By Owen Eresoyen, Benin
Benin zonal coordinator of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Monday Igbafen has lamented the dearth of responsible leadership in Nigeria, saying the proposed restructuring of the country is in tandem with the contemporary agitation for true federalism in Nigeria.
Igbafen, who spoke recently at the 127th Inaugural Lecture of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State took a swipe at Nigerian leaders both civilians and military for lacking vision and gross incompetent on how to govern the country.
Delivering his lecture titled: “Plato’s ‘Philosopher King’ and the Quest for Political Order in Nigeria”, the university don said quality leadership role is necessary for a society or state in quest for political order which guarantees justice, equity, peaceful co-existence and development.
He noted that the corollary to the study of African predicament is the appraisal of the socio-economic success and development of South Korea.
According to him, South Korea was not only an aid-receiving country but also one of the poorest countries of the world in the 1950s.
Igbafen emphasized the need for Africa nations to uphold strong and independent leadership, which he noted led South Korea to its victory and added was lacking in most African countries, including Nigeria.
“The natural question is how did South Korea make it? The question is made more germane by development successes of other East Asian ‘tigers’, like Singapore Taiwan, and Hong Kong, whose bright spots in a landscape inhabited mostly by developmental failures.
Igbafen added that South Korea’s unprecedented growth and development showed that its success is in its history and socio-political philosophy saying “beyond the aid narrative, it is the state driven approach, with many years as strong nationalist leadership that was largely responsible for the country becoming one of the wealthiest in the world.”
The professor of philosophy said the bane in African failed leadership and underdevelopment is not unconnected with the difference in colonial and postcolonial history variations in socio-political, state structure and leadership.
“My findings was that the kind of cohesive state structure, and strong and independent leadership, which led to South Korea to its victory is lacking in most African countries, including Nigeria”, he said.
He expressed optimism on the practicability of replicating the South Korean model of development in many African countries, Nigeria inclusive.
As a way forward, Igbafen suggested a restructuring of the country such that leadership is anchored on virtues and ethics or philosopher king, especially professionalism, rigorous education and minimum communism, noting that those in leadership class should be educated and trained to divest themselves of natural instinct or innate of greedy, self, ego, corrupt tendencies and unrestrained craze for primitive accumulation.
Igbafen said that the most fundamental and pressing restructuring in Nigeria is for the leadership to inject a dose of competence, emphasizing that “leadership should not be an all-comers affairs, including thugs, touts and layabouts.”
