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Tag: leadership

  • Stop saying these 5 Things to be effective at work

    Stop saying these 5 Things to be effective at work

    Our words define us, not just what we say but how we say it. Even the most innocent phrases you say every day affect you and other people even more than you think. The words in the list below will make you recognize some of the things you say without even realizing it. Even if you don’t really mean anything by them, these statements undermine your effectiveness as a leader.

    So what do little phrases reveal about your leadership? Two things.

    First, our words reflect our beliefs. Especially the little phrases that slip out without giving them much thought. They expose convictions that are worth letting go of.

    Second, they matter because each of these five phrases I’m sharing with you is a lie, not in the horrible moral sense, but in the sense that they’re actually not true. Of all the lies we tell, the lies we tell ourselves are the most deadly because they follow us everywhere we go in life and leadership.

    Taking the time to choose your words about how you handle time is one small step out of the maelstrom of constant busyness and low productivity that kills both your leadership and your life. However, to be truly effective, you need a strategy and a new system that gets time, energy and priorities working in your favor.

     

    Try to eliminate all of these phrases, and even though it will be hard, if only because it’s a habit. You will become a better leader as a result.

    1. I Didn’t Get a Chance to…

    It’s so easy to say you didn’t get a chance to do something. You didn’t get a chance to get that report done, or write that email you promised someone. Actually, you did get the chance to do whatever you said you didn’t get a chance to do. You just didn’t take it.

    Imagine what might happen if you started admitting to yourself that you had all the chances in the world to do whatever you needed to do. Only that you just didn’t take them. Hours and minutes don’t discriminate. They let you do whatever you decide to do. You just didn’t decide to do it.

    1. I Just Don’t Have the Time for That

    That phrase is one of the most frequently uttered responses anytime someone asked some people to do anything new or extra. Guess what? All high impact people I admire who produce so many great things with their life don’t get any special treatment. They get 24 hours in a day. Just like you and me.

    You have the time and I have the time, just like we had the chance. That sounds like a small thing, but if you do it consistently, it can be revolutionary. Try it for a week. Stop saying you don’t have the time (because you do). Start admitting you didn’t make it. When you (silently) admit you aren’t going to make the time, it forces you to ruthlessly evaluate your priorities. You’ll realize that never making time for your mom, or your most important priorities—or a life dream—is a mistake.

    And when you’re dead honest with yourself about not making the time to work out, or work on your top priorities, it’s so much easier to change.

    1. I’m Busy

    Mediocre leaders wear busyness as a badge of honor: Look at how busy I am. I must be important. Before you think I’m judging, someone once said, “I used to wear busyness as a badge of honor when I was in my 30s. Then I burned out.” Busyness is not a sign of effectiveness. It’s a sign you can’t manage your life. So why tell people you’re not effective?

    If you feel too busy, do something about it. Then you won’t feel compelled to tell anyone how busy you feel.

    1. I Can Squeeze That In

    A former approach to time management was to squeeze as much in as possible. Quite a number of overstressed professionals admit that the phrase “I can squeeze that in.” used to be a mantra of theirs.

    With time, it consistently becomes more difficult to do when your responsibilities grow by leaps and bounds. That strategy has a lid: Eventually, you can’t squeeze anything else in because nobody’s making any more time.

    Instead, learn to say no nicely. And to carefully assess your priorities and from that, determine what you will and won’t do. You can’t squeeze everything in. And if you do, it will eventually squeeze you so hard there’s nothing left.

    Surprisingly, when you stop trying to squeeze everything in, your capacity as a leader doesn’t shrink; it grows.

    1. I Just Can’t

    Being overworked is a common feeling, when not well managed we end up turning down great opportunities by saying things like “I just can’t.” My guess is that even recently, you’ve probably said I can’t to something you really wanted to do. Like an expansion, or a vacation, or a promotion, or some meaningful time with God, or training for that half marathon. Want to hear the bad news? You can. You really can.

    As Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, says, you can do anything, just not everything. Everything competes with anything. When your priorities are confused and you’ve chosen everything over anything, your dreams die.

    If you stop saying I just can’t and start admitting that you actually can, you will begin to clear your life of the lower value things that are robbing you of what could bring you the highest value.

     

  • Leadership and Lagos’ resilience city status

    Another milestone was recently recorded in Lagos State’s quest to build a globally competitive state as the governor, Akinwunmi Ambode received the certificate that admitted the state as one of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) in the world. Aside being a remarkable accomplishment, the feat is a further affirmation that recent strides of the current administration in the socio-economic transformation of the state across all sectors have not gone unnoticed. It is a common knowledge that, in the current political dispensation, Lagos has become a reference point when it comes to initiating and executing pacesetting innovative and strategic policies and programmes that are meant to uplift the living standard of the people.

    Since, the world has become a global village, the world could not but recognize the modest efforts of succeeding administrations in the state towards turning the city state around. Such recognitions have come from diverse globally recognized platforms and in varied forms, the latest of which is the admission into the league of 100 RC of the world. The 100RC initiative, which was established by the Rockefeller Foundation, is no doubt a starting point and an optimistic enterprise that would help the state address its salient developmental challenges.

    This much was revealed  at the 100 RC admittance event by Governor Ambode when he asserted that: “In spite of the challenges faced by the state in vital areas such as flooding, environmental degradation, public  transportation, security, unemployment, strain on existing  physical and social infrastructure, slums and a massive housing shortfall, Lagos remained resilient, dynamic and forward looking”.  While drawing attention to the intention of his administration to make every community in Lagos economically habitable to curtail rural-urban migration, the governor disclosed that conscious plans have been initiated to deal with most of the key challenges confronting the state.

    Urban resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems within a city to survive, adapt, and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. And it is undoubtedly a great honour that Lagos made the list of 100 such cities in the entire world. It needs to be stressed that only 11 of such cities are worthy of such recognition in Africa. Common indices used in identifying resilient cities include chronic stresses which weaken the fabric of a city on a daily basis, acute shocks which represent sharp events as flooding, outbreak of diseases and other such natural disasters  which threaten a city’s resilience to withstand, respond to, and adapt more readily to shocks and stresses.

    Others include being reflective which helps in using past experience to inform future decisions, resourcefulness which enables them to identify alternative ways to effectively use resources and flexibility which refers to willingness and ability to adopt alternative strategies in response to changing circumstances. Another vital indicator of resilient cities is inclusiveness which bothers on prioritizing broad consultation to create a sense of shared ownership in decision making.

    It is crucial to affirm that the innovative and visionary leadership which Lagos has benefited immensely from in the last few years play decisive role in launching the state into global reckoning. President of 100 RC, Michael Berkowitz authenticated this stand when he stated that out of the over 1,000 applications received and three rounds of selection process, Lagos was chosen for its innovative leadership, infrastructural strides and influential status not just in Africa but in the world.

    It is actually in the area of innovative leadership and infrastructural strides that Governor Ambode has predominantly warmed himself into global reckoning as an insightful leader. Not many actually gave him much chance of success when he was given the mandate of his party in 2015. Today, barely 18 months after, his administration has invested incredible vision, innovation, time, energy and resources in setting the pace for good governance in the country.

    Without doubt, the Ambode administration has positively transformed the profile of Lagos State. That Lagos is now a liveable city is being reinforced not by rhetoric and gimmick but with tangible developmental and infrastructural renewal projects that have won applause from all and sundry. From Ajah to Ojodu-Berger, from Epe to Ikorodu, from Abule- Egba to Oshodi, from Surulere to Lagos Island and all across the state, the face of Lagos is changing fast and for good.

    As a visionary leader, Ambode has attained a reputation that embodies qualities such as technocratic competence, commitment to results and above all integrity which Nigerians often complain are lacking in their leaders.  Detectable achievements in terms of construction of roads and bridges, environmental regeneration, employment generation, tourism and entertainment development, sports development, healthcare delivery, youth empowerment through T.H.E.S.E. which is an acronym for Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and Sporting Excellence, upgrading of public infrastructure, among others, have created a sense of relief among Lagosians that they have a government that is proficient in delivering enduring legacy projects.

    With the success of the various inventive strategies that were evolved to promote public security in the state, business atmosphere has become predictable and gratifying. Thus, the state now plays host to local and foreign investors who continue to provide the necessary impetus for economic growth. The various commitments by these investors are already yielding dividends in terms of creation of job opportunities. The governor further demonstrated his administration’s desire for job creation and poverty eradication, when cheques worth over N1 billion were recently presented to 705 beneficiaries from the state’s Employment Trust Fund with a charge from Governor Ambode for them to create more jobs, thereby contributing to the growth of the state’s economy.

    For any government that worth its salt, innovation is an essential component of governance. Aside being an indispensable device of governance, innovation is a continuous process as it has no finishing line. This is why the state government is taking on a foremost position in advancing science, technology and modernization as nucleus policy areas that not only hold the key to the state’s future, but could also make it one of Africa’s most productive hubs.

    Hence, the Lagos State government is continuously thinking outside the box to improve the lots of the people as evident in the institution of a N25 billion Employment Trust Fund, institution of Disability Trust Fund, production of LAKE Rice, provision and sustenance of street lights across the state, ingenuous tackling of traffic gridlocks across the state among countless others.

    This is what democracy is all about. This is what the people deserve and with the Ambode-led government, they won’t get anything less!

     

    • Adeyemi is Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Information & Strategy.

  • Lagos workers get leadership training

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr Benson Akintola has tasked public service officers to be visionary leaders.

    He said this during the opening of a three-day leadership and business communication training for selected officers of the State’s public service.

    Akintola said: “Only strong and trained leaders can envision the right and appropriate future for organisations. Where leaders do not possess the attitude, aptitude and skills that are relevant for the times, they become fundamentally flawed in any attempt to craft a beneficial and compelling vision for their organisations.”

    He called on the officers to develop excellent communication, listening, among other skills, to inspire their followers to build excellent institutions in the public service.

    “I agree with the facilitators of this training that an effective leader must be able to act as a communication champion and a sense giver rather than just as an information processor; must be able to use key elements of effective listening; utilize candor to appropriately improve communication effectiveness and recognize and apply the difference between dialogue and discussion; be equipped to incorporate metaphor and storytelling into leadership communications; select an appropriate communication channel for the message and effectively use social media and non-verbal communication. Furthermore, and perhaps, most essentially, he or she must be able to effectively communicate during times of stress or crisis,” Dr Akintola noted.

    He was optimistic that Dr Olaniran Fafowora and Mrs Shade Odebiyi, who led the facilitation of the training, would adequately coach the workers.

    “At the end of the day, our primary duty, as public servants, is to deliver value for the people of this state. His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is passionately dedicated to this purpose. The Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions under my leadership is irreversibly dedicated to enlarging and expanding the scope of trainings for the people who can help deliver this value and I call on you all to open your hearts and minds to learn the skills that are vital and indispensable for this purpose,” he said.

  • Transformational leadership in Lagos State

    Transformational leadership in Lagos State

    I start this piece with a confession. I have been mentally tortured in the last 72 hours over the turn taken by the greatest democracy on earth, the United States of America. I have watched partisanship go awry and political leaders wallowing in the mud of hateful nationalism.

    The final straw for me was President Trump’s announcement of a new Supreme Court nominee to fill a vacancy that occurred 11 months ago, when President Obama still had a`year to the end of his term. Confirmation of Obama’s nominee was, however, blocked for that length of time by the Republicans in Senate because they wanted a new president to make the nomination.

    Now that Trump has nominated a conservative, happy Republicans have called on Senate Democrats not to block the nomination. I wrestled with this development and was on the verge of mental breakdown. Is this what liberal democracy has come to? I thought of pouring my mind out on this matter in this column. But I eventually decided against starting a new month on such a depressing matter.

    Fortunately, I woke up on Wednesday morning and saw a more heart-warming story about the workings of democracy even in our own corner of the world. Yes, not too long ago, we were a pariah to the world of liberal democracy even though the leadership of that world hardly lifted a finger to help us out. Thankfully, while we still have issues to deal with, especially at the centre, we should beat our chests regarding the pockets of progress which give us reason to keep hope alive.

    I am especially elated about the story of Lagos State and the commitment of its leadership to development and human investment. It is what transformational leadership is about.

    In the last dispensation, we heard a lot about transformational leadership, especially at the federal level. Indeed, we were inundated with a well-orchestrated campaign of transformation agenda. We know now how it all ended in the dustbin of history.

    However, what the centre has not been able to achieve in 17 years of democratic governance, Lagos State has shown how, even in a democracy (as opposed to military dictatorship), transformational leadership at the helm of a people-centred administration can energise and inspire citizens. In the process, the people have a renewed hope in the future and an optimistic sense of what they can accomplish. In short, the people buy into leadership vision and both leadership and people can launch a new era of development. It is a win-win situation.

    The story that motivated this piece appears under the title “Ambode’s Massive Infrastructural Plan” in ThisDay edition of Wednesday, February 1, 2017. Apart from the content of the governor’s message at the meeting, which by itself was uplifting, what impressed me is that it was in the context of the sixth Town Hall meeting that the governor has held with the people on a quarterly basis, and the first in the new year.

    In practice, democracy thrives when the people, as the subject and object of governance, are not abandoned to their fate after elections, but are constantly coopted into government activities through regular interactive sessions. That Governor Ambode has institutionalised such meetings is a credit to his democratic credentials.

    The form is important. But the substance is even more so. What have been the concrete achievements of the administration of Governor Ambode in the last 20 months since he was sworn in to lead the Centre of Excellence?

    I recall the confusion and anxiety that characterised his first couple of months in office. There was traffic gridlock. There was concern for security of lives and property with the increasing menace of traffic robbers and kidnappers. And there was water shortage problem.

    Rather than panic at the time, however, I simply went down memory lane. I recalled Governor Ambode’s challenges were not dissimilar to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s in the first few months of his administration in 1999. Then Asiwaju received an earful from critics who were nostalgic about the administration of Military Governor Marwa. It was like the Israelites attacking Moses who liberated them from the Egyptian oppression! Asiwaju’s assurance that he had a plan for a lasting solution to the challenges did not persuade the critics. But when the turn-around kicked in, they were also the first to applaud. That has also been the experience of Ambode.

    Transformational leadership is thoughtful leadership. It is not a fire-fighter approach to governance. It develops a solid plan to tackle the root cause of problems such that, once applied, the problem does not have a chance of recurring. The continuity of progressive leadership in Lagos State for 17 years has also been a bonus. The governor did not have to reinvent the wheel of planning as he wisely decided to execute and further the achievement of the 2012-2025 development plan.

    It is under the auspices of this plan that Ambode has made enormous progress in the transformation of the state. Think of the impact of the initiative for the construction of 114 roads across the 57 local governments and local council development areas. At the Town Hall meeting, he announced an additional 181 roads projects across the state. Meanwhile, generously supplied street lights have dramatically transformed night life in Lagos.

    In December 2016, Governor Ambode launched the LAKE rice project, a collaboration between Lagos State and Kebbi State, which has brought down considerably the cost of rice in the state, and probably across the Southwest. This is another example of transformational leadership. While I find this highly commendable, and without any prejudice against Kebbi State, I do hope that there will be similar collaborations in future between Lagos and land-rich states in the Southwest. How about LAYO (be joyful) rice?

    One of the campaign promises of Governor Ambode was the creation of an Employment Trust Fund to boost job creation for the benefit of Lagosians. This is an important component of human investment without which there can be no economic or social transformation. The governor delivered on this promise at the inauguration of the Fund in March 2016, with an on-the-spot instruction to the Commissioner for Finance to disburse the yearly payment of N6.25 billion to the Fund. With government lifting the heavy side of the load, it sent a powerful message to the private sector to discharge its social responsibilities.

    Transformational leadership is a function of a vision and a determination to realise it despite the odds. To realise their vision, transformational leaders rely on the best hands to which they give the necessary support to succeed. That has been the story of Lagos State in the Fourth Republic. Governors have not been overly bogged down by political or partisan considerations. Since Asiwaju Tinubu himself had led in this area, his successors enjoyed the freedom to hire and fire their associates without been imposed upon. The state has been the beneficiary.

    Governor Ambode’s vision, as enunciated in his inaugural address on May 29, 2015, afforded us an understanding of his priorities. “No matter your age, sex, tribe or any other status, as long as you reside in Lagos, we will make Lagos work for you.”  In addition, he declared, “I will make your taxes work for you.” This was his full-throated promise.

    It was a simple message that resonated with citizens of the state. And now that they are witnessing the systematic fulfilment of the promise, their sense of citizen obligation to the state is rekindled. Citizen engagement and mobilisation is not activated in a vacuum. Government must lead the charge for citizens to follow. Transformation must begin with leaders.

    Lagos State is a microcosm of Nigeria. Every ethnic nationality is represented in the fabric of the state. The amazing story of Lagos is that while there have been ethnic skirmishes, especially at the beginning of this republic, no group has chosen to check out. This is because everyone is hopeful of making it in Lagos.

    With transformational leadership and good policies, Nigeria can also reassure all citizens that they can make it.

     

    • Follow me on twitter: @segungbadeg2002

  • Arrested leadership

    During the fifth edition of “The Bola Tinubu Colloquium” held as part of activities marking the 61st birthday of the former Lagos State Governor and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), an “altercation” ensued between Asiwaju Tinubu and the former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Lamido Sanusi Lamido who is now Emir Mohammed Sanusi II of Kano.

    When called upon to make a contribution after listening to youth leaders presenting eloquent positions on how Nigeria can make progress, Sanusi was convinced that the answer lies in the youths forming their own political movement which can later transform into a full-fledged party. Sanusi charged the youths present to take their destiny in their hands because they have the numerical strength to chart a new course for the country. He noted that the country had drifted negatively for too long and there was the need to try fresh ideas.

    Tinubu, being the political strategist that he is, countered Sanusi when given the opportunity to speak. He appealed to the youths to join forces with then emerging APC which will have a firm political structure in place. “I disagree with my brother and friend Sanusi Lamido Sanusi who says youth may form their party. Politics is not economic policy where you can change a bank note. If only to merge, some people are already forging names, and trying to prevent the creation of APC (this was before the party was registered). You can imagine what you will go through.” He said.

    No doubt, both Tinubu and Sanusi made credible points; Sanusi was convinced that the answer lies in the youths forming their own political movements. On the other hand, Tinubu who has been in the “field” for years knows all the tricks in Nigeria’s political play books knows it may not be as easy as it sounds; especially in an environment like Nigeria where different strange – and sometimes unbelievable – factors interplay.

    Perhaps I need to add that this was during the epic battle for the registration of the APC. Recollect that a party, the African People’s Congress with party flag and office was formed – out of the blues – to checkmate then emerging APC. Has anyone tried to find out what eventually happened to that “party” and its founders? This is one of the strange happenings in our political landscape.

    The point I’m trying to make with these stories is that you must participate in a movement to benefit from victory when it comes. I am a firm believer in youth participation in governance. But it would be naïve for anyone to believe they can just ‘stroll into power;’ it is far more complex than we think.

    The bottom line is this: to participate and benefit, you must be part of a struggle. There are two options available here. You either follow the Sanusi option of forming your own party or the Tinubu option of aligning with an existing party and walking your way through.

    The challenge in the second option is that the youths find it difficult to walk their way through. Equally too, immaturity often hampers their progress as some lack the capacity to understand and interpret our unique political landscape. This often lands them in the murky waters of ethnic and religious politics with all its divisive tendencies. Their inability to break from this negative past has arrested or curtailed their ability to be in leadership positions.

    I see this paly out in the micro level while dealing with student unionism. The same strange happenings you see in mainstream politics are there in there in student activism as well. A good place to gauge this is to peep into the affairs of the National Union of Nigerian Students (NANS). I have written severally about NANS and will not bedevil the issue here, but suffice to say that if they are the much touted leaders of tomorrow then Nigeria is doomed. Their leadership capacity and capability has long been arrested.

    A few days after the late General Sani Abacha seized power from the controversial contraption called the “Interim National Government” led by Chief Ernest Shonekan, a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reporter asked the late Chief MKO Abiola a tough question. a paraphrase of the question goes thus: “Chief Abiola, are you expecting General Abacha, after planning a coup, to call and congratulate you and say Chief Abiola here is your presidency?”

    The point the reporter was trying to let Chief Abiola – who we all knew won the June 12, 1993 election squarely –was that the late general risked his life by plotting a coup to install himself in power and not to revisit the annulled election or an intention to revise the decision taken by the then Provisional Ruling Council under which he was a very senior and active member. The reporter wants to know if there were other avenues to pressure the military to respect the wishes of Nigerians.

    In 1983, after the coup that toppled the Alhaji Shehu Shagari regime, two majors of the Nigerian Army were made Military Governors of Kaduna and Borno States respectively. The Major General Muhammadu Buhari regime appointed Majors Abubakar Umar and Abdulmumini Aminu as governors even though there were hundreds of senior officers that could have been appointed. What made the difference for these two young officers? They put their necks on the chopping block by joining the putschist and they were rewarded for the risks they took.

    Beyond Nigeria, the issue of youth and governance has always been a contentious one. In a March 2015 paper titled “Does a politician’s age matter for policy?” researchers Alberto Alesina, Traviss Cassidy and Ugo Troiano started with this: “In 2012, the average age of European parliamentarians was 53 years. In the US, the average age of current Members of the House of Representatives is 57 years, and the average age of current Senators is 62 years.” With this research based figures Nigerian sceptics should know that they are not alone; even those we copied democracy from are passing through the same problem.

    They added: “Motivated by the concern that aging electorates would increasingly select older politicians, the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations advocates a right to vote from birth, exercised by parents as surrogates until the child reaches a certain age. Such a proposal reflects the conventional wisdom that a politician’s age influences policy choices. But does a policymaker’s age really matter? This is an empirical question which until recently had not been explored.”

    They concluded with this statement: “it appears that political ambition – rather than ability or patience – drives the different policy choices of older and younger politicians.”

    Even with an arrested leadership, I believe we still have some young people with great perspectives and ideas. By allowing them to voice their opinion we could be opening and moving the political world forward. This will not only be good, but necessary for our society. If our youth don’t engage in politics, even if it is through pressure groups, there would be many issues with our political establishments in trying to keep policy fair and sustainable for future generations.

    Partaking in social organisations is prime opportunity for a young person to get involved. But how many of them are involved in good and conscience-based causes that would provide opportunities for them to interact with those in power and through that understudy the intricate nature of politics? Most are in the “market” waiting to be hired to demonstrate for a politician they know deep down is corrupt.  They should also realise that active citizenship is equally a huge part of politics.

    I will recommend that our youths borrow a leaf from the United Kingdom where youth parliament is open to 11-18 year olds who wish to use their voice in creative ways in order to bring about social change. This is both exciting and informative, as well as being open to everyone. Getting involved in these sorts of schemes is necessary if they wish to engage further with politics and get a deeper understanding of its complexities. What stops a well guided youth organisation from taking this as a cause and approaching the National Assembly to get their buy in and make such possible?

  • Complexity of facts, technicalities of law: Dilemma of leadership

    Lagos State University (LASU) Vice-Chancellor Prof. Lanre Fagbohun presented this paper at a birthday lecture organised by former students of former Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Director-General Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) in Abuja.

    It is not my goal to engage in the broader jurisprudential debates of what will or will not qualify as legal technicalities.  The screaming headlines of The Nation Newspaper, “Technicalities threaten justice at tribunals”, is however insightful on the matter at hand. The paper catalogued all the decisions that were delivered at the Election Tribunal, but later set-aside at the Appeal Court.  If these cases were not time bound, the injustice occasioned by them would have endured.

    I now come to the meaning of “Leadership” of which one cannot assert a universal definition.  A view that has been expressed is that Leadership is the process of influencing leaders and followers to achieve organizational objectives through change.  At the individual level, it has been defined as a pattern of behaviour or personal quality exerted by an individual or group over a larger body to direct its efforts towards the achievement of desired goals.  To underscore the importance of leadership as a determining factor in the achievement of good governance, the African Leadership Council has identified a number of standards that a leader must seek to uphold.  Among these are:  (i)   delivery of the security of the state and the person;  (ii)   promotion of rule of law, good education, health services and a framework conducive to economic growth; (iii)   encourage-ment of public participation, and the management of dissent and disagreement; (iv)    upholding of human rights and civil liberties; (v)   promotion of policies that eradicate poverty and improve the well-being of the citizens; (vi)   ensuring a strong code of ethics; (vii) refusing to use public office for personal gain; and (viii)  opposing corruption.

    It is of course easy to assert that where leadership is visionary, transformational and rooted in tolerance, integrity, respect for law and participatory, it would deliver on the above identified standards.  This, however, is on the assumption that there is a representative democracy where the legislature truly represents the people.  In that context, the wishes and desires of the people will not differ substantially from that of their representative.

    It is also on the assumption that the leader is in position to push the frontiers of his agenda without too many frustrating obstacles.  If we are to be honest with ourselves, the experience that we have had so far in Nigeria shows that we do not have a self-correcting democracy. It is also not one where the leader can with ease get beyond already entrenched interests.

    One of the fathers of satire in Nigeria, Bashorun J. K. Randle, in his review of a book titled ”No Monkey Business” eloquently captured the reality of the Nigerian situation thus:

    Our politicians are humans with insight but it can be recalled that a recommendation was made by a famous psychiatrist that Nigerian politicians should be evaluated for the presence of absence of insight. Is the author addressing our politicians in view of recent track records? and possibly recommending “no monkey business” such as padding of budgets under investigation in the House of Representatives.  The salaries that they pay themselves are a screaming testimony that they lack insight with reference to relativity to the salary scales in the country

     

    He continued:

    … Governments, be they military or civilian, continue to fail Nigerians. Nothing has changed and nothing seems to appear to change.  It may be correct to conclude that things are getting worse… The acronym “www” stands for “world wide web” but in Nigeria it stands for “wealth without work” … in the same country you have an acronym “wwp” that stands for “work with poverty” or “work without payment” and “wwr” that stands for “work without rewards”.  Yet, in the same country there is a revelation which alleged payment of 1.4million dollars (N553million) to a former President of a developed country for two visits/speeches to Nigeria.

    In a very scathing way, the editorial of the Punch Newspaper of 14th November, 2016 noted as follows: “Instead of leading the war on corruption, the National Assembly had always been at the centre of it”.

     We may momentarily laugh or sigh about the above depending on our respective moods, but, they are glaring evidence of institutional collapse which I dare say will be difficult under the present arrangement to put right.  Do not ask me why because we all know the answers.  The complexity of facts working in tandem with the technicalities of law comes to the fore to frustrate the leader. Again, your guess is as good as mine as to why for instance none of the former governors who were identified by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the tenure of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was ever brought to book.  The story is different in a number of other jurisdictions.  This much was noted by the legendry Wole Olanipekun in his paper titled, The Law as an Endangered Specie, a memorial lecture presented in 2013 in honour of Dr. Akinola Aguda.  The situation of Nigeria is such that we must now admit of those specters that will not go away of their own accord no matter the leader or the style of leadership. To these I will now turn.

     

    Delimiting Specters That Won’t Go Away

    A point of considerable importance that I must make clear is that my reference to specters that will not go away should not be viewed as a reference to the day to day routine challenges that would always confront every system.  For instance, it is to be expected that different decision-makers will always reach different conclusions on how administrative guidance, guidelines and laws should apply to facts before them.  The reason for this may have to do with the depth of knowledge and competence of the decision-maker, his ideological perspective, and the degree to which the decision-maker is susceptible to outside influence.  The outside influence may be those whose interest the decision-maker desires to protect for reasons of favors they have done for him in times past which he wants to reciprocate; the assistance/support he might want to get from them in the future; or generally to avoid their wrath.

    Every political landscape will always be confronted with this.  The specter that will not go away and with which I am concerned in this paper is; why are our public institutions which are supposed to serve as checks and balances on public officers and leaders who act in error or abuse their offices wittingly or unwittingly are not able to live up to expectation? Public institutions should be in a position to ward off the pressure on leaders and imbue effectiveness, responsiveness, discipline, accountability and transparency in public policy making, public administration (public agencies and public officials) and governance.

    Regrettably, what we have all come to realize is that our public institutions are not working as they ought to. Simply put, our public institutions across all sectors have been hijacked by selfish interests.  Under this kind of situation, it will take only a dictator or a radical departure from current governance approach to mandate a change.  Let me quickly hasten to note for emphasis that I am not under any guise asking Nigeria to do away with democracy or that any leader should be empowered to be a dictator.

    Far from it.  Afterall, we have had many military administrations in this great country, and in different ways they failed us.  I am also not talking about the imprecise and vague statements sometimes made by some commentators on restructuring. Whether it is federalism or any other type of government, we need a mechanism that will compel Nigerians to change our reasoning, values and norms, and begin to make sound choices that can positively impact on our great nation.  For those who are curious about Nigerians, they should start with the book “Nigeria Their Nigeria” by Dan Agbese.  He had this succinct summary:

     

     

     

     

  • AfDB lauds Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa

    AfDB lauds Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa

    The outgoing country Director of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Ousmane  Dore has said Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa is unquestionable.

    He commended the country’s exemplary leadership role in Africa through the  Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), a window for assisting poor and fragile African countries.

    He who spoke during a brief farewell visit to the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs,  Hajia Khadija Bukar A. Ibrahim in Abuja, however urged Nigeria government to replenish its Technical Cooperation Fund  which is domiciled in the AfDB.

    He  said Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa is unquestionable especially in setting up the Nigeria Technical Cooperation Fund (NTCF) as a window for assisting poor and fragile African countries.

    Dore who came to bid goodbye to the minister, said  he has been promoted to the position of Director-General of the Central African Regional Office of AfDB.

    “The AfDB is proud of Nigeria’s exemplary role in championing the development of Africa and has decided to follow Nigeria’s lead with a Hi-five programme which will tackle Power generation, Food Shortage, Industrialisation, Integration and Poverty as its focal goals across Africa in the next couple of years,” he said.

    ‘’The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, though presently going through its share of the global economic shock, should replenish the Technical Cooperation Fund,’’ he noted.

    In 2004, the Federal Government set up a Nigeria Technical Cooperation Fund worth $25 million which was domiciled in the AfDB under the supervision of DTCA. The Fund has been used for various development projects and programmes in all the countries in Africa

    ‘’The AfDB is proud of Nigeria’s exemplary role in championing development of Africa and has decided to follow Nigeria’s lead with a Hi-five programme which will tackle Power generation, Food Shortage, Industrialisation, Integration and Poverty as its focal goals across Africa in the next couple of years.”

    Respoding, ,Hajia. Khadija thanked Dr Dore for the cooperation the AfDB enjoyed with the DTCA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and noted that the current global economic trend affected all economies adversely but that President  Buhari is positioning the country to continue to offer its traditional leadership role on behalf of the continent.

    She also welcomed Dr Dore’s determination to showcase Nigeria’s exemplary role in Africa and invited him to continue to use his influence to encourage other African countries to cooperate with country in moving the continent forward.

    The Acting Director General of the DTCA, Mr Mohammed Kachallah, commended the minister for sparing time from her very busy schedule to host the departing AfDB chief.

  • Complexity of facts, technicalities of law: Dilemma of leadership

    • Continued last week

    The critical intervening variable with the BVN scheme is that it was directly within the purview of the leader to mandate it, otherwise, it would have ended up in the never-ending balancing of interest and dance of delicate compromise.

    We accuse prosecutorial agencies of not actively and expeditiously prosecuting cases.  Within the same system, the technicalities of the law permitted a judge to grant perpetual order of injunction to restrain a prosecutorial agency from investigating a public officer alleged to have corruptly enriched himself of over N100billion.  The court also ordered that the agency must not publicize the report of the investigation or take any further action in relation to the alleged economic and financial crimes. This was in 2007.  The appeal against the orders in question is still ongoing 8 years after.  If we are all agreed that there is no right in any other branch of government to ignore judicial decisions or exercise discretion in what judicial decision to enforce, then, it should not be difficult to see where the threat to expeditious prosecution is.

    Nigeria is where a bank employee is jailed for 195 years for a fraud of N21 million while a bank chief gets 6 months in prison for a fraud in which she was ordered to hand over $1.2 billion (£786m) in cash and assets. Another court gave a 6-year jail sentence and option of N750,000.00 fine to a Deputy Director of a Police Pension office who admitted to being a part of those who stole N32billion from the Pension Fund.  Indeed, it is in the nature of Nigeria to hang the small thieves and to elect the big ones into public office.  However, we may seek to justify some of the judicial decisions that are made from time to time, they certainly cannot and will not assist to break the legacy of impunity.

    With respect to this piece, I must confess my trepidation in what I seek to do.  I shall attempt to proffer an answer to the dilemma of leadership as identified here.  In doing this, it is of importance that we understand what the mutations are.

     

    Understanding the Mutations

    In our attempt to comprehensively understand how the complexity of facts and technicalities of law impact on leadership, it would be of importance that we first define what “complexity of facts”, “technicalities of law”, and “leadership” connote.

    My task is not to go deep into the philosophical meaning of the word “fact”.  Thus, I will limit myself to paraphrasing the views of Mulligan et al, in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. According to these authors, facts are the objects of certain mental states and acts.  They make truth-bearer true and correspond to truths.  In the expressions “matters of fact”, facts are taken to be what is contingently the case, or that of which we may have empirical or posteriori knowledge.  Thus, Hume famously writes at the beginning of Section IV of An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding: “All the objects of human reason or inquiry may naturally be divided into two kinds, to wit, Relations of Ideas and Matters of Fact”.

    What brings complexity of facts is that the ambit of social interaction is incredibly intricate and often times complicated.  Humans operate in a web of relationships with enormous number of objects, people and institutions in ever changing combinations and permutations.  Each of this is made more complex still by their interaction with the myriad manifestations of the self that each individual personality possesses.

    It is the complexity of facts that results in factual uncertainty which in turn impacts every human endeavour.  As recognized by Muchmore, the factual uncertainty plays a special role in situation where an individual or group must make determinations about some state of the world with legal or quasi-legal consequences.  Lawmakers, primary actors, regulatory enforcers, and those who serve as factfinders in formal disputes are all expected to make these type of determinations from time to time.

    With respect to “technicalities of law”, the phrase is not a term of art known to law, thus, it neither has an exact meaning nor a legal definition.  This notwithstanding, it, from time to time, finds its way into works of law so much so that it has accorded itself much significance.  It implies that strict adherence to the letter of the law has prevented the spirit of the law from being enforced.  In the realm of procedural law, it can enable or restrict access to the court, and/or enable or limit the discretion of a court in handing down judgment.  In the area of substantive law, it can affect the interpretation that a court puts on the criteria placed before it to assess a party’s compliance with or violation of the law.

    Wikipedia in one of its references identified clearly the unsatisfactory result that will be occasioned when the courts resort to technicality in the determination of cases.  It was an excerpt published in respect of the case U.S. v. SHIPP (1909):

    In the NEWS, published the evening of March 19, there was an editorial reviewing the local proceedings, which concluded: “All of this delay is aggravating the community. The people of Chattanooga believe that Johnson is guilty, and that he ought to suffer the penalty of the law as speedily as possible.  If by legal technicality the case is prolonged and the culprit finally escapes, there will be no use to plead with a mob here if another such crime is committed.  Such delays are largely responsible for mob violence all over the country”.

    In Nigeria, reference can be made to the plethora of cases where the Supreme Court has stridently observed that it is the duty of a court to use its powers to discover the true intents of the law and to do justice and not to destroy them unless the words used convey a meaning that renders obscure the true intention of the statute.  The position of the Supreme Court that technicality of law should have no place in our jurisprudence is a proposition that we all accept and profess, but, how well have we succeeded in entrenching same?

    • To be continued

  • Brace for leadership, lawmaker challenges youths

    A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Segun Olulade, has urged youths to brace up for leadership positions because they have something the whole world is waiting for.

    The lawmaker, who represents Epe 2 Constituency, stated this in his welcome address at the inauguration and orientation programme for 2017 ‘Academy Youths’ which featured the induction of 100 youths into the Eleniyan Cares Leadership Foundation at Ikeja.

    Olulade, who founded the foundation, told the youths that leadership is not about wealth or position but influencing and expanding one’s network including one’s ability to keep giving.

    “You can be that leader in whatever area you choose to. We believe you have something the whole world is waiting for. You have what it takes to rule your world, influence and impact your world positively.

    “Don’t let anybody tell you it is impossible; just have a positive attitude. What qualifies you to be here today is because you are a leader once you can influence one person,” Olulade said.

    The lawmaker who is the chairman, House Committee on Health Services, said the foundation is investing in the 100 pioneer inductees hoping that “in 10 years time, we will be raising leaders in all parts of the continent.”

    Speaking with reporters, Olulade said the induction is a follow-up to the 1000 youths summit he organised at Epe earlier in 2016.

    “The Academy is a platform on which we are going to develop them and make sure that the vision that they have in leading people is not jettisoned. In the next one year, we expect them to have done something for themselves, make impact in their world, contribute to the development of their society; and these are the people we are going to showcase in our next summit.

    “We will also follow them up, add value to whatever thing they desire to do in whatever area they have chosen. We are going to have personal contact with everyone of them and get involved in their day-to-day activities. If there is any one of them that has any challenge, it becomes the responsibility of the foundation.

    “We are in it together, it is about training them to stand on their own when nobody is there. They can as well influence and make impact in their world,” Olulade said.

  • Complexity of facts, technicalities of law: Dilemma of leadership

    Lagos State University (LASU) Vice-Chancellor Prof. Lanre Fagbohun presented this paper at a birthday lecture organised by former students of former Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) Director-General Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) in Abuja.

    Introduction and context

     

    In 1988, I had the good fortune of reading the Nigerian Merit Award Winners Lecture pre-sented by Honourable Dr. Timothy Akinola Aguda.  He made a statement that caused me to reflect then on his mood, memories, emotions and frustrations.  The learned jurist of distinction noted:

    As you know the subject of this Lecture is: “The Challenge for Nigerian Law and the Nigerian Lawyer in the Twenty-First Century”.  The question which you will be entitled to ask is why the 21st Century? Why must I ‘hop and jump’ over the remaining twelve years of this Century? My answer is simple: In the period of over 40 years since I have been a student of law and the practice of law, I have come to the sad but incontrovertible conclusion, that neither the law nor those of us who administer it have attained the goal that I had hoped was attainable and that would be obtained.  What I believe is left for me at the moment is to put in a few words; may be – and I emphasize the words “may be” – they will fall on fertile lands in the minds of this and the coming generation of the law givers and those who administer the law in the hope that both the Nigerian Legal System and its practice will be able to catch up with the rest of mankind, and very importantly create a united, free and happy society.  There can be no greater unifying force in this as in any other human society than the law, and the system for the administration of that law.

    The lofty aspirations of the exemplary Aguda was a wake-up call that was made twenty-eight years ago.  Sadly, an honest reflection on where Nigeria is today, and an appraisal of the several conflicting structures that are in place for moving her forward will give an impassionate observer muted enthusiasm. Perhaps, the only thing we can effectively say that Nigerians have been awake to is the profound gap between what the Honourable Dr. Aguda envisaged and prayed for, and the reality of today.  As we know, the formulation of law or policy and their consequent administration are critical to the survival of any nation.  Consequently, when we ruminate over critical issues such as free elections, rule of law, protection of human rights, corruption, incompetent leadership, indolent followership, peace and security, poverty, brain drain, misuse of power, ineffective service delivery, food security, economic and political instability, unemployment, lack of basic and essential services among several other challenges, the dislocation is traceable to either formulation and/or implementation of laws and policies.

    With particular reference to Nigeria’s crisis of development, not many will deny that the country has been a victim of a number of poorly informed decisions by her leaders from early in the process of project Nigeria till date.  In this respect, I must hasten to add that the concern of this paper is not so much that poorly informed decisions have been made; it is more about the structures on ground for correcting such decisions.  This is at the heart of what I refer to as the conundrum and dilemma of leadership in Nigeria.

    The  day before yesterday, the media was agog about President Obasanjo and what he should or should not be doing; yesterday, it was the turn of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua and thereafter President Jonathan to worry about the dilemma of leadership in the context of the Nigerian situation.  Today, it is with accelerated tempo that President Mohammadu Buhari is being criticized for failing to effect desired changes despite the change mantra of the ruling party.

    Permit me to make myself clear: it is not the case that leaders in developed nations are not confronted with the dilemma of leadership; far from it.  The fundamental difference is that most of these leaders have the benefit of accountable and effective institutions overseeing the formulation and implementation of laws and policies.  This is why the cliché that “nobody is above the law” has a meaning in these systems.

    In Nigeria, violators and mischief makers (leaders and followers inclusive) have become more adept in making effective use of government institutions to undermine good governance than the effort of government in using these institutions to enthrone good governance.  I am not making reference here to those who carry placards to support inequities.  I am making reference more to insufficient checks and balances, and the rigidity of our system (or the lack of it when necessary) to nip iniquity in the bud.  Our institutions are so vulnerable to manipulations that they are constantly being used to perpetrate and promote a culture of illegality.  Thus, when a man says a particular act or decision is not in accord with due process, one needs to critically examine his standpoint.  Is it a situation where due process will expose or comfortably shield illegality? If we agree that an inefficient legal system is a stimulus for impunity, the fundamental question for all of us is how effective is our legal system?

    I will for a moment leave my distinguished audience with their answers to the above poser.  I will, however, come back to remind us of how mischief makers have effectively adapted to the legal system. I will also remind us of several debates the conclusions of which have been that illegality has afflicted our culture and ethics, and become the efficient means for fulfilling selfish agendas or achieving personal goals. Yet, Nigerians want a “robust”, “brave”, “powerful” leader who will in a “focused” and “consistent” manner drill down and solve the problems.  He is expected to deal with the long-term, well entrenched and successful violator who has gotten so accustomed to illegality as a way of life. I am not sure how easy this would be.  It is pretty much the same as going to meet the best specialist doctor to treat your ailment when you know and remain committed to your faith which forbade you from taking medical treatment.

    Few examples of the worrisome scenarios will suffice to make my position clearer on the nightmares that leaders in Nigeria are constantly confronted with in moving forward.  It is acknowledged that the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) which gives each Bank customer a unique identity across the Nigerian Banking system has significantly assisted to reduce fraud and curb illegal banking transactions in Nigeria.  The BVN process was implemented as a policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria pursuant to the powers of the CBN under its enabling Act.

    What if a new law was required to implement the BVN scheme? The chances are it may have had to do the same long walk of the Freedom of Information Bill. The journey of the Freedom of Information Bill started in 1993 before it was finally signed into law in May, 2011.  Yet, we all know the importance of the right to information, particularly, the right to access to information held by public authorities in the fight against corruption and impunity.

    • To be continued