Arch Ezekiel Nya-Etuk
Emmanuel Ogar|20 October 2016
The Young Democratic Party, YDP no misgiving is the newest, youngest and brightest political party for the youths in the political geometry of Nigeria. Certainly, the coming to limelight of the party in the journey of our nationhood is well-timed and divinely; most principally in this era of political flux.
Fortnight ago, the airwave was saturated with the news of the abdication of the National Chairman of YDP, Arch. Ezekiel Nya-Etuk on age basis which came as a huge disbelief to some plethora of folks. Even at this juncture, many Nigerians are still wallowing in astonishment if a Nigerian could still allow the interest of the majority to prevail over his when he can approach the court to swear false affidavit of age declaration.
If Arch. Ezekiel were to be the governor of Cross River State, he would have presented multiple birth certificates and age declarations to the party. He would have tabled the original one; while his younger brother would equally present one for him and perhaps, his wife may even produce another for him to sum it to three different ages. Arch. Ezekiel is not like that professor governor. He is an honorable man. That is reality.
For too long a time, the African continent has suffered a lot from sit-tight syndrome of her leaders for life. Countries like Zimbabwe; Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Chad, Benin Republic etc., just to mention few have been battered with lashes of lack of idea from their tired and not retired old rulers.
Back home, Nigeria is at this time lurching in the yokes of bad leadership. If we must be let loose from such chains, we must elect honest leaders. We need not remind ourselves that good leadership is the panacea for a nation’s development and greatness in the comity of nations.
If Nigeria could vaunt of a leader of Ezekiel’s caliber, who does what he preaches, dances to the melody and tempo of the songs he sings, then, we can comfortably say, it is not yet Uhuru for Nigeria. Sincerely, our country actually need such a man. Rather, the country is overwhelmed and clogged with men and women of questionable characters. People that criminally plays political hide-and-seek game with the mandate of the electorates without being pricked. Lord deliver us from the crafty of their devices.
One of the major leadership challenges in Nigeria is insanity. That is, we have a knack for harping on the same string. Rita Mae Brown opined that, ‘insanity consists in doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results each time’. We are good at recycling of leaders. It is cancerous. It is seriously eating us and forming lumps in our system.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo left office in the late 70s as head of state. In 1998, he was brought back and made president in 1999. President Buhari was ousted by Gen. Ibrahim Babaginda in the early 80s and in 2015, we all made him our president. It is absolute foolishness to cry for his inability to make us feel the essences of the change mantra. The fault is neither his nor the elites, but you and I who are yet to realize our embedded leadership potential.
Today’s leaders actually caused the current mess we are miserably facing today. We need a new level of mindset to solve the problems they have caused. One of the greatest scientists ever lived, Albert Einstein said and I quote: ‘our current problems cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created them’. These people cannot solve the problems they created. But we can! Yes we can!
I was taught that leadership is more of a function of attitude, has little to do with one’s background, age or tribe. What Arch. Ezekiel has done is worthy of emulation. He has set the pace. Let us follow in that same spirit.
To us in Cross River State, our emeritus national chairman is highly knowledgeable, an impeccable leader, intelligent, very cool and calculating; ebulliently charismatic and respectful in all. He has seen that his action or inaction will affect the destiny of many generations and hence, he chooses to lead by example. He is indeed an exemplary leader. More grace to you sir.
God bless Nigeria!
YDP! The light has come!
Comr. Ogar, Emmanuel Oko.
Cross River State YDP Publicity Secretary.
