By Lanre Ogundipe Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he ¹” – Proverbs 28:19
“I don’t really want my photographs in your offices, because I’m not a God or an icon, but a servant of the nation – Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine.
“Hang pictures of your children instead and look at them every time you want to make a decision, and whenever the spirit of theft visits you, take a good look at your family’s picture and ask yourself if they deserve to be the family of a thief who has destroyed the nation.” – Diomaye Faye, President of Senegal.
As a man thinks in his heart so is he, is a phrase that is as timeless as it is universally applicable. Thoughts control actions and innate values frame the man and his attitude to what life throws at him or on him. It’s said: show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. I will say: show me a man’s psycho – socio composition, and I will tell whether he is a gift or liability to his generation. Genuine greatness is found, not in Nimrod- like conquest, but in self-modulation and ego- conquest, a trait that makes a leader to view himself, his endowments and opportunities with moderated spectacle. It is a well-formed mindset that enables leaders appraise themselves from the prism of futurism and engage from the realistic concept of their common humanity, undercut by the fate that awaits all men.
A realization that equips them with the mindset that political office is a privilege conferred and held in trust for others. The ethos of such elevated position requires of its beneficiary that he relates with such office in utmost humility, devoid of citizen-conquest mentality and with considerable equanimity.
Truly great leaders nurture modest self-perception and moderate composure to life. Such a mindset translates into distinct and distinguishable morals, with iconoclastic impact on the society. It produces leaders grounded in ethos of good and impactful governance and self-motivated for giant developmental strides.
Both the colonized world and the colonizers have produced such great leaders in the course of history. Third world leaders such as Mahatma Ghandi of India, Obafemi Awolowo of Western Nigeria, to mention a few, and Winston Churchill of Britain, epitomize virtuous and exemplary leadership. The antithesis of their style is a ruinous seed that contaminates and destroys the prospect of a good society. No wonder the holy writ (Bible) states that the deep calls unto the deep – Psalm 42:7.
History has established, that only well-heeled leaders, possess the candor, courage and capacity to call forth, the treasures hidden in the womb of their nations and peoples. Just as I was considering the topic for my weekly column “Voice of Reason”, I ran into a viral statement credited to the icon of a new generation of African leaders, the President of Senegal, quoted above. I took a brief glance, and shifted my attention to my earlier planned write-up on the Natasha-Akpabio brewing sexually – intoned harassment “scandal”.
Nigeria, for sure, is never wanting in ‘fairy tale’ news sensations among its crop of self-indulged and morally deficient leadership. I was scratching my head to make something out of this unfolding titillating or should I say troubling scenario, when the sensible impulse in me nudged me to pay closer attention to the Senegalese President’s statement which I have now turned into a quote to discuss few of our national challenges in Nigeria. Akpabio’s dramatis personae would come up later or it may even be weaved into this new discussion.
“I don’t Really Want My Photo In Offices…” Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in a profound and heartfelt statement, on August 6, 2024, advocates for a New Symbol in Offices. The fairly young President seemed to have adapted and re-echoed a similar statement originally credited to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s in his inaugural speech in 2019 which encapsulated a vision that goes beyond average political leadership. “I don’t really want my picture in your offices,” he declared, standing at the background of his country’s national flag. “Because I’m not God, neither I’m I an icon but I am a servant to the Nation. Instead, put the pictures of your children so that you will look at them whenever you are about to take a decision that would impact or affect the overall interests of the nation.” – In other word this is to let from those who seek for leadership position see the shift in paradigm of governance and to further provide an opportunity to the larger public to see and ex-ray how public funds are dispensed to promote individuals family from squalor into a chubby and wealthy family within a space of time (my own emphasis).
Touched by the statement beyond imagination, I grabbed a copy of the Bible to read a passage in the book of Proverbs chapter 14:34 that says ” righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” – an indication that a nation’s success or failure is determined by its actions on inactions, starting from its leaders.
Wow! What a leader! What an enigma! What a quintessential persona! Oh, that God would bestow Nigeria such a gem!! That our leaders would for once discard childish pettiness and embrace edifying manliness.
In synch with the book of Ecclesiastes in the bible, I dare submit, that our leaders in Nigeria fit into the awkward description of a leadership that is child-like. That book phrases it as When the king is a child. Africa nay Nigeria leaders, has for long espoused as one of the world’s most untamed political leadership, lacking in grooves and edifying character. It is exhilarating, for once, to witness the tide, navigating a new direction.
Africa is indeed reinventing itself, and stepping up to the podium of honor to which many of political leaders – talk less of despots- are yet to aspire. I learnt that the Ukrainian guy, the inspiration to our Senegalese brother, is a darling of his people, who have pledged their unswerving allegiance to this resilient war – un-wearied and trusted leader, in defiance of the some-mighty Donald Trump. It is often proclaimed that he who goes to equity must not step in with soiled hands. I perceive that the Senegalese president is poised to walk the talk. He is no play boy. He seems to be no stickler for the African frame of leadership. The Hobbesian concept of leadership and its derivative god-like syndrome that epitomizes African political governance. Africa, pardon me-Nigerian leaders, “would”, even at the cost of the last penny in the nation’s coffers, hang their portraits in every available public space in the country. They must equally hang them on the hearts and minds of their conquered citizen- subjects, who are socially engineered to enthrone them as gods and offer sacrifices of obeisance to them.
This abnormality, which our defrauded system has normalized, has robbed Nigerians of their rights of office as the ethical guardian of the common patrimony, who must hold their leaders’ feet to the fire of accountable leadership.
The Senegalese President has re-invented the wheels and reset the template of governance in Africa. Nigerian leaders must follow suit. Faye has redefined what it means and takes to be a leader. I know what it is not at least. It is not to be a demi-god whose portrait must adorn every public offices, without strong morals and exemplified character to occupy citizens’ good conscience. It is not to be a leader who reel in affluence while the supposed objects of service wallow in abject poverty. It is not to be a leader who relates with the people with an exaggerated perception of self and the public office as a monarchical enclave or personal estate.
The people are to be led, and fed – by good shepherd – like leaders – and not wolves in sheep’s garb. Nigeria needs such leaders, who would care less about whether or where their portraits are hanged, and cared more about the moral compass by which they navigate and lead the people while the impact of their leadership on the citizens’ socio – economic well-being is not shrouded in a conceited policy.
Lanre Ogundipe
Public Affairs Analyst;
Former President of Nigeria and African Union of Journalists
March 4, 2025.
