“I’ve said it for the umpteenth time and I will continue to emphasize it. The total misconception of the concept of power in Nigeria and Africa is the root of all our problems and developmental setback; until we begin to change our mindset about power, our results will continue to riddle with failure and infinitesimally below-average results. The problem with Africa has remained her myopic leadership.

“I see it as unfortunate and very disheartening that notwithstanding the potential and blessedness of Nigeria in human and capital resources, Nigeria has continued to crawl on her knees after many decades of fruitless march to true self-actualization that has continued to elude her. Our independence has become more like a curse than a blessing. We have continued to bemoan our frustration, and we are helpless about it. The change we pray for never comes, the development we desire never actualizes and the peace seek has continued to elude us. “Why?”

“Nigeria is not crawling because of her lack of potentialities to do well, but her bane has remained anchored on leadership shortfall that has continued to dwarf her progress and bedevil her existence hitherto.

“We seem to have become a nation that glorifies mediocrity on the altar of ethnicity while shunning and sacrificing meritocracy on the altar of self-inflicted underdevelopment.  It is of an utmost surprise to me that the likes of General Buhari and the Octogenarian Ministers he used to ruin Nigeria are still in the corridors of power like spinning rounds of chaff on a corn mill when you know that no matter how long you recycle chaff, it can never turn to maize. You cannot give what you don’t have. They are bereft of ideas and so no matter how long they stay around, they can never grow ideas of a sudden. Ideas dwindle with old age.

“Another worrisome aspect is the manner and impunity Nigerian leaders have chosen to abuse power by clinging unto it as if there’s no end to their excesses. But that is wrong because any man that is in power and forgets that it is transient is playing a fool.

“We know of ex-governors who are presently politically irrelevant, we know of power brokers during the military era who were frustrated Infinitum before they forced their way unto us and still they suddenly forgot where they are coming from, they use every taciturn of their recalcitrant aggressive vendetta to treat their opponents and presumed political enemies as lappers, forgetting that whatever position they hold today will never last forever.

“I am calling on African leaders; especially Nigerians to change their attitude towards power because it can change hands at any time, the table can always turn because change is constant. In the history of Africa, we know of powerful war Lords and rugged leaders who are resting in jail. If Nigeria were a country with a strong and stringent rule of law, most people presently leading us should be resting in jail.

“I believe that the only thing that thrives on piety is loyalty. Loyalty to the people that entrust their destiny into your hands, loyalty to the laws and statutes that make us a nation, loyalty to the parties that entrusts their dignity into your hands, and nothing more.

Power and leadership are never about us as individuals and will fizzle with time, but the way we handled it is what history will use to either judge us harshly or kindly for posterity will always adjudicate.

Chief Dr. Emeka Kalu,

DG, Atikulated Agenda Worldwide