Leadership entails identifying a problem and proffering anticipatory solution before it becomes an emergency. Call it proactive leadership and you won’t be wrong. Whether this could be said of leadership at all levels of government in Nigeria, from local to state and federal is a subject of national debate.
What exactly is the value of the life of an average Nigerian whose death is announced casually like every other news? What is a Nigerian worth? Concerned public office holders allow a pothole on a highway to manifest to a gully until it results in accidents that claim lives before they act. Why? Why do we allow red alerts of insecurity to snowball to imminent emergencies and loss of lives before we start calling for dialogue? Why?
Most times, what started like a mere hazard develops to imminent risk and attendant loss of lives before receiving attention. Why? Why do we prefer to render glowing tributes to lives cut short at their prime owing to avoidable causes when a measure of proactive response could preserve such lives? Why? Most times the victims are breadwinners for their family members.
South West Governors call for dialogue but many lives have been lost and many are still being lost, avoidably, and properties destroyed. The warning signs have been dangling but apparently ignored, thinking it could be wished away by luck until now that it appears that danger is looming before we start running from pillar to post.
It becomes a serious matter of national concern when law enforcement agents spit fire and make pronouncements of arrest of civilians, based on emotions before proper assessment of critical issues is done, only for them to start pouring cold water on the same fire to douse tension that was ignited by reactive leadership. The most obvious is outright passivity when the chief security officer says nothing to threats of national disunity.
It is very dangerous to push citizens to a point of distrust when they are left to think that the state can no longer protect them. It becomes more worrisome when we are reminded of George Orwell’s animal farm where all animals were said to be equal but some are deemed more equal than others. This is a recipe for anarchy and the consequence is better imagined.
Leadership comes with responsibility. Reactive leadership is very costly. Every Nigerian’s life should count. Peace for my country.
©️ akinjnr 2021
