Barack Obama once said “Africa does not need strong men, it
needs Strong institutions”.
The wisdom of these words lies not only in the in the fact
that stronger institutions will help deliver democratic dividends in a consistent
manner but also that all men having power must not be trusted. It is C.S. Lewis
who said “I am democratic because I believe in the Fall of man……. Mankind is so
fallen that no man should be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows”.
Hence, no man at anytime should have executive, legislative and judicial
authority else he equates to or becomes a tyrant.
Thus, if Nigeria’s democracy must deliver, it’s institutions
must be strengthened.
However, on the flip side of the discuss, it is appreciated
by most, if not all Nigerians that Nigeria has a leadership problem. Nigeria
has lacked leaders who are able to deliver on the promises of the nation that
its abundance of natural resources and human capital could bring to not only Africa
but the world at large.
Strong leadership is Nigeria’s greatest Dilemma. Since the
advent of democratic government in the nation (and even the continent), it has
not saved Nigeria’s poverty rate from increasing, improved quality of life or
any other indices we choose to look at. Democratic governance has not been the
silver bullet that set the nation on the path to greatness. Is it because the
Institutions are weak? Maybe.
But an X-ray into what makes Strong Institutions show that
they are those who have a clear vision/mandate, deliver on that mandate and
have good governance and accountability structures to check their excesses or cut
their inefficiencies. However, Strong Institutions are built by Strong Leaders
and Strong Institutions put their leaders in check. Weak leadership in strong
institutions is just as bad as a Strong leadership in weak institutions but the
advantage of the latter is that the leadership is able to build a formidable
institution which begins to deliver on Nigeria’s potentials. We have several
examples to look at as case studies in Nigeria, Ribadu at EFCC, Akunyili at
NAFDAC are examples of how strong leadership can build formidable institutions but
on the flip side we see their successors taking an institution that was once
strong on delivering its purpose to becoming an institution that is less than what
it was. This is partly because building strong institutions takes time. Strong
institutions are what they are because of an institutional culture that is built
over time that becomes a way of life. However, Strong Leadership is at the core
what Strong Institutions are about.
So, I may rephrase Obama’s statement and say “Africa does
not need Strong men but needs Strong leaders who can build strong institutions”
A strong Leader lays the foundation for the success or
failure of any organisation, He imbibes the vision of the institution and finds
ways to disseminate it in a way that it is conceived in the minds of every member
of that institution. Does Nigeria have Strong Leaders? Yes.
Strong Leaders are strong men but not all strong men are
Leaders. Nigeria has a crop of both and we have seen them over the years in
different spheres of life, not just in government alone. Men and women who have
led in business, academia etc. are a testament to this but I must confess that Positions
at the top have been filled more by strong men than strong leaders. The
question of whether our present political system will help bring these strong
leaders into places where they can influence government and deliver on the
promise of Nigeria is another matter. A whole topic entirely that I would not
delve into for now.
Therefore, it is not a choice between Strong men and
institutions, we cannot have one without the other because part of what strong
institutions should do is build up Strong men who are Strong leaders who will
continue to Strengthen their institutions to deliver on their mandate.
Thus, as we go into election season, it is important for the
electorate to realise that we are looking for Strong men and women who are
Strong Leaders and will take the pains of building Strong Institutions that will
continue to deliver beyond their tenures within them because consistency is key
and in a constitutional democracy, all the institutions of government are the pivotal.
