I was at a book launch by one of Nigeria’s eminent persons that held in the Abuja Capital Territory in the not-too-distant past and was well positioned as to observe the guests as they sauntered out of the Musa Yar’adua centre at the end of the event. Very striking was the media frenzy that followed the emergence of Jerry Rawlings, eloquent Revolutionary leader and Ghana’s erstwhile President as he departed the venue. The strength of his character pervaded the entire environment as he spoke with such clarity and conviction. Every reporter at the event wanted to get his opinion on this or that national or global issue. His Nigerian counterparts did not fare so well, unfortunately. One could see Yakubu Gowon and Shagari walking past discussing with each other without anyone taking notice, and with no air of prominence or importance. Apparently there was nothing to get from these comatose personalities more than recycled opinions and obsolete views. Theirs, together with the emergence of Shonekan (who was accompanied by Adams Oshiomole Governor of Edo state) was characterized by an aura of failed legacies in exemplary leadership. The only other that got some considerable media attention was Ibrahim Babangida, popularly known as ‘Maradona’ for his famed political duplicity. Yes, the public always want to be update about the next show of chicanery to come from the stables of the ever smiling gap-toothed General. Obasanjo and Jonathan were absent. Obasanjo would have been recognized, perhaps as the man whose long years of stewardship neither redefined this ‘rustic bushman’ pedigree nor was it able to curb him of his excessive tendencies towards the simplistic. Jonathan (usually referred to as the shoeless one), on the other hand,would have also been noticed, but not anything beyond the mere advantage of being the nation’s current president. Buhari would have been largely ignored if he attended since the ‘tall one’ cannot be credited with a good understanding of public speech or tact in speech presentation, coupled with the fact that he has a whole legion of stray dogs running rampage all over the place, dogs that he and his Islamist brethren participated in creating but dogs that have now gone rogue from their creators. No one would want to bother him with such head-aching issues on such a beautiful day as a book launch. In the meantime no African leader is deemed eligible yet for the esteemed Mo Ibrahim Prize for good leadership, credited to Mohammed Ibrahim, Sudanese billionaire businessman (owner of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation) since the annual one Million Dollar award for Good Leadership (exclusively for leaders of the continent) debuted nearly a decade back. Reasons for the inability of the jury to find any African leader worthy of the famed continental prize for such a long period are quite clear and palpable… - Obi Nwaegbe 1/7/14
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:00:38 +0000
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