Efio-Ita Nyok|1 October 2017
Mr Jimmy Emmanuel, a Department of Philosophy lecturer took a perspective on the 30th September 2017 Lecture held in honour of Orji Uzor Kalu that held at the UNICAL International Conference Centre where he compared the duo of Messrs Donald Duke and Orji Kalu, former governors of Cross River and Abia respectively. He dwelled on the leadership credentials of merit and competence and observed that present day youths are lacking in them.
Kalu spoke on devolution of powers in Nigeria while Duke granted am interview on popular Channels TV. Read his rendition:
'Yesterday I was opportune to listen to two past governors that served from 1999 – 2007 during former president Olusegun Obasanjo presidency. One from the comfort of my room courtesy of the magnanimity of NEPA, PHCN or whatever while the other was live at the magnificent conference centre of the University of Calabar. The two governors were Their Excellencies, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia state and Mr Donald Duke of Cross River state. Dr Orji Uzor Kalu held students, Lecturers and other members of the University of Calabar community spellbound when he spoke on the topic "Devolution of powers and the future of Nigeria". OUK interspersed his lecture with anecdotes one of which included how he was voted as the president of the student union government of the University of Maiduguri many years ago.
'There was pin drop silence in the hall when Kalu narrated how he was voted into the student union presidency of University of Maiduguri by a population of students who were over 90 percent Muslims from the north. He then queried in a voice mired in lamentations to underscore how low we have sunk "what went wrong in Nigeria over the years?".This remind me of how Nigerians from all walks of life trooped out in 1993 to vote a Muslim – Muslim ticket of Bashorun MKO Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe. How did we come to this sorry pass as a people. The former chief helmsman of Abia state raised a number of fundamental questions to which the audience rhythmically thundered "WHY". Funny as it was it did not however undermine or detract from the seriousness of the posers.
'Tackling these anomalies goes beyond the cacophonous and deafening rumblings of restructuring. We need to go back to the drawing board and trace the primordial cause of our national woes. My lecturer, Former HOD and Dean, Prof (Mrs) Dorothy Oluwagbemi-Jacob who was a discussant at the Orji Uzor Kalu lecture nailed it when she warned that beyond the restructuring mantra being bandied about by every Tom, Dick and Harry there was more to it than meets the eye.
'Later in the evening Donald Duke reechoed the same sentiment on "hard copy" A channels TV programme anchored by Maupe Ogun that "if there is no good governance, no matter how you restructure it will not work".
'Kalu and Duke typify the present yearnings and aspirations of the Nigerian youth today. In their late thirties they were already Chief executives of their respective states. They did not beg or cajole people to become governors. They worked for it and based on merit and competence, two qualities that is fast becoming a scarce commodity they got it. Today you find empty infantile mediocre youths parading the political space jostling for offices. Leaders must be selfless, intellectually and politically savvy and be ready to pay the price of leadership.
'We need leaders with a pan-Nigerian bent and not ethnic and religious jingoist. Duke was a 'Calabar boy' but was raised in Lagos, Benue and Zaria. He made a veiled reference to the fact that the fire of his presidential ambition was still aglow. Goodluck to him.
'Duke and Kalu are two of a kind that still command a robust follower-ship despite the fact that they left office over ten years ago.
'As our ship of state cruises into the shores of another independence anniversary may our polity throw up leaders who will continue to rise beyond provincialism, ethnic and religious sentiments.
'Happy independence anniversary to all'.
Chinua Achebe, legendary author of had said the problem with Nigeria is leadership, Emmanuel seem to be alluding to this narrative. Nigeria is a 57 year challenge of leadership failure. Hmmm!
