While the search for solutions to Nigeria’s myriad of challenges continues, it has become imperative to access the contributions of the different components of the society – the government, the system and the people with a view to appropriately holding each responsible for the collective plight of the nation. This has become especially so because of the general misconception that holds only leaders accountable for the nation’s negative attributes. Many citizens appear to be unmindful of the fact that any one that cannot be a good follower cannot equally be a good leader.
In establishing a country’s method of governance, a constitution takes preeminence over other guidelines. It offers direction for the leaders who become duty-bound to carry out its provisions. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, the governments of the day seldom have maximum respect for the directives of the constitution. The government therefore has great shares in the reasons for poor development in the country.
For example, despite the unitary posture of the nation’s constitution, most administrators in governance see their positions as opportunities to serve the interest of their ethnic nationalities, especially when they view other societal groups as non-supporters of the victorious political party. Lopsided appointments which breed mediocrity then take the centre stage in the formation of leadership structures in the country. Even when government officials are found to have aired in the discharge of their duties, apprehension and prosecution becomes subject of debate along ethnic lines.
Governments at all levels are more interested in physical structures in their developmental ambitions. Education and trainings for skill and proper mind-sets have continued to be relegated to the background, thereby fuelling the growth of miscreants in acts of terrorism and kidnapping for ransom.
In general terms, the systems of governance, social behavior and promotional attitudes have come to deal heavy blows on the performance of people in government. Even when an official is pious, his immediate kinsmen will disown him or put pressure on him to do that which the society is known for – misappropriation of public funds in favour of a few persons in the society.
The system also permits, to a large extent the financial rot in the country. Extravagant life style is the order of the day. It is so rampant and ignorantly accepted that those deep-necked in it often get rewarded with honours such as chieftaincy titles and honorary doctorate degrees from universities. The reward system cannot tilt towards the systems saboteurs and at the same time promote a better society.
The British probably handed over some government and leadership approaches that have become obsolete and yet have remained in use. For example, why is it the norm to have government hospitals headed by medical doctors as Chief Medical Directors instead of a flexible arrangement where competent institutional managers who are not necessarily doctors are allowed to handle the administration of such important institutions? The challenges in the nation’s health system are traceable to lack of organizational skills among some of the leaders in the health sector, notwithstanding their great competence in the area of medical practice.
It is absurd to have more than one trade union overseeing the affairs of the professionals in the same sector as we have them in the area of health. The Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU would have been enough to cover all health workers, but unfortunately, doctors have about two or three different unions. Nurses have theirs. Pharmacists and labouratory technologists and others have separate ones. This makes it impossible for hospitals to be in full operation for most part of the year as these groups call for strikes at different times of the year.
The people on their part have continued to act in manners that portray them as folks who know and hate the problems but inadvertently partake in the spread of same. It is common to hear many Nigerians say they would never vote in elections because they are often rigged. But the truth is that most bad leaders get elected into offices because of the refusal of knowledgeable and good people to vote. In other words, not voting in an election is an endorsement of those who ordinarily do not have business in governance.
Again, no politician can rig election successfully without the connivance of the ordinary citizens.
Those who help in manipulating politicians into offices do so for personal gains. And this tallies with the reasons why political leadership is failing generally – selfishness.
Therefore, if the country’s catalogue of woes stem from the collective responsibilities of the society, it is only logical to also place the solutions collectively in the hands of all members of the populace – leaders and the led.
