What we need in Nigeria are leaders with global vision – NBA president
The General Elections are only a few weeks away and as the electorate and polity prepare for the polls, the Nigerian bar as a group is not left out of this preparation. The association has kick started its plan to educate and mobilize voters for the elections, as well as monitor the process.
In this edition of LEGALBUSINESS, we continue our chat with the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), AUGUSTINE ALEGEH, SAN, as he speaks about leadership, service, the forthcoming elections and the aspirations of the Nigerian people regarding its leaders.
Excerpts below:
ON LEADERSHIP
Leadership is service. A leader should serve the people to the best of his/her ability, without seeking commendations. He/she must be ready to welcome constructive criticisms, accept advice, make corrections, and be at their optimum at all times. Simply put, leaders should focus on doing their best for those they serve. It is not an opportunity to enrich oneself.
Since my assumption of office as the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, I ensure nothing is bought for my private use from the purse or account of the association – Not the water I drink during office hours, not the fuel for my official car, not my groceries, or anything else. I am here to serve and if I can afford to buy drinks for myself anywhere, why would I get here and expect the people I SERVE, to pay for it?
Please note, that I am not out to set standards for anyone, this is simply my personal idea of service and this is how I chose to serve and lead the bar. I believe that the decision of the people vote me as their leader is worth more than anything I can ever ask of them, so why take more from them, when they have given me so much already? I have taken the very best the bar can ever offer any one person. So why not give back instead?
It is for this reason I choose to make these provisions for myself; which includes logistics and transportation to and fro various official assignments (on land and in the air) within and outside the country. This is what I consider service and this is how I choose to serve. All I have asked God for is wisdom to do my best.
NIGERIA AND LEADERSHIP
We have leaders in Nigeria, but we do not have uniformity in our visions for this nation. Every leader has his individual vision for the country. The vision of leader ‘A’ is different from the vision of leader ‘B’ and we have not attempted to unify these visions. This creates a problem.
What we need now are leaders who have a global vision for this country; who see Nigerians from all geo-political zones as one; whose primary motive at all times is in the best interest of the nation, and not just a political party, a geo-political zone or constituency. Leadership in this country has been reduced to the level where each leader views his success on the basis of a particular segment or location of this society; which he considers as his primary focus.
What we have in Nigeria at the moment, are leaders who constantly fail to take a global perspective or stance on the country’s most pressing issues. National decisions are taken with very myopic views and based on individual fulfillments, satisfaction and gratifications.
TO NIGERIANS AND THE FORTHCOMING ELECTIONS…
The obligation we have to ourselves as a people is to vote for our conscience. Vote for a candidate that you truly believe in – not because he will do you favours, but because he will take decisions and bring the sort of development that will make Nigeria a place to truly celebrate and you will be happy for that singular choice you made to vote right.
Past situations where the electorate vote-in candidates based on gratification or post election benefits, have led us to this vicious circle of non-performance we experience today. You hear people say “it is our season again. The last time I bought a car. This time I’d probably make enough to buy a land.”
This individual has failed to ask himself, what the earnings of that senator whom he voted for with so much battle (probably having to kill someone for him); has been in these past four years. Meanwhile, the car this voter bought with the proceeds of the last election is gradually going into disrepair. Whereas, if he had voted for one who would bring empowerment via education, infrastructure, job opportunities and other developments, he might have empowered himself enough to legitimately own a business or get a job, own a car, buy a home, and such other advancements in these four (4) years. Instead, what this candidate has successfully done is keep you at that subsistence level where you are looking forward to the next time he will engage you as a thug for his election.
Well, the time has come again and without doubt or question, some people are headed right in the same direction. I urge us to vote wisely. We cannot emphasize this enough. The quality of your life depends on this. Please vote right.
NBA SUPPORT FOR 2015 ELECTIONS
It is for the reasons I have stated above and more that I inaugurated the NBA voter education and mobilization committee, to educate and mobilize voters for the forthcoming elections. There are three essentials the NBA is driving with this programme.
One: Vote for the right candidate of your choice; not based on how much you are given, but based on credibility and vision. This is very important. You know your locality; you know your constituency, so no individual or party should tell you better about these candidates than yourself.
Two: Go out to vote, no matter the weather
Three: Shun Violence in the forthcoming elections. No matter the enticement or gratification, do not engage in any acts of violence. It is simply not worth it. If such violent act goes awry and you lose your life or someone dear to you, no amount of gratification and compensation given by this person will be justifiable. As I say, it is just not worth it. It is in our collective interest for us to have a peaceful transition.
NBA VOTER AND MOBILIZATION PROGRAMME
The mobilization process is very important to us and if we can achieve 80% of what we set out to do, we would have done well.
Each polling station should take approximately 500 voters. Assuming only one hundred people came to vote, the returning officer would have about 400 unused ballot papers in his hands – and if this officer decides to sell 350 out of these to a candidate; thereby returning only 50 ballot papers, the purchasing candidate will be in the lead by a margin of 400 votes. So Mr. ‘A who we all know will not be able to perform and who no one really voted for now has 350 votes, while the people’s choice candidate got only 100 (genuine) votes.
However, if all 500 voters showed up at that polling unit and voted for the candidate of choice, we would have closed the loophole for such malpractice to take place. Going out to vote should be our way of trumping these election practices. This is why the education and mobilization process is very important to the Nigerian Bar Association at this time. On Election Day, we would be monitoring people and processes with all kinds of gadgets and devices.
AS A PEOPLE…
Nigerians no longer need leaders who would take us back to the dark ages. We want social services, we want infrastructure, we want progress, we want development, and we want to vote for change. We do not want to remain a country with the potentials for greatness. What we want is to achieve our full potential as a nation.