“A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership.” – Professor Chinua Achebe
The 27th National Economic Summit ended with the Country’s Representative of the World Bank, Shubham Chaudhuri, depicting a gory and gloomy catchy data of where the supposed “giant of Africa” was 40 years ago and where she is presently. It was saddening that the per capita income (PCI) of Nigeria in 1981 was $2,180.2; and in 2020, it was captured as $2,097.0. Economically speaking, in more than 20 years of democracy, virtually Nigeria has not fared better. It is very instructive that this year’s summit was tagged: “Securing Our Future: The Fierce Urgency of Now.” In the words of the World Bank chief: “Nigeria today has real per capita income that was the same as 40 years — in 1981. This means someone whose growth has been stunted.”
Saliently and succinctly stated, economists in simplifying PCI calculate it by dividing the country’s national income by its population. Unfortunately, there is no policy on population control for a country with a youth bulge, a ticking time bomb; and projected total headcount of 410 million in 2050, “promoting” her from the 7th to the 3rd most populous country in the world by then (UNDP). What a feat! In the book, “Why Nations Fail” written by the duo, Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, Harvard University professors, the two scholars poignantly pontificated within the voluminous content that basic rational reason for failure of nations is non-existent of inclusive political and economic institutions. This is the synopsis or summary deduced by these two researchers after years of intense scholastic inquiries spanning communities, climes, countries and continents. “The Fierce Urgency of Now”, the theme chosen for the National Economic Summit 2021 is timely and apt for a season Nigeria finds herself. Simply and squarely stated, the implication of Nigeria’s stunted economic growth could be likened to a man still at the same level of growth he was 40 years ago! Should we declare an emergency in the economy of Nigeria? Hold it!
Democracy: Dictates and Dreams
Democracy was popularly defined and depicted by the statement of Abraham Lincoln: “democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people.” In the economic summit, the World Bank chief tersely stated, inter alia, that the country should make strategic decisions that will set her on the path to realizing her potentials. Pray, a country without a strategic master plan, how will she reach a desired destination other than wandering in the wilderness? This is the result of our wilderness wandering of 40 years without a compass albeit equipped with shortsighted developmental plans of 3 to 5 years that were not well strategically and tactically structured, monitored and evaluated. There is a pertinent and salient question to be asked: who is to set a strategic direction? Only a government that is inclusive in content and context can chart such a mutual way forward – followers and leaders acting in tandem towards the set goals. In some cases, these goals could be audacious but attainable within the context of inclusive (pluralistic) political cum economic institutions built on established sustainable equitable ethos. This is the way out of this palpable rot and decline staring all of us in the face as the prices of virtually every item rise in the market weekly; and the ugly incidence of uncontrollable free fall of the Naira.
One could curious ask: was this the dream our forefathers had in desperately desiring independence from the British in 1960? Definitely not. However, hope is not lost in democracy if the words of American lawyer, writer and presidential adviser, Theodore Sorensen, are anything to go by. He opined: “the good news, to relieve all this gloom, is that a democracy is inherently self-correcting. Here, the people are sovereign. Inept political leaders can be replaced. Foolish policies can be changed. Disastrous mistakes can be reversed.” This hope is that democracy is self-correcting, hence, it could improve and get better overtime unlike military interregnum, which is both demeaning, dictatorial and dangerous. This columnist would return to that later even as Sudan has sadly joined the league of military-led countries in Africa.
The cerebral and scholastic Professor Chinua Achebe, once posited that Nigeria’s problem is leadership. I had argued in this column that Achebe was wrong, the same in my PhD thesis! I received backlash from many who thought Achebe was right thus rubbishing my rational reasoning that we, as a country, are here because of the faltering, failing and floundering followership bedeviling Nigeria irrespective of religion, tribe, education, gender or any demographic metrics. In the same book, “The Problem with Nigeria”, Achebe, the internationally acclaimed and sagacious critic, novelist and poet later posited: “a functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership.” In surmising and summarizing this, if the dreams our forebears and forefathers had about democracy will be fulfilled then, the followers must, as an imperative and instinctive initiative, awake from slumber. There are more questions begging for answers in this direction: How educated or enlightened are Nigeria’s followers and leaders? Are the followers healthy in body, soul and spirit? How can they be participatory when poverty has plummeted their perception and personae? The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should roll up their sleeves and up the game in this aspect of nation building.
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Democracy: Despairs and Dangers
According to Dr. Femi Orebe, a columnist in the Nation newspaper, quoting the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, “not less than 888 people have been killed and 2,553 kidnapped, while 720 persons were injured in the state between January and September 2021.” This is just the grip reality of a State. In a related development, Prof Yusuf Usman, himself from Katsina State, the home state of Mr. President, speaking in Yola at the memorial lecture in honour of Maitama Sule organized by the Coalition of Northern Groups, stated sadly that one third of Katsina State is under siege of banditry. In the south east presently, it is one day, one trouble! It is instructive to state that despite all these scenarios, the election billed for the 6th of November in Anambra State is facing a serious risk. Rising from the National Security Council meeting, the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, a retired General, stated that the directive of the President is that election must be held in Anambra. Quoting him: “The president has directed that under no circumstances will anything be allowed to stop the elections from taking place successfully…The president has made it very clear that the armed forces, security agencies, and law enforcement agencies must make sure that the elections take place, if it means overwhelming the entire environment with the presence of security agencies.” The last part of that statement is poignantly impregnated with meanings in a nascent democracy such as Nigeria – overwhelming the entire environment with gun wielding and ferocious looking security operatives! In a normal situation, voters are scared of political hooligans and hoodlums with low turnout on election day. What will become of Anambra election? Are there no possibilities of political solutions as the Ohaneze is routing for? Is our democracy not in danger or imperiled in a crisis and chaotic culture such as this?
It is upsetting to notice the increasing trend of attempted military coup d’états in some African countries, namely Chad, Mali, Guinea and lately Sudan, all of which occurred within the last 18 months. It is on record that earlier military incursions failed in Niger and Sudan. Ironically, the putschists have one reason or the other for upstaging a democratically elected government. The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, was perturbed; and in a report according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), sadly stated “military coups are back.” Guterres, not done with the nauseating, naughty and nonsensical issue of military interregnum and incursion, went further in blaming it on palpable or probable “geo-political divisions . . . undermining international co-operation and… a sense of impunity is taking hold.” If one were to analytically perch and pontificate on pertinent perception of the UN Chief, taking cognizance of the context and clime of Nigeria, the underlying palpable, portending and puerile political and economic indices are seemingly saddening with nothing to write home about. In a situation where some discontented and disgruntled elements are vociferously and vehemently vouching for self-determination and secession; and another section is embroiled in banditry and religious internecine war resulting in losing of lives and limbs in large numbers is not only worrisome but upsetting.
Conclusion
The current political undercurrent in the two major political parties regarding structure, zoning and organizing simple convention is unnerving and unsettling to political analysts and pundits. The ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has refused to depict maturity as many leaders within are in a morbid marathonic march towards 2023 and caution has been thrown into the winds. The party seems to be deceived by the gale of defections from the opposing People Democratic Party (PDP) apparently thinking that it is popular with the people at the grassroots-the electorates. It is unfortunate that we live in a society where leaders care less of followers’ feelings, longing and yearning; our leaders believe that “money answers all things” as expressed in the Bible, forgetting that the same Bible says that it came to a time in Egypt, in the days of Prime Minister Joseph, that money failed! We are gradually nearing that time, that money will fail our politicians and followers will truly choose the one that will listen empathically to them. Equally disheartening is the internal squabbles within the opposing PDP that portends implosion if not carefully handled. In the same direction as APC, the ruling party, PDP, the major opposition party, is also tinkering and toying with the idea of zoning the presidential ticket to the north after two terms of the present palpable lackluster performance of the current administration at the centre. What should the followers do in a situation like this in our nascent democracy? Followers can keep hope alive by being more engaging, enlightening and emboldening knowing that in the words of four term New York Governor, Al Smith, “all the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.”
John Ekundayo, Ph.D. – Harvard-Certified Organizational Strategist, and also a Leadership Development Consultant, can be reached via 08155262360 (SMS only) and drjmoekundayo@hotmail.com