Obasanjo writes Agbakoba: It’s time to ‘jump down from the fence of siddon look’
Ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Olisa Agbakoba, a human rights activist, to seek an elective position.
Obasanjo said this in a letter which he wrote in response to an earlier letter by Agbakoba, a senior advocate of Nigeria.
In the letter dated July 20, Agbakoba expressed concern about the quality of leadership in Nigeria, calling for the mantle of leadership to be handed to the youth.
He quoted literary scholar Chinua Achebe as saying that the situation of Nigeria is directly linked to leadership while blaming the poor state of things on the “crop of leadership that have outlived usefulness and effectiveness as a result of old age.”
Agbakoba, citing the likes of Obasanjo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, stated that ““modern history of Nigeria was shaped by young people.”
He, therefore, called on the intervention of the elder statesman to help Nigeria discover its own “Macron and Trudeau”
“It beggars belief that there is no culture among our political elite, to encourage younger people with new ideas to aspire to positions of leadership, in particular the office of the President,” the letter read.
“Your Excellency was 39 years when you became head of state. Zik was 40 when he founded the NCNC. Awolowo was 43 when he became premier of western region. Ahmadu Bello was 40 when he co-founded the NPC. Ojukwu and Gowon were in their 30s when they took centre stage in Nigerian politics.
“It seems to me a great contradiction that after a young vibrant set of leaders got Nigeria off the ground in the early 60’s, Nigeria has steadily descended into chaos and is probably now ranked as one of the most ungovernable countries in the world.”
But Obasanjo, in his reply, said though he shared some of the sentiments expressed by Agbakoba, the senior advocate should understand that political leaders in his generation made “great efforts with determination, commitment, broad national outlook” to shoulder their responsibilities.
He said some of them were thrown into limelight by circumstances not of their own making but were able to record varying degrees of successes.
He said however, it is saddening that the younger generation “have in most cases resorted to work avoidance in the quest for leadership”.
“The point to ponder is how have the successor generation positioned themselves to lead?” Obasanjo asked.
“Most members of the younger generation of Nigerians are mostly contented with waiting for dead men’s shoes and are unwilling to beat an alternative path to leadership.
“In such a situation, it is to be expected and actually it is human that those with some head start in life will not concede such advantages freely and based on their innate goodness.
“Some of these young people whose interest we canvass , have in the recent past been a complete disappointment and failures in their various appointed or elected positions.
“So while these failed young men and women should not be a disincentive to support other young people, I don’t think that the older people should be excluded in our leadership recruitment process.
“For me if I find young men and women who have shown profound commitment and exemplary integrity in their various chosen careers and professions as well as zeal for the service of our fatherland, I will, of course, give such both my support and inspiration, not withstanding their age, circumstances or place of birth.
“Late Chief Awolowo and great Zik were younger than you when they threw their hats in the ring. It’s time to take the hard road. Olisa, it’s time to jump down from the fence and the siddon look corner.”
Former President Obasanjo in replying Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has reduced the issue of paradigm shift in national leadership raised by the Agbakoba, to a blame game. While Olisa blamed the older generation for refusing to quit the stage at the right time, the former head of state and former President argues that the older generation are staying put because they have not found able successors.
He further argued that the age-long leaders were thrown up by circumstances which some siezed to climb to power.
Is the former President being objectively fair to the younger generation, against the backdrop, among other things, of the leadership law of legacy that “succession is the true test of leadership”? This law of leadership teaches that no leader is really successful who within the period of his leadership was not able to discover, develop and deploy successors who also succeed as good leaders. In other words, if there are no youths found ‘able’ to lead Nigeria, it is more a failure of the older generation.
From this perspective, the former Head of State and former President, with due respects, lacks the moral right to pass the blame to the youth. But I must agree with him that ‘sidon look’ is not a better option.
While challenging the youths to rise to the occasion, he would have done better to also strongly admonish the older folks to make the necessary sacrifice to quit the stage when they’re spent. That way, Nigeria can be moved forward, in the spirit of each age. We are presently too stagnated, and the future mortgaged. It is unfortunate but not irredemable.
Furthermore, with his disposition, the old brigades will feel encouraged to continue the grip on power, thinking it’s the right thing to do since a man with immense experience and exposure has opined that Nigeria lacks ‘able’ leaders in the younger generation. A fallacy.
Max thank you for the analysis you did on the response of Chief Obasanjo. But please let me differ a bit from you perspective on the response. Chief had in his response drew a challenge that the younger generation should take with all its worth and be all out to proof that hope is not lost with this generation. He also made commitment to support genuine effort if found amongst the youth.
Let us not unkonwnly and carelessly join the blame game. I am a believer of the capacity of the Nigerian youth to lead this country. And l have long know that nobody will leave the stage for us. We will have to throw our hat into the ring and fight legitimately for our place. Having an all youth political party is one of the direction we should be looking at as l am sure none of the current political parties will give us a chance
That is the perspective l see and want us all to see Chief Obasanjo’s reply. Thank you
OBJ ‘as the voice of Jacob’ played his part;what with the crowning of both late “Musa Yar’Adua and shoeless GEJ?”
obj has spoken, that is final.
If one may ask, who are the youth being referred to here. the likes of our ex-governors now in Senate milking the nation dry? Or our ex-ministers with billions stacked in foreign account? Let us face reality this youth have not manifest any quality they will provide better leadership than the elders they want to supplant.
Our problem remains the sit-tight syndrome, must bow to benefit approach and greed to have all for my family. How can the older ones quit with this mind-set. We need total re-orientation and life re-evaluation.
Your comment..Obj is 100% right in his assertion.Our youths are more dangerous than the old forks.
Let us learn something from each of the two. They are both speaking from their best angles. Our learned Olisa is speaking in the interest of young Nigerians to take up leadership. I add, leadership of what? Politics alone? Ah No. What of Leadership of industry, education, transport, agriculture, of trade etc? Youths need to take leadership and entrepreneurship roles in solving problems in their chosen field. Political leadership may even come as recognition for young achievers doing well in their callings. It will pay us if most youths looking to take up political leadership aspire first to phone their leadership skills in their little professional corners, prove their mettles first in that little sphere before going for the broader career called politics. Let us learn to use successful youths, well talented in their chosen callings and in the act and art of “human engineering” to lead us politically.
As for the words of Baba OBJ, old people should give back to the younger generation. Seline generation of political leaders should personally invest in the young. Yes, the likes of Baba may need to go on talent scouting. When I say talent, I don’t mean mental talent alone, it goes to moral, integrity, social intelligence, etc. Such a youth who is not greedy of gains.
This platform is not enough to say all it takes to thrash this subject in full but let us take this little home: let our old people be on the lookout to invest in young people with well-rounded capacity, experience, aptitude and skill for leadership that will strategically and tactically delivers results that will work for our collective today and tommorrow.