LAGOS, LEADERSHIP AND RELIGION The dearth of people-oriented leadership in Nigeria, seething corruption, mindless impunity, an insensitive, self-centred political class, deficient in ideology, bereft of merit-based recruitment mechanisms, and mindlessly driven by convenience rather than conviction is the bane of a nation so endowed, yet so cursed. No wonder citizens celebrate any leader who dares to be different; who makes service delivery to the people his top priority, for such is an oasis in a desert of inept leadership. Babatunde Raji Fashola, the governor of Lagos State, has won a pride of place for himself for his exploits in governance, underscored by people-oriented programmes and policies. He is rightly admired by friends and foes and generally acclaimed for daring to be different in the area of quality and visionary leadership characterised by rapid and massive infrastructural as well as human capital development of his state. Lagosians are not likely to forget him in a hurry. The search for a suitable successor that is at present gathering momentum is, therefore, understandable. What is totally obnoxious and reeling of myopia is the religious paradigm being introduced into the debate as to who should be Fashola’s successor. This reduces such an important agenda to absurdity. Without mincing words, it is a disservice to the legacy of hardwork and visible development Lagos State has witnessed on all fronts in recent times to insist that its governorship should be determined by religious affiliations or rotated along religious affiliations. Again, it demeans the country in no small measure and weighs negatively on her level of political development and culture. It is an international embarrassment that in this age and clime, political discourse on issues that are so important and far reaching as suitability for political offices would still be rooted in religion, and trivial considerations that do not derive from competence or merit. Of all the mundane issues, religion as an element of suitability can really be provocative and objectionable for the simple reason that the constitution of Nigeria makes it a personal matter that has no bearing whatsoever with governance or ability to succeed in public office. Apart from that, it is highly questionable whether religion has played any meaningful or positive role in the life of this country beyond the divisive and volatile identity it has created for itself, notorious for heating up the polity now and again in the struggle for relevance and competition for space and dominance particularly between the two major religions. What has the religious belief of a man got to do with his performance in office? More than anywhere else in the world, Nigeria is notorious for its alarming proliferation of religious institutions, beliefs and places of worship. Yet, crime rate in the country has continued to increase daily, just as the rank of thieving political leaders and government officials, who are visible, passionate and celebrated adherents of one of these two major religions has continued to increase daily. In other words, their pretentious adherence to religious beliefs and instructions has hardly reflected in their lifestyle evident in the mind-bogglingly inept and corrupt leadership they provide. What obtains now is hypocrisy in high places and insensitive craze for opulence not minding how it comes about. There is little or no effort to speak the truth to power but to use religion or religious offices as a leverage to attain greater heights and maximum visibility. On what basis then is the fuss which religion seems to be generating on the issue of who becomes the next Governor of Lagos State? Will it really matter whether the person who aspires to be the next governor is a zealot and irredeemable atheist or idol worshiper, where in range of vision and depth of conception, he towers above his contemporaries, he is endowed with the gift of steady application and will rather control events than drift with the tide. Above all, he must be highly cerebral, clear-headed with clear conscience and radiate sound knowledge of contemporary politics. And just as Fashola himself brilliantly observed, all of these qualities have no bearing at all with religion or religious beliefs. Once a person possesses these qualities, Lagosians would certainly do business with him as this is reassuring enough. For in matters of civilised politics and political socialisation, religion is too mundane to be a factor to reckon with particularly in the determination of where to cast one’s lot. This is a way of saying that what Lagosians want and deserve is a good person, a man of integrity but not necessarily a religious person. They are interested in the content of his character and its application to service not in the way he serves or appreciates his God or god. This shall be the all important consideration, never to be diluted, compromised or whittled down by religious bigotry or sentiments just as no one should be allowed to use religion as a weapon of ascendancy or campaign item in the politics of Nigeria. There is a role for the political parties and leaders in all of these. They must be wary of the sensitivity of religion and therefore refrain from pushing religious affiliation to the forefront. Every political leader of note must desist from giving the impression that a particular candidate is being pushed forward by him or that no one becomes an office holder or gets any political appointment without his imprimatur. Such an attitude violates democratic practices, ideals and values. Pointedly, it smacks of unbridled impunity, capable of provoking negative reactions. It is commendable that Fashola has spoken to the issue in the most appropriate language it deserves and with the decorum required of a genuine statesman. Lagos State shall not be embroiled in or dragged into such destructive, distractive, unhealthy and volatile disputations rooted in religion, the type that is setting other states on fire and creating cleavages and tension. After all, a man’s religion is not better than his character.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 12:33:46 +0000
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