Leadership has being a major concern through out our ages. We have lived in different scope and environment and our major concern and discussion is the burning issue of our leaders. We have access people around us and the big question that comes to our mind is what and who is this type of leader? Unfortunately when we too assumed the position of leadership even in our village meetings we fail to display these inborn expectation of leadership but in our lips are millions of questions on leadership. I have wonder too far if we ever question God what type of leadership pattern has he employed to govern the world. Those of us who are Christians have read in the bible the stories of leaders like Moses, Abraham, Elijah and in contemporary world we have read of leaders like Napoleon the great, etc. Within the continent of Africa we have blame our woos on leadership question.
In Nigeria even after independence we are still battling with who is the messiah that will lead us to the promise land. We are blessed with mineral and material resources we are more worried on who will lead us to explore them for the benefit of all. In Africa before colonisation we build our synergy on issue of leadership. Even at this age of neocolonialism, issue of leadership continue to rank top of our discussion in several Africa countries. Our historians and analyst in the likes of Plo Lumumba have never allow the sleeping dog to sleep but continuously discuss how Africa was mismanaged by leadership question. Leaders in Africa are never honourable no matter their levels of operation
In our local churches and mosques one critical point of such convocation is build around who is leading, what tribe is he, where is he from rather than examining the potentials of what he can offer to bring about the expected change which is build on organic equilibrium of the systems on ground. I can remember the great struggle of Nelson Mandela and his colleagues like Desmond Tutu etc who advocate for regeneration of South Africa, kwameh Nkrumah of Ghana who was vehement on Africa writing his own history. All these boiled down to issue of leadership. We need to look inward who is a correct leader. We all miss the target and are empheral in our thinking. Leadership reside in all and no matter the position we occupy we are prone to display them. Leaders in Africa must be honoured and given a pride of place in our history. When the historicians will be writing our history in the next twenty hundred years we should be able to acknowledge the synergy of our leaders and appreciate them along. what this writing intends to advocate is we the followers or masses should always appreciate the efforts of our leaders irrespective of their position, place or creed.
Samuel Shiaka ATUMIYE
Samlamz Educational Foundation
Samlanz office, Felele
Lokoja, Kogi state
Nigeria