As a leadership enthusiast, I have been pondering about the importance of trust in the life of a leader. Trust is an important thing that binds followers to their leaders. As the most populous black nation on earth, we have seen our trust in leaders go up and down during the last couple of years. How critical is trust for a leader? Our leaders cannot repeatedly break trust with almost 200 million people and think they will continue to inspire us.
Trust is the solid rock of leadership. The incessant incidents of insecurity in the country have disillusioned many Nigerians with leadership in Nigeria. Public intellectuals are disturbed as they ask: “Insecurity – Will 2023 Polls Hold?” (Vanguard April 17, 2023) “……Nigeria faces third year of a decade challenges…. How Nigeria surmounted 1953, 1963, 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003, 2013 hurdles.”
Going by the calendar of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the 2023 presidential election is 671 days away. The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu sometime announced that February 18, 2023 is the date for the 2023 presidential election. Since the date was fixed, the polity has been charged as throngs of presidential contenders and pretenders criss–cross the length and breadth of the country strategizing, aligning and realigning.
The leadership from the top to the bottom has failed Nigerians. The elite conspire and they never disagree. They are always together
Amid these, there are fears that the election may not hold. Reasons: Increasing waves of insecurity and climate violence, agitation for secession by some parts of the country, and insistence by many groups and leaders that the country must be restricted with fiscal and other powers devolved to the federating units before elections could be held. Besides, it was argued that the year 2023 is the third year of a decade, which usually presents Nigeria with a bouquet of survival threatening challenges as have been witnessed in the last 70 years.
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“Bandits Operating in 24 States – Ortom,”– The Sun, 16 April 2021. “Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, revealed that bandits were operating in at least 24 out of 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital territory (FCT). He warned that if not checked immediately, there may be food crisis across the country. He said the country’s demographics would also be affected, adding that many of those perpetuating the crime were not Nigerians.” Anyway, rising food costs may add to the misery of Nigeria’s high unemployment.
“On the growing trend of kidnapping, Ortom said: There is another lucrative business in Nigeria with strong suspicion of connivance with government officials. The rise in kidnappings of all categories of people across the country is a dangerous trend. We don’t know who is telling the truth. But as it stands, there is a strong allegation that desperate politicians brought into the country foreign mercenaries to help them with elections.” There is a thin line between truth and falsehood. I am sure that at the fullness of time, we shall all know the truth and the truth shall set us free.
Impunity at all levels of government. Senator Ndume, the Senate Committee Chairman on Army, on his part said: “About 11 soldiers were killed in Benue and as I speak, not one person has been arrested. Instead, Ortom is telling us that the perpetrator would be brought to justice. Let me tell the governor and other elected leaders that they’ll account for those killed in their states.”
The leadership from the top to the bottom has failed Nigerians. The elite conspire and they never disagree. They are always together. But the ordinary people are the ones fighting over tribe and other irrelevant things. The leaders have failed us, especially those in the Executive side because they implement programmes of government.
We can continue to blame ourselves. Nothing will change. At some point, we must agree on how we will fix this country. In Borno for instance, a whole local government was overrun by Boko Haram terrorists and our people had to flee to Niger Republic. This has to stop.
The judiciary has remarkably gifted judges, but question of trust has undermined their leadership roles as one of the arms of the government. “How Nigerians Go Through Costly, Tortuous Walk to Justice,” – Daily Trust, April 17, 2021. Findings by the Daily Trust revealed that “The delay in the administration of justice has forced many to abandon their cases in court……” “Many Nigerians seeking for justice in law courts have to spend a lot of money in form of legal fees and other charges before they succeed.”
“My prayer is never to have anything to do with a police station or a court because it would involve spending money even if you don’t have it,” said Fatima Yusuf, a trader at Utako Market. “My N12million is trapped somewhere and I have spent over N2million to recover it to no avail. Your travails start from police station where you have to sponsor detectives to trace the culprits. After arresting him, they will process the case and then take you to court where a new layer of spending will start,” she said. Character makes trust possible. And trust makes leadership possible. Our leaders cannot lose trust and think they will continue to influence their followers. Trust is the solid rock of leadership. Thank you.
