see each other as enemies.
No ordinary citizen or foreigner can have the boldness and temerity to commit crime anywhere, without fear of reprimands, except such a one has the tacit support of those in political or religious authority. This is fact-based.
Right now, the first step to resolving Nigeria’s imbroglio is for decisive political action, not military action or rhetoric. The actions are simple and uncomplicated. It begins from the right Communications. The right words, not words of threat or vain promise.
When political leaders are ready to act for peace, the nation will be on the part to peace, and the citizens will begin to adjust for peace. Until then, the decent to anarchy continues. I wish it did not have to continue!
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