It
is leadership that defines a nation. Essentially, it builds or destroys
a nation. General Charles de Gaulle relevantly stated that “nothing
great can be done without great (leaders)”. In other words, national
greatness can only result from great leadership, and corollary, national
decline is an inescapable consequence of despicable leadership. And
Thomas Carlyle made a similar point, “the history of nations is but the
biographies of …leaders.” So, the history of the Igbo nation is an
anthology of the biographies of Igbo leaders.
The
earlier Igbo power elite were exceptionally gifted and far-sighted.
They adroitly managed the problems and prospects of the Igbo nation. The
then dazzling Igbo successes in all facets of the Nigerian society were
testaments to their superb leadership. The subsequent drop in the
quality of Igbo leadership, following the 1966 coup, inevitably resulted
in the decline of the Igbo nation. Of these post-1966 coup Igbo
leaders, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu did the most extensive and profound damage
to the Igbo nation.
Among
other things, he brought a new paradigm to Igbo leadership. He taught
Igbo leaders that it is okay to lead your people into trouble, and then,
abandon them and run away, which is perfidy. And that a leader can
justifiably be poised to
cash in on power and glory, if the "toil, sweat, tears and blood" of
his people yields victory but also be positioned to cut and run, if they
end up in defeat, which is opportunism. His examples sowed the seeds
for a culture of perfidy and opportunism within the ranks of the Igbo
leader.
Man
is a fleshy lump that will finally be consigned under six feet of earth
where it inevitably crumbles to dust. Unless attended by purpose, life
is an empty shell. It is purpose (which is naturally associated with
duty) that makes life meaningful. A German adage says that “the greatest
glory is in doing your duty”. And the ultimate duty is in the service
of humanity. There can be no commitment to serve humanity without the
willingness to sacrifice self interests, comfort and ambitions to the
common good. I have always been enthralled by acts of selflessness where
the individual gives it all, including his life, for the betterment of
others. The obsession to cling on to life is all normal. But to lay it
down for a cause, if necessary, is most glorious.
As I think of sacrifice, I remember a French lieutenant, during the 1st World
War, who commanded a company of soldiers ordered to attack a German
redoubt. As they ran towards the German position, they came under heavy
German machine gun fire. At a point, he ordered his men to take cover.
Still standing, and giving orders to them, he was struck by machine gun
fire. He fell, and his men panicked, “the lieutenant is dead”, “the
lieutenant is dead”. He raised his head and managed to raise himself to
his knees, and evidently, with his last breathe, screamed, “Yes, the
lieutenant is dead, but hold firm! Advance!” He fell and died.
And,
as I reflect on selflessness, I remember Martin Luther King Jr. He was a
26 year old pastor when the course of his life was redirected by the
needs of his people. He employed his elaborate erudition and his
abilities to write with power and speak with passion to lead his people
out of the fetters of racism. He knew that his death was certain in that
struggle to emancipate Black Americans from the shackles of racial
injustice. In his last speech, he talked about, “Like anybody, I would
like to live a long time, longevity has its place. But
I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will…And He
has allowed me to go up to the mountain, and I have looked over and I
have seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want
you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised
Land”. The next day, he laid in the pool of his own blood; his thirty
eight year old life squelched out by an assassin’s bullet.
The
valedictory statements of the two men conveyed the same attitude. The
lieutenant’s exhortation to his men, “hold firm, advance” and King’s “I
may not get there with you but … we as a people will get to the Promise
Land” reveal a willing to selflessly fight for a cause, even with the
certainty that they were not to partake in the magnificent outcomes of
the struggle. Is that attitude not in stark contrast with the mindset of
the generality of the present day Igbo leaders?
Most
Igbo leaders are selfish; they seek personal gains and immediate
gratifications. They acknowledge and respect no other interest but
theirs. They expect their “leadership” positions to yield them immediate
benefits: prestige, wealth, titles, glory, etc. And
the thought that to lead their people demands personal sacrifices is
alien and inconceivable to them. As such, craven toadies and relentless
opportunists parade themselves as Igbo leaders. We
need to winnow these men; sorting out the few that are answering an
inner urge to serve humanity from the spineless, dishonorable lot mired
in this tradition of perfidy and opportunism. To do this requires a
paradigm shift - new set of standards - for Igbo leaders. The Igbo
nation should demand that their leaders live up to the examples of the
French lieutenant and Martin Luther King Jr.
Anyone
aspiring to lead the Igbo must have distinguished himself in courage,
selflessness and the preparedness to subordinate all: interests,
ambitions, and even life, to the Igbo nation.
For
what is at stake in leadership is not the leader’s interests and
personal survival but life or death, happiness or tragedy, progress or
retrogression, etc for millions - an entire nation. After
all, the individual life is but a moment inexorably sandwiched between
birth and death. On the other hand, the life of the Igbo nation is
eternal. Therefore, every Igbo, especially, those in leadership
positions must be prepared to die for the Igbo nation. Any Igbo leader
not ready to lay down his life for the Igbo nation, and therefore, can
cut and run for his own life is not a leader but a despicable,
perfidious opportunist.
Tochukwu Ezukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
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