The face of LEADERSHIP

A good old friend once told me, “Leadership is all about service not about position” this got me thinking for a moment then I decided to pick up my dictionary to help me out with the true meaning of the so called confusing word (leadership) and the oracle (dictionary) says, the act of leading; the ability to be a leader of group, organization etc. then I married the dictionary’s definition with that of my friend and came up with this write up titled, the face of leadership.
If leadership is all about service then what is the duty of leaders or a leader? Without much delay, the answer to that is, to serve. I said to myself there is more to being a leader than occupying a position and leaving a flashy and expensive life. It’s all about the people you’re serving and not all about your personal and individual selfish satisfaction it’s about putting the people you are serving first in whatever you’re set to do, just like it is said in the commercial world, “customers first”. In leadership that should also be the slogan, “the people first”.
It is so unfortunate in our beloved country today that our leaders have a different philosophy about what leadership is all about. Our leaders see it in the direct opposite; the act of fulfilling personal selfish interest and satisfy myself. And this is why the masses are suffering today without any hope of (any) light at the end of the (helpless) tunnel, God help us.
Again I ask, if leadership is all about service to humanity why is it that our leaders earn all form of reasonable and unreasonable allowances; seating, wardrobe, feeding, furniture etc and even walking allowance. Hmm! Where are all these coming from? Leaders please I need an answer, can I have my pen and writing allowance?
Passing the bill for leaders’ toilet allowance is easier and faster than passing the bill for minimum wage of just N18, 000 for the public servant until they protest by going on strike. If indeed leadership is about service why should a public servant made to suffer and go on strike before their demands are met.
It is in this part of the world that we see leaders protecting themselves from those they are supposedly serving…how do they get to know the needs of the masses and those who brought them to office? How will a child have confidence in a parent who is always protecting himself rather than his child? This is just the way it appears when the so called elected or appointed public office holders behave and they claim to be serving the public, service indeed.
Just as it is expected of a parent naturally to provide basic things for their children so is the leader to members of the public. All they do is promise and fail successfully to fulfill those promises. When will good roads, good medical services, proper educational structure, job availability, quality education, security, electricity to mention just a few become basic? Stop promising us, we are not interested in empty promises and promises without dignity and integrity. How is a man expected to think when all he sees is darkness? The power sector has gone from bad to worse, when those who are supposed to make it work are busy thinking otherwise, how to boost their generator business is their priority?
The face of leadership in Nigeria, my beloved father -land the giant of Africa. This is 50 years after independence is it worth it? Are we will still the giant of Africa, I am not sure. Our so called future and hope (the youth) have lost hope in their country as a result of the leadership tragedy, all they need is just an opportunity to find themselves on the shores of any country just like a slang ,”anywhere belle face”. Is this what our founding fathers fought for?
However there is hope somewhere around the Corner, the past is gone and the future still ahead, what we begin to do now is an indication of what the next ten years will be. This is the burden we all must bear and focus on how to make things better and make Nigeria a true giant not only in Africa but in the world at large. This write up is not to rebuke anyone but to call us to order and see how we can do things better and lay a better foundation for the future leaders and our beloved country. This is part of my contribution to that cause. Thank you for reading and God bless you as you join me to make Nigeria great.