Let me first of all be quick to say that, I know two things that may come to many minds while reading this piece; firstly, the choice of the heading, and secondly what is new about the subject matter?
Indeed, there is nothing new about Barack Obama holding an umbrella and certainly our political leaders arrogance in display of power is not new to us, but the point is; when are we going to change?
Sitting in my room with the remote control in my hand, I watch with keen interest on TV, president Obama’s historic visit to Cuba on the 21th march, 2016 to be precise.
Though not new to me, but seeing the most powerful man in the world coming down from a plane, holding an umbrella for his wife Mitchell and walking some fifty (50) meters in the rain to where other dignitaries, including the Cuban president were waiting for him truly strikes me and left me imagining if our leaders in Nigeria do not see this.
The TV pictures remind me of my sordid encounter with a convoy of my local government chairman who nearly sent my car tumbling in a drainage simply because I didn’t park by the road side to give way to the over speeding convoy of about twenty cars while coming from a wedding ceremony. It was truly a horrible and scary incident. The thugs, Civil Defence Corps and the Police were all aggressive.
That also quickly reminds me of the story we read of how a particular lady and her family were molested by Governor Almakura’s convoy for what the governor’s press secretary described as “being rude and disrespectful” by not parking aside the dangerous road to give way to the governor’s convoy. Then the story of Kogi Governors convoy’s brutality to ASUU members in December 2013, and many more similar cases.
Obama, as many leaders of the developed world, was seen doing almost everything on his own, being a husband, a father simple and down to earths. Hmmm! Imagine if a governor in Nigeria will hold even his file in his hand at the airport, talk less of an umbrella in the rain?
I guess his armoured car will have to be brought close to the plane. Just of recent, Prof. Umaru Pate, of Bayero University Kano, just coming back from an academic conference in Finland, narrated to us how the prime minister of that country who was the special guest of honour came to the event with just a single car which he drove himself, and walked to the stage alone without any security aide, brought out his paper from his pocket and presented his speech and quietly left the way he come. These type, of stories are numerous, countless and surely very obvious for all our leader to see and they have been seeing.
But their attitude of “big manism and arrogance” (sorry for the choice of word) never change. I keep wondering when they will change. Our leaders from councilors up to the president copy the whiteman’s language, dressing, means of transport home and in fact even how to eat, but failed to copy these important elements; humility, simplicity and leadership by example. Yesterday, today and probably tomorrow, Nigerian leaders from even the lowest ranks love demonstration of power.
They need aides to hold their speech papers, umbrella, handkerchiefs, and writing pens and even clean their shoes while sitting at public functions. In most cases, even ward councillors go around events in convoys, local government chairman with multiple security, not to talk to state and federal legislators and our state governors.
The case of the president is left to be imagined. My article is not aimed at ridiculing our leaders (make no mistake, I hold my leader in higher esteem and respect), but a patriotic call to our leaders to show compassion, respect and humility to their subject, for we all came with nothing and certainly shall leave this deceitful world with nothing except, of course, our deed.
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