The name Mandela reverberates every where you go simply because he
decided to stake his life for his people via good leadership qualities. He is
celebrated because of his contributions to humanity.
Leadership is very important in every sphere of human existence.
Wherever leadership is purposeful, functional, determined, selfless and
focused, the result is that followers will know and feel the rhythm so much so
when leadership fails. In whichever direction you turn, something is majorly
wrong with Ika nation. Our nation has leadership problems. We don’t need a
soothsayer to tell us that our society has ceased to grow completely. Rather,
we are going round and round without a clear vision and direction.
There is an African proverb which says “The head of a newborn child
cannot be bent as long as there is an elder in the house”. This is obviously
not true in our case, since it is very clear that the elders of Ika nation have
jettisoned the ideals our forefathers bequeathed to us. Where are the elders?
Where are the leaders of our land? Our society is floundering towards the edge.
Do they really care to do something? The quality of life is diminishing by the
day. Who and where is that selfless leader who will bring about the positive
change to our community?
Many of our people live in abject poverty and misery and no society
can be described as progressive when the far greater percentage of its citizens
are poor and miserable. The democratic experiment we are currently practicing
has not in any way been a blessing to us, rather it has brought numerous
problems as poverty, neglect, deceit, falsehood, wickedness, polarization,
cultism, rape, misery and insecurity.
Right from the inception of human existence, great men have always
arisen to fight and entrench social reforms aimed at reducing long established
social and economic disparity in their society. Once of such wise leaders is
Nelson Mandela, a world revered African leader who is the exact opposite of what
leadership represents here in Ika land.
This is a man who fought the evil system that held nothing good for
this people. He fought against the dehumanizing apartheid policy in his home
country, South Africa. He never stopped fighting until he won the battle. For
67 years of which he spent in prison, Madiba, as he is fondly called in his
Xhosa clan fought white supremacists who treated his people with so much
disdain. Even when he was released, many would have expected that Mandela would
have seized the opportunity of his election as South African president in 1994
to get even at those who made his life miserable, but he did not do so. As a
leader, he put into action, the democratic ideologies he had fought for rather
than seek his own pound of flesh.
He made tolerance his watch word and today, he is not only loved by
all but revered because he made a mark in good and purposeful leadership. He
paid a great prize of leadership by example. He was never tired of doing good.
Mandela has been able to build enviable legacies with his admirers say should
be emulated by leaders all over the world. Ika nation is in dire need of a man
and woman like Mandela. Is there any one out there that has the credentials of
Mandela who is prepared to rebuild our shattered nation? Our people are easy to
please. All they are asking for is just the basic necessities of life. When in
the past so many states and local governments were created, it was, to make
life easy and to bring governance nearer to the people. All these efforts have
yielded no positive result. The more money is pumped into the provision of
social amenities, the more corruption festers. Government polices that are
meant to create a just, egalitarian and equitable society is sabotaged by civil
servants, political and religious miscreants, contractors and many others who
parade themselves as leaders only to take advantage of the gentle nature of our
people in Ika land.
Water, which is an essential of life has since stopped running in
many homes. Where are the water reservoirs or overhead tanks of yester years?
Are they still functioning? No is the answer. The story was different a few
years ago when pipes were laid by the government and many families connected
water into their homes.
How about the issue of food? Prizes are soaring by the day and
nobody is talking about it. Food shortage is imminent. Many families cannot
afford three square meals a day and when they do, the word nutritious is alien
to them, yet many people have millions of naira stocked away. With many people
venturing into farming business, one would have expected that food situation
will improve but to the contrary. Government that should have channelled its
energy towards this life sustaining sector will only oblige the request of
farmers for untenable political excuses. How about the issue of security? We
have become a nation under siege.
Not too long ago, Ika land was subdued by dare devil criminal
elements for almost one hour when a bank was robbed and no one dared challenge
them. Without any difficulty they succeeded in making away with huge amounts of
money. It’s so funny, isn’t it? Crime rate is on the rise everyday because of
unemployment of youths in the land. Youths now romance with rape, killings,
cultism and kidnapping, a wicked manifestation of an “Idle hand and mind”. This
is really sacrilegious. Our hospitals have become mere consulting clinics. One
of the victims of a recent armed robbery incident, Mr. Kakawa, died because the
Hospital could not help him extract bullet and had to be referred to a
trado-medical home in Agbor where the man eventually passed away. What a shame!
The education sector is another area where the controlling
examination boards, universities, lecturers and students are as culpable in
examination malpractices as criminals. No wonder, no Nigerian university could
get enlisted in the top 500 universities in the world. Don’t even mention our road networks. It’s a
sorry sight. There are no companies or industries that will absorb our graduate
youths. Something is seriously wrong somewhere, something must be done
urgently. Our nation needs help.
When Mandela became president in 1994, he embarked on social reforms
aimed at reducing social and economic inequality, free health care for all
children under the age of six alongside pregnant and breast feeding mothers
making use of public sector health facilities, housing reconstruction and
development programs, disability grants, child maintenance grants, old age
pensions etc.
Even at 95 years, years after retiring from active politics, he
still devoted most of this retirement to charitable causes. Through his three
foundations, which include Nelson Mandela Foundation, Nelson Mandela Children
Fund and Nelson Rhodes Foundation, Madiba is putting smiles on the faces of the
downtrodden. Our youths are crying for help. Many have lost hope of the future
and that is why they will rather engage in nefarious activities and die. Go out
there and get their opinion, many of them have lost steam and vim for life. The
strength of any society is the strength of its youths. Our youths are in dire
need of direction, support and help.
What can our elders do to bring succour to their lives despite all
this torrent of tears, our political representatives and all well meaning
people in Ika land are not moved by the suffering of our people. We should not
turn blind eyes or ears to their pain. As long as life is going very well for
them and with their families, they should be concerned about others. In effect,
they should not say “who cares? Our greedy elders and leaders should not act
with complete indifference to the plights of our people.
Who will bell the cart? Today we have so many pressure and advocacy
group in Ika nation pretending to work for the benefits of our people. Many can
only bark but cannot bite. They believe only in rhetorics and no action. Many
are existing only in names and are driven to operate this mediocre organization
out of greed and avarice.
This is in no way meant to devalue what compassionate people or
organizations have done. In fact, any action that properly lessen the suffering
of our people will be worthwhile and acknowledged by all.
Our people are in dire need of a messiah like Mandela that will free
us from the shackled of political bandits and savagery. Someone in our midst
must do something radical, away from convention to address our present
challenges. Something urgent need to be done. You and I must not sit on the
fence. We must join hands with all like minds in our land by forming true
alliances for the eventual release of our people to true freedom and justice.
As a group or an individual, whoever will estrange us from the shackles of
poverty will be the Mandela of Ika nation. Whoever that person is, well be
greatly honoured.
