The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly” – Jim Rohn (1930 – 2009).
Leadership entails many things. Surely, one of the important attributes of a good leader is the ability to make use of language in directing his/her subjects towards a particular direction in achieving a desired cause of action. Therefore, it becomes a terrible thing when someone in leadership position misuses words in an uncouth manner.
I have watched with keen interest, the way and manner the nation’s top-echelon leaders in both public and private life have become raw in their dealings with subordinates when it comes to the exchange of words. It is not just demeaning to witness such gory conversation; it clearly shows apathy between the leaders and the led.
Most recent of such outbursts is that involving the governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, where he scolded a widow, Mrs. Joy Ifije, for blocking the road with her petty goods and constituting a nuisance to road users. “You are a widow! Go and die. Because your husband died you want to kill people on the road. Why did you put these things on the road?” he had told the poor woman.
In the melee that ensued, the woman’s goods were impounded, even though she was said to have pleaded for leniency with the governor. The governor later apologised for the comments he made, which he attributed to anger. Oshiomhole later donated N2million to the widow and also offered her an automatic employment, with a charge to join in the campaign against road and walkways trading.
Well, while one could be tempted to rest the case with the governor’s largesse, what cannot be forgotten, however, is the fact that the people have witnessed one form of insult and ugly statements from their leaders at one time or the other. These unguarded statements normally send wrong signals to Nigerians who have always looked up to these ‘supposed’ leaders for direction and succour.
When the people are given the impression that they are not important, like what happens on a near daily basis, they are invariably bound to be repulsive and insensitive to any call for support by their leaders. While there cannot be any justification on the part of leaders to rain abusive words on the people, the uncouth language could, perhaps, be borne out of desperation by some of the so-called leaders, who are either not in touch with reality and or due to the fact that they are venting their anger on the innocent, ordinary man on the street.
Apart from the recent case under contention, in the past, our politicians had threatened fire and brimstone over elections in the office of the president, going by several statements credited to the former presidential aspirant of the Congress for Progressive Change, General Muhammadu Buhari; the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; militant leader, Asari Dokubo; the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark; former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nasir el-Rufai; chairman, Presidential Committee on Amnesty, Kingsley Kuku, among others.
These unguarded statements often unleashed in uncouth language, once prodded President Goodluck Jonathan at the 80th birthday of the chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Anthony Anenih, to accuse some national elders of making provocative statements that could divide the nation along primordial cleavages.
While the president was sermonising on the evil of bad utterances, he too was criticised for his ‘I don’t give a damn’ outburst and another remark that says that the South-West was too sophisticated and too educated to be left in the hands of ‘radicals’.
Like what obtains in civilised nations, our leaders need to acquaint themselves with appropriate way of behaviour in their public life. This is what the nation needs – leaders who are responsible and responsive to the common good – in the way and manner they communicate. They should be made to communicate rightly. This should form a strong basis for being elected in public office.
I think we need to ask ourselves a pertinent question: why did the poor Edo woman become a victim of Oshiomhole’s vituperation? In the first place, we must realise that she is a victim of neglect fostered by bad governance. It is no longer news that in all tiers of governance in the nation, there is absence or near absence of any form of concrete social security for the unemployed, aged, physically-challenged, senior citizens, orphans, widowers and widows, like Mrs. Ifije.
Those who cannot beg or resort to any unbecoming way of life would rather start doing something small to keep body and soul together and meet up with their ever-increasing family and societal needs. Perhaps, that is why the widow wants to earn a living by working hard, hence her petty trade on the walkway.
Mr. Adewale Kupoluyi wrote from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State.