Perhaps the first time anybody, or most people on this side of the world heard about the British Hacking Scandal, was when the Wayne Rooney side of the story surfaced some months back. One of British’s most sought after tabloid, The News of the World, was enmeshed in a Phone Hacking and Illegal purchase of Classified Information; albeit largely a journalistic goof, it however has its political side and implications.
What would now be termed a preliminary or pseudo investigation, though conclusive then, was conducted and appropriate conviction and vindication made. In the heat of this scandal came the resignation of the once politically influential former Editor of The News of the World, Andy Coulsin. Saving you an epistle however, the aim of this piece is not to bore you with the details of the scandal, but drive home a particular message.
After the whole scandal had subsided a little, Andy Coulsin was appointed by British Prime Minister, David Cameron, as his Chief Spokesman (Director of Communications), a job he recently resigned from again. I was watching Sky News International on July 8, 2011 however, when the driving force of this piece struck me. The Hacking Scandal is back on spot, and there are fresh facts to nail Andy Coulsin as an accomplice. This is coming against his initial testimony, where he claimed ignorance of the scandal. Obviously, this influenced his resignation again from Cameron’s appointment. The Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband had demanded an apology from Mr. Cameron for bringing Coulsin into the heart of the British government, which he responded to by addressing a ‘non-simulated’ team of pressmen from across Britain. These pressmen churned out loads of ‘non-simulated’ questions and queries, responded to accordingly by David Cameron.
There and then, my country, Nigeria, came to mind and I started asking questions: when will Nigerian political leaders develop the Political Will needed to move this country forward, placing us on the path to assuming our destiny? Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was arrested for questioning the integrity of the Nigerian Police Force, and raising doubt on their competence; yet, British Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband still works the streets of U.K with no intimidation or harassment from the government or Cameron.
While an undergraduate, I studied and understood the politics of executives standing in front of the parliament, answering simulated questions from engineered legislators, clearing doubts and coming out an administrative hero; at least, to the unsuspecting novice around. This is a microcosm of the national experience. While Cameron will not play politics with real issues, one wonders why at this stage of our nationhood, or statehood as you may say, Nigerian political leaders still exhibit ignorance of the real task at hand.
Perhaps I should briddle the tongue of my pen, and tame my sagacious mind at this stage, lest I suffer El-Rufai’s fate. Yet, I will not sign off without asking a question that has been on my mind for a while now: What is the real task on the desk of Nigeria’s present crop (2011 – 2015) of leaders? I know of radical infrastructural development, power (electricity), fundamental educational revival, wholesome economic rethink, corruption, good governance, and mass employment generation (not asking graduate to sell recharge cards by the roadside, or join traffic management for 10,000 naira a month). Oh! Lest I forget; I also know of post-election violence, Boko Haram, Dimeji Bankole, cabinet constitution et al. Sorry, a friend seated next to me here said the latter is too trifling to attract too much of symposium, seminar, and communiqué; it only requires political willingness. But I also ask: where are those types of leaders?
There are still many more lessons to be taken from the British Hacking Scandal, so I’d suggest you stay in touch.
Alamu Samson.
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
THE TRUSTEESHIP OF KNOWLEDGE AND VISION: One week with members of Authors and Orators Chamber...
As I prepare for the exit door of REACH-OUT, I drop on your table my last observation in the course of my refreshers journey. Though right now, I feel like a maiden taking a departure blessing and I want to cry, yet, I must leave. But then, enjoy this last moment.
During my refreshers, something else struck me. I noticed something about the interplays and dynamics of World War 1 & 2 and post-World War 1 & 2 events. I will save you all the details by narrowing it down to our area of interest and that area of interest is the Trusteeship concept/system. Now largely defunct, trusteeship was the system by which the United Nations, at its inception, appointed states to administer territories whose peoples, while regarded as units of self-determination, were deemed unfit to exercise self-rule. So, after these two wars, the victors assumed Trustee rights over the colonies of the defeated powers, as empowered by U.N. The UN Trusteeship Council then reserves the right of checks, and right retrieval in cases of maladministration. Some powers lost their rights to maladministration. I'm very sure someone is getting bored now, but wait a minute before you delete this.
Let's do some substitution:
UN for God.
The Colonies for knowledge and vision.
The powers (both Victor and Vanquish) for Orators/Authors, Activists, creative dudes, and visionary. We'll do the last 2 substitutions at the end of this journey.
I've come to understand that knowledge and vision has a trusteeship nature, and God bestows them both on you and me. These two gifts are pivotal to the fulfillment of our purpose of existence. They both by themselves cannot do anything without activation on our part. Funny enough, it comes with life span. Like it is with U.N, God reserves the right of checks, and trusteeship retrieval in case of our failure.
Now let's do the final two substitutions:
You and Me for Victors.
You and Me for the Vanquish.
I've come to understand that those that emerges victor, are those, who more than the possession of knowledge and vision, acquire the skills to execute their trusteeship. In the end, there was no right-retrieval. Rather, they were blessed with the trusteeship rights of the vanquish. In like manner, I discovered those that ended Vanquish equally possesses knowledge and vision, but lack execution skills.
My drift here is quite simple; we hold our knowledge and vision in trust, and we could lose it anytime! I will not abandon you in the middle of the desert by stopping here, but I will tell you why the trusteeship could be lost.
The craze for fame! That is the reason why we may lose our trusteeship. I've found out that the reason why many of us gets involved in scores of projects personally is because we are so taken over by the craze for fame. Consequently, we refuse to transfer knowledge and vision.
The Vanquish of the moment I speak of in history, loses their trusteeship because they were so fame-driven that they refused to delegate authority (knowledge and vision). They thereby got the people they lead in trust get discontented, and this resulted in uprising which moved the UN to right retrieval.
Picture a situation where God gives you 10 visions on solutions to 10 deadly problems in the society, and perhaps because you lack enough time to execute them all, people died in numbers. What do you think will happen? Very simple! God will retrieve the visions, and hand them over to someone who's got the right skill sets. And what is the skill? Vision delegation and transfer. This is what Andrew Carnegie meant when he said ' no man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it'. Wouldn't you rather be a leader/commissioner of the leaders/liberators of the crowd, than being a leader of the crowd? I'm sorry if am hitting too hard, but know that you only hold the knowledge and vision in trust, which could be taken away if you fail. Leave the fame, and go for the fruits.
During my refreshers, something else struck me. I noticed something about the interplays and dynamics of World War 1 & 2 and post-World War 1 & 2 events. I will save you all the details by narrowing it down to our area of interest and that area of interest is the Trusteeship concept/system. Now largely defunct, trusteeship was the system by which the United Nations, at its inception, appointed states to administer territories whose peoples, while regarded as units of self-determination, were deemed unfit to exercise self-rule. So, after these two wars, the victors assumed Trustee rights over the colonies of the defeated powers, as empowered by U.N. The UN Trusteeship Council then reserves the right of checks, and right retrieval in cases of maladministration. Some powers lost their rights to maladministration. I'm very sure someone is getting bored now, but wait a minute before you delete this.
Let's do some substitution:
UN for God.
The Colonies for knowledge and vision.
The powers (both Victor and Vanquish) for Orators/Authors, Activists, creative dudes, and visionary. We'll do the last 2 substitutions at the end of this journey.
I've come to understand that knowledge and vision has a trusteeship nature, and God bestows them both on you and me. These two gifts are pivotal to the fulfillment of our purpose of existence. They both by themselves cannot do anything without activation on our part. Funny enough, it comes with life span. Like it is with U.N, God reserves the right of checks, and trusteeship retrieval in case of our failure.
Now let's do the final two substitutions:
You and Me for Victors.
You and Me for the Vanquish.
I've come to understand that those that emerges victor, are those, who more than the possession of knowledge and vision, acquire the skills to execute their trusteeship. In the end, there was no right-retrieval. Rather, they were blessed with the trusteeship rights of the vanquish. In like manner, I discovered those that ended Vanquish equally possesses knowledge and vision, but lack execution skills.
My drift here is quite simple; we hold our knowledge and vision in trust, and we could lose it anytime! I will not abandon you in the middle of the desert by stopping here, but I will tell you why the trusteeship could be lost.
The craze for fame! That is the reason why we may lose our trusteeship. I've found out that the reason why many of us gets involved in scores of projects personally is because we are so taken over by the craze for fame. Consequently, we refuse to transfer knowledge and vision.
The Vanquish of the moment I speak of in history, loses their trusteeship because they were so fame-driven that they refused to delegate authority (knowledge and vision). They thereby got the people they lead in trust get discontented, and this resulted in uprising which moved the UN to right retrieval.
Picture a situation where God gives you 10 visions on solutions to 10 deadly problems in the society, and perhaps because you lack enough time to execute them all, people died in numbers. What do you think will happen? Very simple! God will retrieve the visions, and hand them over to someone who's got the right skill sets. And what is the skill? Vision delegation and transfer. This is what Andrew Carnegie meant when he said ' no man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it'. Wouldn't you rather be a leader/commissioner of the leaders/liberators of the crowd, than being a leader of the crowd? I'm sorry if am hitting too hard, but know that you only hold the knowledge and vision in trust, which could be taken away if you fail. Leave the fame, and go for the fruits.
THE SELL OUTs: One week with members of Authors and Orators Chamber...
... Still on my refreshers; I made another shocking observation. Though it shouldn't be shocking, what however struck me was that I did not for once try to build the similarity between the two experiences! I'm talking about the dark moments of African history (slave trade & colonization period) and the gloomy moment of Africa's re-awakening (21st century leadership re-orientation).
Historians would tell you slave trade and colonization lasted more than necessary in Africa for a simple reason; as much as we had scores of activists who resisted, we also had droves of gluttons who sold out. They are known in history as the collaborators. Kings, Chiefs, and Emperors alike; they all sold out the people given to them by God to liberate.
History for history, what beats me however is the fact that, there is a repetition of history already. I keenly monitored all the interplays of the recently concluded elections in Nigeria; I saw pastors, opinion leaders, youth leaders, business leaders, and pressure groups alike selling out. They all called themselves Orators, Authors, and all what have you. I saw youths fighting over the ownership of money-making political concepts. I saw pastors leaving altars for carrots. The list is endless. One of those moments on my writing table, I then remembered George Washington, who in his work-MORAL MAXIMS- says "few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder"
In case you are not following, my drift is very simple; you and I will not be able to effect the changes we so desire if we can't resist the dangled carrots. The carrot comes in shapes, and they are baits that crippled our integrity and conscience. Tell me who we are without integrity and conscience? Tell me what is left when honor is lost?
Imagine yourself on an evangelism team visiting a brothel, and one hooker recognizes you as her patron? Your day and dream is over! Know this; when you sell out, you are sold out and you can't seal up.
As an Orator/Author, (change agent) to be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible, and to be credible we must be truthful. Remember; we speak and write to change the world, our world.
Historians would tell you slave trade and colonization lasted more than necessary in Africa for a simple reason; as much as we had scores of activists who resisted, we also had droves of gluttons who sold out. They are known in history as the collaborators. Kings, Chiefs, and Emperors alike; they all sold out the people given to them by God to liberate.
History for history, what beats me however is the fact that, there is a repetition of history already. I keenly monitored all the interplays of the recently concluded elections in Nigeria; I saw pastors, opinion leaders, youth leaders, business leaders, and pressure groups alike selling out. They all called themselves Orators, Authors, and all what have you. I saw youths fighting over the ownership of money-making political concepts. I saw pastors leaving altars for carrots. The list is endless. One of those moments on my writing table, I then remembered George Washington, who in his work-MORAL MAXIMS- says "few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder"
In case you are not following, my drift is very simple; you and I will not be able to effect the changes we so desire if we can't resist the dangled carrots. The carrot comes in shapes, and they are baits that crippled our integrity and conscience. Tell me who we are without integrity and conscience? Tell me what is left when honor is lost?
Imagine yourself on an evangelism team visiting a brothel, and one hooker recognizes you as her patron? Your day and dream is over! Know this; when you sell out, you are sold out and you can't seal up.
As an Orator/Author, (change agent) to be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible, and to be credible we must be truthful. Remember; we speak and write to change the world, our world.
THE STATUS QUO ORATOR: One week with members of Authors and Orators Chamber...
Alamu Samson Segun 31 May at 11:05
As usual, I will not attempt to pretend am an orator. Rather, I am just a messenger with a message, and I know just exactly how to deliver it.
Just recently, I discovered there has been a wide gap between me and my history lessons, which prompted me to dedicate few hours to refreshers. Not too long into my sojourn, I made a shocking observation. I noticed they were not termed orator for possession of choice words, nor charisma, neither anything you would list; but because more than all these, they preached what the world wouldn’t ordinarily stomach. This quickly reminded me of Agar Herbert Sebastian, who in his work – A TIME FOR GREATNESS, 1942 – says ‘the truth which makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.’
I remember Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther, Kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo et al. They were termed orators, not because they massaged our emotions with the words we all love to hear, but because they hurt our emotions with the truth we detest with passion. Yet, we sing all hail liberators when their name knocks the door of our memory. Their epitaph oozes greatness for they refused STATUS QUO.
Do you aspire to be an orator, and a great one at that? Then, you must determine not to be a STATUS QUO ORATOR. We know them that went such path; their names were written on the sand of history, and washed away by the tide of event. We also know them that went the other way; their names were written on the rock of history. Maybe you will tell me what will scrape it off.
If we must effect the change we so desire, then STATUS QUO is never, and will never be an option. Remember, we write and speak to change the world, our world.
As usual, I will not attempt to pretend am an orator. Rather, I am just a messenger with a message, and I know just exactly how to deliver it.
Just recently, I discovered there has been a wide gap between me and my history lessons, which prompted me to dedicate few hours to refreshers. Not too long into my sojourn, I made a shocking observation. I noticed they were not termed orator for possession of choice words, nor charisma, neither anything you would list; but because more than all these, they preached what the world wouldn’t ordinarily stomach. This quickly reminded me of Agar Herbert Sebastian, who in his work – A TIME FOR GREATNESS, 1942 – says ‘the truth which makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear.’
I remember Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther, Kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo et al. They were termed orators, not because they massaged our emotions with the words we all love to hear, but because they hurt our emotions with the truth we detest with passion. Yet, we sing all hail liberators when their name knocks the door of our memory. Their epitaph oozes greatness for they refused STATUS QUO.
Do you aspire to be an orator, and a great one at that? Then, you must determine not to be a STATUS QUO ORATOR. We know them that went such path; their names were written on the sand of history, and washed away by the tide of event. We also know them that went the other way; their names were written on the rock of history. Maybe you will tell me what will scrape it off.
If we must effect the change we so desire, then STATUS QUO is never, and will never be an option. Remember, we write and speak to change the world, our world.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
“Leaders of Tomorrow...”
...an underestimation of youth’s leadership capacity.
When we say that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, we are in fact limiting them…
President Goodluck Jonathan.
I grew up trying to cope with the word “youths are the leaders of tomorrow,” with the consolation that I will get there one day, and finally take my place of pride in the society. But then, I was soon to discover that my dream has too many contenders to deal with. Now I am in my late 20s, and whenever I seek to take my place on the pages of history, someone would still go ahead saying “youths are the leaders of tomorrow”, as if today was not the tomorrow they so speak of yesterday. A lecturer of mine in my university days said he use to argue whenever it is being said that a component is missing in the brain of an African man, but now he is beginning to agree. I am equally beginning to give the assertion a second thought. Perhaps, a brief journey into our history would shed more light on the subject at hand.As far back as the 1930s, Nigerian youths have been in the heat of emancipation struggle. From the Lagos Youth Movement (1934), which fought for the establishment of Yabatech, the first higher institution in Nigeria; to the Nigerian Youth Movement (1936), which fought for the establishment of the University College, Ibadan in 1948, Nigerian youths has made a statement of purpose and intent. At age 21, Anthony Enahoro became Nigeria’s youngest ever editor, when he assumed the position of editor in Dr. Azikiwe’s newspaper, the Southern Nigeria Defender. At age 30, he equally became the first Nigerian to move the motion for the independence of Nigeria at the Nigeria Parliament in 1953.
At a time when it was obvious that the so called elders were busy engaging in acts that could endanger our nascent freedom, the youths once came in to restore sanity into the hitherto insane government. Major Patrick Chukwuma “Kaduna” Nzeogwu, at age 29, in the early hours of January 15, 1966, citing a laundry list of complaint against the political class; led the first military coup in Nigeria. Arguably though, this act was dubbed in Nigerian history as the most patriotic act.
Most of our progress was made while we were led by young people who used the dynamic ability of youth to bring positive changes to Nigeria. General Yakubu Gowon kept Nigeria one and built a National Electricity Grid (which to a large extent we still rely on for electricity though we are making concerted efforts to improve on it), many Federal Universities as well as a national network of roads that opened up Nigeria in addition to establishing the National Youth Service Corps as a young man in his 30s. General Murtala Mohammed gave his famous 'Africa has come of age' speech as well as envisioned the need for a new and befitting Federal Capital for Nigeria which will be a home to all as a youth in his 30s. General Olusegun Obasanjo became the first military ruler in Africa to voluntarily hand over power to a democratically elected civilian administration as a young man. Also, that worthy ambassador of Nigeria that is Nollywood is an innovation that was created, nurtured, sustained and transformed into an international household brand by Nigeria's youth. Gone are eras when all you get to hear on Nigeria airwaves are loads of foreign music, as young Nigerian artists now compete favorably with their international counterpart. So the overwhelming statistical evidence is there that we have made much of our progress while under the leadership of youths.
President Goodluck Jonathan recently said “When we say that the youths are leaders of tomorrow we are really in fact limiting them and fail to do them justice. The human being is in his/her prime physically and mentally during the period of life we all love to describe as youth. And so rather than say the youths are leaders of tomorrow, I am more comfortable in saying that they are leaders of today and tomorrow.”
If there is anything Nigerian youths should resolve to do, it is to always go beyond the border line to carve out a niche for ourselves. We should yield no longer to the psychological check of the saying “youths are the leaders of tomorrow”, for today is the tomorrow they have always talked about.
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