El-Rufai’s politics of demolition

By Paul Onomuakpokpo

Carl Von Clausewitz has an ardent disciple in Nigeria. Clausewitz was the Prussian general and military strategist who theorised that war is an extension of politics by other means.

But Nasir El-Rufai who is evidently enamoured of this theorisation has reformulated it to suit his condition.

Obviously encumbered by his lack of access to an arsenal to prosecute his political war, the Kaduna State governor might have appropriated demolition as a form of war to extend his politics.Since his emergence in the public space, El-Rufai has strained to maintain a façade of a marvel that is defined by altruism in the nation’s political quicksand. It is not unlikely that he operates in the consciousness that in no distant time, he would climax his political career by being the nation’s president. But all this is negated by the actions and utterances that have hallmarked his public lifeRemember, El-Rufai came into public consciousness in the days of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo as president . Above the din of wailing and protestation, he was hailed as the fearless restorer of the Abuja master plan as he rolled out bulldozers to pull down buildings that in his estimation conflicted with the architectural vision of the capital city.

Then, not much store was set by the protestation that El-Rufai’s zest was vitiated by an absence of altruism. But what was probably kept securely for almost two decades is becoming clear to the citizens – that after all, El-Rufai might be propelled by a need other than that of serving the public.

Or why did El-Rufai choose to count himself among those who have not appreciated the overarching need to review the polity in a manner that the purpose of good governance would be better served? Through El-Rufai’s strident opposition to restructuring, he has opposed the common good. And we cannot regard the position of his political party’s committee he leads which supports restructuring as his personal position.

Indeed, it is because of his pedigree as an arch-enemy of restructuring that many people find it difficult to overcome their doubts about the sincerity of the committee.

Before then, El-Rufai declared himself the enemy of the common good by saying that he financially induced foreign herdsmen not to unleash further carnage in Southern Kaduna for an egregious injustice meted out to them. Not for the more patriotic path of arresting these self-confessed murderers so that they could be duly punished after prosecution by the state.

It seems we are confronted with a case of a public servant who did not prepare for what his office entails. El-Rufai himself has described himself as an accidental public servant. In that case, he might have forewarned us that it was only circumstances that threw him up for positions that his ill temperament and lack of broad vision hallmarked by its capacity for accommodation render him ineligible to occupy.

This hostility to opposing views that conduce to the good of all was demonstrated just on Tuesday by his demolishing a building to further his political objective. El-Rufai deployed bulldozers to pull down the factional headquarters of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The building in a posh area of Kaduna belonged to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi and it housed the secretariat of the factional Kaduna Restoration Group headed by Danladi WadaIn trying to justify the demolition, El-Rufai rather exposed himself to excoriation by letting the bewildered citizens to identify his real reason for this tragic highhandedness. El-Rufai through the director-general of the Kaduna Geographical Information Service declared that Hunkuyi had not paid ground rent since 2010. And after demolishing Hunkuyi’s house, El-Rufai appropriated the land as a public park .

Despite El-Rufai’s efforts to defend his excesses, it is clear that the demolition is a product of his inability to rein in his obsessive intolerance of opposition within his political party. What clearly riles El-Rufai no end is that the factional party had the temerity to suspend him for six months for anti-party activities.

By this demolition, we are faced with the stark reality of the politics of El-Rufai that reeks of a fixation on permanent enemies. This politics is marked by its hostility to reconciling with those who disagree with him in his party. For him, the best response to Hunkuyi was to destroy his building housing the enemies’ officeEl-Rufai’s political career has been facilitated by his capacity to identify political hegemons, fawn on them and suffer self-immolation. There have been photographs of him kneeling down before the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. And now the same El-Rufai who reportedly declared Gen.Muhammadu Buhari ineligible when he belonged to a different political party has become his rabid defender since he emerged as president .There has also been a photograph of El-Rufai kneeling before Buhari.

What stops him from deploying this strategy to win over his enemies such as Shehu Sani with whom he has been embroiled in a seemingly eternal bickering? Or is it only presidents that El-Rufai kneels down for?

Now, let’s make allowances for the validity of El-Rufai’s grouse. But these questions then arise - should the presumed offence attract this deleterious response? How much is the ground rent owed the state government that equals the cost of the building? What is the evidence of the state government’s previous efforts to make Hunkuyi pay this ground rent? Clearly, in resorting to self-help, El-Rufai does not model respect for the nation’s judiciary.

In this regard, it is not enough for Hunkuyi to say that he has forgiven El-Rufai. The governor’s action must be subjected to judicial scrutiny.

After all, as Hunkuyi also revealed, his bleak lot is a fallout of the demolition spree that El-Rufai has launched to consume the property of his enemies . In this misguided campaign, El-Rufai attempted to destroy another house of Hunkuyi some months ago until he was resisted by the residents of the area. But according to Hunkuyi, he succeeded in demolishing the house of the APC Northwest Deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir .

Thus, if there is no legal action to restrain El-Rufai, he would continue in his impunity. This definitely should not be among the cases that Bola Tinubu should resolve quietly as ‘ family affair.’

Again, we must take cognisance of the fact that by El-Rufai’s action, he has shown that he has not been able to engender good governance in the state. For, it remains a very remote possibility for opposition to him to brew in an environment where the lives of the citizens have been dramatically improved by the polices and programmes of his government.

If El-Rufai had done well in Kaduna, he would have been the one pleading with the people as they insist on attacking the enemies who want to disrupt the good governance that has become their lot under his leadership.

But we must also note that El-Rufai’s lawlessness is by no means different from that of his party at the federal level under Buhari. After all, El-Rufai is said to be one of the closest allies of Buhari who is a redoubt of capricious and parochial politics. The president brooks no opposition. A case in point is his bid to paralyse the businesses of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar because of his interest in contesting for the presidency in 2019.

Instead of hunting his perceived or real enemies, El-Rufai should use his time to provide good governance in Kaduna. The citizens are not interested in his fighting his political enemies.

All they need is a peaceful environment where they can live without the spectre of attacks from officially protected killer herdsmen and salvage their economic fortunes that have been battered by either by the outright torpidity or the misbegotten policies of El-Rufai’s party at the state and federal levels .

Double life in the Buhari presidency

Dr. Paul Onomuakpokpo

It is only those who have been inordinately enamoured of the Buhari presidency who are now shocked at the bleak fate that has befallen its anti-corruption campaign. But for critical observers who have been contemptuously branded as the stabilising forces for the regeneration of an era reeking with corruption, the campaign was bound to suffer a calamitous end. It was expected, like most of the policies that have been associated with the Buhari government, to be afflicted with the reverse Midas touch. Indeed, the crash of the anti-corruption campaign that has been so much-hyped as the lynchpin of the Buhari government’s quest for the development of the country is symptomatic of the failure in every other provenance of governance in this current administration.

Clearly, the policies of the government are sullied by a certain antithesis to the improvement of the wellbeing of the citizens because they have been underpinned by unrelieved provincialism that has made them turn out badly. In the case of the anti-corruption, it was bound to fail because the presidency did not pursue it in a way that would have ensured its success. There was no way it would have succeeded when it was not targeted at all corrupt persons who have benefited from the national treasury at the expense of the common good. It was rather targeted at perceived or real enemies of the president, his cronies and political party. This is why politicians who are patently corrupt keep on decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek protection from prosecution. And this is why those who consider their political careers endangered by decamping from their parties keep on taking full pages of advertisement pledging their support for Buhari and his anti-corruption campaign. If they knew that whether they decamped or pledged support for the anti-corruption campaign they would be prosecuted, they would not bother themselves with all this.

Because it was not to serve the interest of the country, Buhari did not bother to prosecute the campaign in line with the constitution of the country. The campaign that should have been for the whole country became defined by an us versus them mentality. It was thus inevitable that Ibrahim Magu who knew that he had breached fidelity to constitutionality in a bid to please the president would end up resorting to the same illegality to enrich himself at the expense of a genuine and selfless anti-corruption fight. With the approval of Buhari, Magu prosecuted an anti-corruption campaign that brooked no obedience to the rule of law. Court judgments were remorselessly disregarded. In this atmosphere of illegality, a former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki is being held in detention despite judgments from the nation’s courts and even the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice.

So, the fall of Magu is a sad reminder of the corruption scandals dogging some of the prime actors of the Buhari government and the double life that has smudged it. It is double life when the Buhari presidency claims to be fighting corruption and yet tolerates its officials who have been accused of corruption. Before the news broke about the scandalous patronage of Magu by those he was supposed to prosecute for corruption, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal was accused of diverting money meant for the welfare of displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency. The chief of staff, Abba Kyari, was embroiled in N500 million bribery allegation involving MTN. The chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai was accused of acquiring property abroad with funds from questionable sources. Now, it is only the rejection of Magu by the Senate that has prompted our corruption-loathing president to decide to investigate the charges of corruption against some of his officials. And this is coming after the president’s triumphant declaration that none of his aides was corrupt. It is part of the double life when the president tells the citizens to sacrifice in the midst of a recession but he enjoys the luxury of a robust presidential fleet that was only slightly reduced when he could no longer ignore the citizens’outrage. It is double life when Buhari says he is cutting his salary but he has not given up his security vote for the improvement of the wellbeing of the citizens. Forget the reduction of salaries and allowances. After all, our political leaders do not become billionaires at the end of their so-called service because of their legitimate salaries and allowances.

To be sure, there is no altruism in the action of the Senate that has rejected the confirmation of Magu as the EFCC boss. Indeed, since most of the lawmakers are corrupt, their hostility to a Magu should be expected. Some of the nation’s lawmakers are former governors who after wrecking their states financially came to the National Assembly as a sanctuary against prosecution for their corruption. Some of the lawmakers are already being prosecuted. However, the lack of sincerity and patriotism on the part of the lawmakers should not make us, like Ali Ndume, to seek the confirmation of Magu, or like that professor who has become an uncritical defender of Buhari and his misbegotten policies, to declare that Magu must remain the EFCC boss whether the Senate approves this or not.

Buhari must see the silver lining in the Magu saga. But of course, this is only possible if he is really sincere with the campaign against corruption. The fact that the anti-corruption campaign under Magu has been discredited is an opportunity for Buhari to overhaul it. In this regard, he must not re-nominate Magu to the Senate. Thankfully, the president appears to be embarrassed by the revelations about Magu and this was why he reportedly blocked access to him.

Drawing from the sad experience with Magu, the president must be diligent in recruiting a new EFCC boss who is a person with an unimpeachable character. This person must be allowed to do his or her work without watching the body language of the president, but diligently hewing to the template of his or her constitutional duties. He should be allowed to prosecute all corrupt persons whether they are the supporters of the president or not. There is also the need to confirm the appointment of the new EFCC boss on time. An EFCC boss whose appointment is not confirmed would tread carefully to avoid hurting the president who would nominate him or her for confirmation, and lawmakers who would eventually decide his or her eligibility for the job.

The president’s proposed cabinet reshuffle is another opportunity for him to demonstrate that he is sincere with prosecuting a campaign against corruption. He cannot claim to be fighting corruption and yet appoint as ministers those who have been accused of looting their state treasuries. He must not only bring to his new cabinet those who are competent but those who would not continue their careers of corruption under the guise of serving the nation. Indeed, if Buhari is sincere with his acclaimed zero-tolerance for corruption, he must begin with convincing the public that his presidency is not weighed down by the incubus of double life.

Fulani herdsmen and (il)logic of self-defence

By Paul Onomuakpokpo

It is now over two weeks since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered security operatives to arrest and prosecute illegal arm-bearers. The president first gave the order towards the end of last month during a National Security Council meeting attended by the defence minister, the service chiefs, among others. He repeated the order when he visited Nasarawa State this month.

Here, we are confronted with two possibilities. One is that the order has been fully complied with by security operatives, leading to the mass arrest and prosecution of illegal arm-bearers. The other is that the order has been completely disdained by security operatives. Sadly, the second possibility is the reality today. Nothing underscores this more than the fact that herdsmen who chiefly belong to the category of illegal arm-bearers are still on the prowl despite the presidential order. Indeed, the order has rather become a source of impetus to them to illegally bear arms and use them to inflict pain and death on their victims.

Since the order was given, there have not been reports of security operatives arresting and prosecuting herdsmen for illegally bearing arms. Rather, we have been inundated with reports of herdsmen unleashing more violence in different parts of the country. The order has not stopped herdsmen’s killings in Kaduna, Benue and Taraba States. And despite the order, herdsmen have been killing in the south-south and south-west. Just this week, there was the report of how herdsmen overran local government offices in Ondo State.

The president has demurred at the prospect of intervening in the crisis. Until recently, there was neither a word of caution nor action that showed his umbrage at the regular lunatic bouts of Fulani herdsmen. Therefore, we cannot be easily discharged of the suspicion that the president himself did not mean that the order should be executed when he gave it. As the chief patron of the cattle rearers, he could just have issued the order to distract a traumatised people from contemplating enduring solutions to the crisis spawned by herdsmen. But if he meant it, it is not likely to be executed since the officials of government who are supposed to do this have not hidden their sympathies for the herdsmen. Besides, we live in a country with many presidencies, with Buhari apparently heading the weakest of them. In this case, the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, might have felt beholden to another presidency and not that of Buhari when he dismissed the crisis as a communal misunderstanding that did not demand the urgent attention of the Federal Government that the citizens were asking for. This probably explained his refusal to relocate to Benue as directed by Buhari. And this also accounts for the hubris he has demonstrated as he blamed Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom for the inefficiency of the police he is supervising. Again, it was the defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali who declared that the killings were caused by herdsmen because their grazing routes were blocked. As far as Dan-Ali is concerned, Nigeria is one developmental backwater where there is no recourse to the law to seek redress. No, the aggrieved party, especially when he is a herdsman, must administer instant justice – by himself and through violence.

Thus, officials of government who are afflicted with a paralysis induced by their alignment with the argument of the herdsmen that they bear guns to defend themselves and their cows against rustlers cannot execute Buhari’s order. But what they failed to add, and which is clear to the discerning citizens, is that the guns are what the herdsmen use to rape , maim and kill farmers who ask why their crops should be destroyed because they must feed their cows. Consider the case of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, who at the weekend told visiting Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello who has offered to accommodate herdsmen that he asked the cattle rearers why they bear arms. Ogbeh said that their response was that they use the guns for their own defence and that of their cattle.

The absence of a counter-logic from Ogbeh is quite in sync with his sympathies for the herdsmen. After all, it was Ogbeh who whined that the nation has not done as much for herdsmen as it has done to incentivise owners of cassava farms. But Ogbeh and other government officials who are aligned with the argument of the herdsmen must accept the imperative of extending it . In other words, it is not only herdsmen who need guns to defend themselves against human threats to their life and business. After all, life has become so unsafe. There is no guarantee of protection from the state security operatives. This is why there is a proliferation of crime manifested in regular kidnapping, armed robbery, assassination, cultism, among others.

President Buhari and Boko Haram

While it is true that Boko Haram gloated about its suzerainty over swathes of the nation’s territory under Jonathan, the rash of deaths since Buhari emerged as president has shown that insecurity was only at its inchoate stage under the Ijaw poster boy of good luck. Jonathan was evicted from Aso Rock when he had only Boko Haram insurgents to contend with. But since the emergence of Buhari, insecurity has increased. In addition to Boko Haram, there is now the Fulani scourge. Buhari was voted into office because he claimed to possess the magic wand to end the insecurity. Nigerians believed because he is not only a retired general, he has been a head of state. It was assumed that he was very familiar not only with governance but strategies for countering insecurity.

However, three years after, it has become clear that it was only an illusion. The people are now faced with the reality that Buhari has no magic wand. His failure to tame the Fulani herdsmen has only portrayed him as being in support of the plague of our common peace. Thus, on his watch, thousands have been killed by Fulani herdsmen. If Jonathan was considered to have lost the raison deter for his occupancy of Aso Rock to the abduction of 273 Chibok schoolgirls, can Buhari claim any legitimacy to his stay in Aso Rock after thousands have been killed by Fulani herdsmen on his watch?

But what do the Fulani herdsmen really want? Why have they declared themselves implacable foes of our peace? Their implacability is seen in the fact that in less than a week after Buhari announced an iniquitous budget of N179 billion for them to have ranches, they savagely attacked residents of Plateau State.

No matter how much Buhari whines that he is pained by his alleged complicity in the killings, the charge cannot easily be dismissed. For, Buhari has neglected the responsibility of curbing the lunacy of the herdsmen that inevitably results in destruction on an apocalyptic scale. While the citizens are still in confusion as regards who could have been responsible for the killings that have convulsed the nation, Fulani herdsmen often claim culpability. The Miyetti Allah is often ready with the claim that Fulani herdsmen are killing to avenge the rustling of their cattle or grazing laws that threaten their business. This has been the case in Benue and now Plateau State. In essence, the perpetrators of the killings are not hidden. So, if Buhari really wants to arrest and prosecute the killers, he could easily arrest the Miyetti Allah leaders since they can explain why the killings take place.

Buhari deserves to be blamed for the Fulani herdsmen’s killings because he has refused to accept the need for him to review his security architecture. He has stuck to the nepotistic security architecture that is anchored on incompetence .If Buhari really wanted to check the killings why has he not appointed new service chiefs? Why has he not sacked the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris and Defence Minister Mansur Dan Ali?

Discerning Nigerian patriots think that the Fulani herdsmen’s crisis can be resolved through restructuring. It has been observed that restructuring would enable the states to work out their own security strategies to check a crisis like that of the Fulani herdsmen. The baleful consequence of the absence of a restructured polity is now seen in the predicament of Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari of Zamfara. He has no control over the security system in his state. The security chiefs in the state receive directives from Abuja. So no matter how much he is outraged at the carnage that is claiming his citizens, he cannot take a decisive measure to intervene. Yari has underscored his frustration with this incapacitating structure of the polity, when he declared that he was resigning from the office of the chief security officer of the state.

Bayo Ogunmupe at 70

I first met Bayo Ogunmupe in a room on the ground floor of a building close to Loyola College, old Iwo, Ibadan, sometime in the early 1970s. An older friend Gbadebo Olaitan (then called Gyima Yusuf) took me to Bayo as we headed home from work. He was buried in a forest of books, loose papers and magazines, with the man himself arched over a table covered by writing materials and several other documents. He received us with warmth. But it was obvious that, if he could, he would have asked us to please take our leave immediately after the greetings, to enable him conclude his business in the wood of books that our host’s apartment approximated.

After we left Ogunmupe, my mind took me to the great 18th century English literary critic and lexicographer Samuel Johnson. His younger biographer James Boswell gave numerous memorable accounts of Johnson’s love for literature such that it was a war to attempt to tear him from books and writing. Once, according to Boswell, Johnson had an important appointment. But the famous writer was nowhere to be found as the gathering waited. The account says while the world expected Johnson to show up, Boswell met him at home, in his own world of books, oblivious of the world of Boswell.

I cast Ogunmupe as a latter-day Johnson. But we would not meet again until I relocated to Lagos in the mid-70s when as I crisscrossed media houses on the Island to drop my articles for publication, I sighted the man at the Kakawa office of Times International, then weekly periodical of the legendary Daily Times Nigeria Group. Together with others like the late Tunde Agbabiaka, Martini Akande, also deceased, Hezy Idowu, Tola Adeniyi , Edwin Madunagu, Ogunmupe wrote articles that educated, informed and enlightened the society of the day. Their interest was beyond merely giving you the news or story; they were also concerned about the mode of presentation. They operated like Brazilian footballers. And indeed the age was dominated by the samba movement of Brazilian soccer. True, the fans wanted goals. True also that your superior goals would win the match. But for Brazil there must be stylistic entertainment in which to wrap the goals. So while others didn’t bother how the goals were scored, it mattered to Brazil. They must dribble (Pele), perform multiple step overs (Zito and later Ronaldinho), do acrobatics with the ball (Garrincha and Socrates). These must precede the goal to achieve salutary fulfillment. Merely putting the round leather past the keeper takes away the shine from the show. That’s what has stood out Brazil from the rest of the world in football.

Also, for the writers of the time of Ogunmupe, there was always a pact with style. Although they had a message for their readers, they would not deliver it until they did so with elegance. It was a bond they honoured not only because it made them distinct and gave their writing colour, but also because that was the law of Richard Steele and Joseph Addison, the inventors of the periodic essay, which we call column today.

Johnson, one of the masters of that age, described it as a ‘middle style’. He said Addison best exemplified the style and added: ‘’On grave subjects not formal, on light occasions not groveling; pure without scrupulosity and exact without elaboration;…His page is always luminous but never blazes in unexpected splendor…Whoever wishes to attain an English style, familiar but not coarse, and elegant but not ostentatious, must give his days and nights to the volumes of Addison.’’ Ogunmupe has remained faithful to this tradition over the decades he has been in journalism even if the profession didn’t come to him early in life as with scores of his contemporaries. For he was a teacher in his tender youth, being senior tutor at Lautai High School, Gumel, Jigawa State and Principal at Okebadan High School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The blossoming years came successively as he moved from one newspaper to another between the 70s and 90s. He held executive editorial positions at Daily Sketch, Nigerian Tribune, Daily Times, Newswatch, The Guardian etc. But there have been less remarkable showing in his forays outside the profession such as when he was the Press Secretary of Hamzas Holdings in Apapa, Lagos and chief executive of Dominion Media Ltd, Lagos. His restless spirit saw him operate on the fringe of politics when he served as Assistant Secretary on the Committee for the creation of Osun State in 1990. Ogunmupe got a commendation at the NMMA in 1993 and at NUJ-Ladi Lawal Journalist of the Year 2010 Award. He has published a book, Nigerian Politics in the Age of Yar’Adua (January 2011). Recently I got to know he has also been honoured by his community in Lagos. The other day when he addressed me as Chief Banji Ojewale and I declined he educated me thus: “I am Seriki Balogun of Oyo, Sanmori Adini of Idiaraba and Akede Adini of Ilasamaja. They are titles given in lieu of payment for services rendered to the community. I wish you the same. It is nothing to be ashamed of.’’

Lately Ogunmupe’s opinions, book reviews and motivational column in The Guardian have reflected the veritable role of the journalist in society. He must identify with the underclass and seek to push for policies that empower alienated communities to make them useful for rural and national development. More than a nation’s parliament, the society needs this crop of professionals to defend the traditionally deprived and make them have a sense of belonging. Bayode Olagunju Robiu Ogunmupe, journalist, literary critic, and economist, hails from Ilobu in Osun State where he was born on April 18, 1948. He began his education in Ilobu, and went on to the International School, University of Ibadan. He proceeded to acquire Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at institutions in Europe including the London School of Economics . He also attended Nigerian Institute of Journalism where he once lectured. He is married with three children.

• Ojewale wrote from Ota, Ogun State.

LEADERSHIP AND SPIRITUALITY- THE MISSING LINK

(TEXT OF LECTURE PRESENTED AT AMORC SEMINAR HELD SATURDAY, 11 MAY 2019 AT ISIS LODGE, ILUPEJU-LAGOS WITH THE THEME: SPIRITUALITY FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE)

By

CHIEF FASSY ADETOKUNBOH OLORE YUSUF, Ph.D.

(LL.B(Hons), BL. M.Sc, MBA, FCBIM, FNIPR, FNIM, FCTI, FIoD.)

Snr. Fellow, Unilag; Lawyer; Management & Communication Consultant; Writer & Author

THIS 2019 Public Lecture (May 2019 Conclave) of the Rosicrucian Order (AMORC- The Ancient and Mystical Order Rosae Crucis), Lagos Zone is coming at a time our nation is in search of purposive and transformational leadership, and social justice. Paradoxically, our nation is suffering from spiritual and leadership paralysis despite our reputation as one of the most religious and legalistic nations. The three sub-thematic areas, to wit: Spirituality and Social Justice Across Myths & Cultures; Leadership and Spirituality- The Missing Link; and Spirituality for Social Justice- Individual Roles and Responsibilities should be compelling and compulsive to every patriotic Nigerian. The Rosicrucian Order (AMORC), Lagos Zone should therefore, be commended for being socially responsive and innovative. I do not expect less from this spiritual organisation that I briefly fraternised with over forty years ago.

According to Wikipedia, ‘AMORC presents itself as a worldwide philosophical and humanistic, non-sectarian and apolitical fraternal order devoted to ‘the study of the elusive mysteries of life and the universe’. To my mind, part of the ‘elusive mysteries of life and the universe’ is why our nation and indeed, Africa held back? Why has development eluded us? Why so much disequilibrium in the polity? Why so much strives and crises? Why so much poverty? Why so much corruption? Why? Why? And, why so much unresolved mysteries about the pathetic situation of Nigeria? Is there any correlation between leadership and spirituality? Or is there a missing link between both? I commend AMORC, ISIS Lodge for this seminar as it is timely and contemporaneous.

Today, our nation is in dire need of leaders imbued with spiritual regeneration and ready to close the missing link between leadership and spirituality. If the past and the present experiences are anything to go by, securing leadership pari passu with spirituality appears to be a mirage or utopian at least, in the short or medium term. However, we cannot give up on what should be a desideratum, if we are to occupy a pride of place in the comity of nations of leaders with spiritual regeneration, firmament and atonement.

To my mind, the key issues in our discourse are leadership, spirituality and missing link. Therefore, I intend to approach my presentation by looking at these key issues seriatim before drawing some conclusions.

Leadership has different meanings to gurus and philosophers in this field and convergence of a generally acceptable definition is therefore, herculean. Notwithstanding, let us consider some definitions. Leadership according to Wikipedia ‘is both a research area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual or organisation to ‘lead’ or guide other individuals, teams or entire organisations’. According to Weihrich, Cannice and Koontz, ‘Leadership is the art of influencing people so that they will strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals’. Group refers to an organisation, a company, an association, a government, an institution and any entity. John Woolhouse discloses that ‘there is no single ‘best’ style of leadership, just as there is no ‘best’ type of organisation structure. Different situations call for different styles of leadership’. Investopedia says ‘Leadership involves setting and achieving  goals, taking action and beating the competition, but it also relates to the tone of the company or country’s management and what kind of culture is built for the employees or citizenry’.

Many studies have been conducted on Leadership and theories involving traits, situational interaction, function, behaviour, power, vision and values, charisma and intelligence have been produced. Historically, Aristocratic philosophers postulated that leadership depends on one’s ‘blue blood’ or genes, while monarchy is of the extreme view of the same idea and invokes divine sanction (through the divine right of kings). Others, especially the democratically inclined theorists have pointed to examples of meritocratic leaders including the Napoleonic marshals benefiting from careers open to talent.

However, Wikipedia says ‘in the autocratic/paternalistic strain of thought, traditionalists recall the role of leadership of the Roman pater familias (in the Roman Empire, the pater familias was father of the family) was the oldest living male in a household, and exercised autocratic authority over his extended family). Feminist thinking, on the other hand, may object to such models as patriarchal … Machiavelli’s The Prince, written in the early 16^th century, provided a manual for rulers (‘princes’ or ‘tyrants’ in Machiavelli’s terminology) to gain and keep power.’  Some other views of leadership have addressed the seeming contrasts between secular and religious leadership. For example, Christian thinking on leadership has often emphasised stewardship of divinely provided resources- human and material- and their deployment in accordance with a Divine plan. Sun Tzu submits that ‘Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage and discipline . . . When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate to its functions, then one can be a leader.’ We saw this in some of our past leaders including but not limited to Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, and Murtala Ramat Mohammed.

The ingredients of leadership are power; a fundamental understanding of people; the ability to inspire followers to apply their full capabilities; the leader’s style and the development of a conducive organisational climate. Principle of leadership teaches us that since people tend to follow those who offer them a means of satisfying their personal goals, the more managers (of an organisation, an institution and a country) understand what motivates their subordinates (or their citizen), and the more they reflect this understanding in their actions, the more effective they are likely to be as leaders.

Weihrich, Cannice and Koontz talk about three leadership styles and behaviour:

a. The autocratic leader that commands and expects compliance. They say he is dogmatic and positive, and leads by the ability to withhold or give rewards and punishment;

b. The democratic or participative leader who consults with subordinates and encourages their participation; and

c. The Free-rain leader who uses power very little, if at all, giving subordinates a high degree of independence.

I leave this distinguished audience to ponder on the best for our organisation or for our nation. The appropriate leadership style depends on the leader, the followers and the situation. As we do know, leadership continuum concept involves variety of styles, ranging from one that is highly boss-centred to one that is highly subordinate-centred. From the chequered history of our country, we can see some highly boss-centred and some highly subordinate-centred leadership.

In Islam, leadership system is outlined in the Qur’an. The leaders are to be obeyed, and they call to the truth. Chapter 3, Verses 159 and 160 of the Qur’an reveal lessons about leadership because after the Battle of Uhud many examples of how to be a better Muslim became clear. God taught the believers leadership skills and explained His power over all things.

‘It is out of God’s mercy that you have been lenient with them,

Had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would surely have

scattered away from you. So, pardon them, and pray for their

forgiveness, and take counsel from them in matters of importance.

And, when you are resolved on a course of action, place your trust in God;

surely, God loves those who put their trust (in Him). If God helps you,

none shall prevail over you; if He forsakes you, then who can help you?

It is in God that the believers should put their trust.’

(Qur’an 3: Vs. 159 & 160)

From the foregoing, the following issues are decipherable- choice between right and wrong, responsibility, dealing with victory, how to deal with loss, leniency, gentleness (the same gentleness Moses was instructed to use with Pharaoh), mildness and mercy, making followers feel needed and included, forgiveness and generosity, trust, good manners, high morals, taking decisions and following them through. In Islam therefore, a leader is expected to possess personal character and the ability to motivate others towards the realisation of specific goals. The Qur’an also tells us that ‘And We made them leaders, guiding by Our command; and We inspired them to do good works, and to observe the prayer, and to give out charity. They were devoted servants to Us.’

According to BibleStudyTools there are many Bible Verses about leadership. The source says that ‘being a leader takes courage, discipline, and determination. While a great leader can bring great success, it also comes at the cost of being judged and overwhelmed. The Bible speaks of so many wonderful leaders and how God blessed them for their work. There are many verses and Scriptures that God spoke to encourage men and women who choose to step up and lead. . . .’ Let me quote some of these Bible verses about leadership:

1.     Hebrew 13:7- Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

2.     James 3:1- Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

3.     Jeremiah 1:5- ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’

4.     Philippians 2:3 & 4- Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves;

Not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5.     Proverbs 4:23- Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

6.     Proverbs 22:29- Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.

7.     1 Timothy 3:2- Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach;

8.     1 Timothy 4:12- Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

9.     Proverbs 27:23- Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;

10.  Proverbs 27:24- for reaches do not endure forever and a crown is not secure for all generations.   

The Vanguard newspaper in its October 23, 2017 reported the Grand Regional Administrator of Rosicrucian Order (AMORC), Dr. Kenneth Idiodi, as hinging Nigeria’s national destiny on total commitment of Nigerians and ability to assume responsibility without apportioning blames. Said he ‘If you have a leader who is committed and responsible, such a leader will in turn attract a responsible followership that will, as well, contribute immensely to the overall development of the nation.’ Dr. Idiodi was also reported to have advised ‘Nigerian leaders to place their subjects above themselves as a mark of humility in service.’  

Indeed, effective leadership includes exhibiting a strong character, honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, clear communication skills and high ethical standards. As a business leader, religious leader, community leader, society leader, leader of government, etc. we need to set a positive example for others or subordinates to follow.

Spirituality, according to Wikipedia, has its meaning developing and expanding over time, and various connotations can be found alongside each other.  ‘Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which ‘aims to recover the original shape of man’, oriented at ‘the image of God’ as exemplified by the founders and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit and broadened during late medieval times to include mental aspects of life.’ However, in modern times, the term spirituality spread to other religious traditions and broadened to refer to a wide range of experience, including a range of esoteric traditions and religious traditions. Modern usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension and the ‘deepest values and meanings by which people live’, often in a context separate from organised religious institutions, such as a belief in a supernatural (beyond the known and observable) realm, personal growth, a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning, religious experience, mystical experience, or an encounter with one’s own ‘inner dimension’.

As stated in Psychology Today, Spirituality means something different to everyone. For some, it is about participating in organised religion: going to a mosque or church, synagogue, and so on. For others, spirituality is a non-religious experience that varies from person to person- some people get in touch with their spiritual side through private prayer, yoga, meditation, quiet reflection, a belief in the supernatural or long walks. The distinction between the spiritual and the religious became more common in the popular mind during the late 20^th century with the rise of secularism and the advent of the New Age movement. Authors such as Chris Griscom and Shirley MacLaine explored it in numerous ways in their books. Paul Heelas noted the development within New Age circles of what he called ‘seminar spirituality’ structured offerings complementing consumer choice with spiritual options. Among other factors, declining membership of organised religions and the growth of secularism in the western world have given rise to this broader view of spirituality. The term ‘spiritual’ is now frequently used in contexts in which the term ‘religious’ was formerly employed. While membership of organised religions is declining in the western world, it is conversely on the increase in Africa, especially Nigeria! Does this development make Africa, nay Nigeria more spiritual than the western world?

We shall briefly examine what most of the prominent religions address in Spirituality:

1.     Judaism- It is characterised by the belief that the Written Torah (‘Law’ or ‘Instruction’) cannot be correctly interpreted without reference to the Oral Torah and by the voluminous literature specifying what behaviour is sanctioned by the law (called halakha, ‘the way’). It (Judaism) knows a variety of religious observances including but not limited to ethical rules, prayers, religious clothing, holidays, Shabbat, pilgrimages, Torah reading, and dietary laws. A new dimension is the Hasidic Judaism which means ‘piety or loving kindness’ that promotes spirituality through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspect of the faith.

2.     Christianity- Catholic spirituality is the spiritual practice of living out a personal act of faith following the acceptance of faith. Each of the major religious orders of the Catholic Church and other lay groupings have their own unique spirituality – its own way of approaching God in prayer and in living out the Gospel. Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. Progressive Christianity is a contemporary movement which seeks to remove the supernatural claims of the faith and replace them with a post-critical understanding of biblical spirituality based on historical and scientific research. It focuses on the lived experience of spirituality over historical dogmatic claims, and accepts that the faith is both true and a human construction, and that spiritual experiences are psychologically and neutrally real and useful. Finally, union with Christ is the purpose of Christian mysticism.

3.     Islam- This is the religion propagated by Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) and it is anchored on five pillars. Known as Pillars of Islam, they are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. They are the creed (shahadah), five daily prayers (salat), almsgiving (zakah), fasting during Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (hajj) at least once-in-a-lifetime. The Shia and Sunni sects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts. The best known form of Islamic mystic spirituality is the Sufi tradition in which a spiritual master or pir transmits spiritual discipline to students. Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as ‘a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God’. Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi teacher, Ahmad ibn Ajiba, ‘a science through which one can know  how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one’s inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits.’

4.     Asian Traditions- a. Buddhism: Buddhist practices are known as Bhavana, which literally means ‘development’ or ‘cultivating’ or ‘producing’ in the sense of ‘calling into existence’. It signifies ‘spiritual cultivation’ generally; b. Hinduism: Spirituality in Hindu philosophy is an individual experience, and referred to as ksaitrajna, which defines spiritual practice as one’s journey towards moksha, awareness of self, the discovery of higher truths, true nature of reality, and a consciousness that is liberated and content; and, c. Sikhism- It considers spiritual life and secular life to be intertwined as Guru Nanak described living an ‘active, creative, and practical life’ of ‘truthfulness, fidelity self-control and purity’ as being higher than a purely contemplative life.’ In Sikhism, there is no dogma, priests, monastics or yogis.

5.     African Spirituality: In most African contexts, especially in Nigeria, spirituality is considered a belief system that guides the welfare of society and the people therein, and eradicates sources of unhappiness occasioned by evil.

In recent times, spirituality has assumed a new dimension. Modern spirituality is centred on the ‘deepest values and meanings by which people live. It embraces the idea of an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality. It envisions an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her existence/being. Not all modern notions of spirituality embrace transcendental ideas. Secular spirituality emphasises humanistic ideas on moral character (qualities such as love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, transparency, accountability, probity, and a concern for others-empathy). Contemporary spirituality theorists assert that spirituality develops inner peace and forms a foundation for happiness.

Measuring spirituality is a challenge because as earlier stated, with a few exceptions, the percentage of adults identifying it as religious in the western world is declining, while remaining generally high in less developed nations including Nigeria. Higher level of spirituality has been linked to increased compassion, strengthened relationships, and improved self-esteem. According to Greg Laukhuf, spirituality ‘is a belief in something greater than the self that positively affirms life and creates energy that is constant, yet changing. In the spiritual domain, the uniqueness of the individual is created, the meaning of life is evaluated, the whole person becomes unified, and inner harmony and equilibrium is promoted (Burkhardt, Dossey, et al.).

Of recent, there has been the call for a more holistic leadership that integrates the four fundamental arenas that define the essence of human existence: body (physical), mind (logical or rational thought), heart (emotions, feelings) and spirit (Moxley 2000:34). Consequently, spiritual leadership is necessary for the transformation and continued success of our society. This is because, spiritual leadership involves motivating and inspiring people through a transcendent vision and culture based on altruist values to produce a more motivated, committed and productive people.

Values have been the missing link between leadership and spirituality. And what do we mean by values? Values generally have been defined as beliefs about how to act and what goals are important to achieve (Rokeach, Sarros & Santora). Rokeach also describes values as standards used to guide actions, to judge ourselves but acknowledges that human beings differ in how they prioritise values. Values are desirable states, objects, goals or behaviours transcending specific situations and applied as normative standards to judge and to choose among alternative modes of behaviour. They are enduring beliefs about preferred ‘end-states’ (Urbany, Reynolds & Phillips). For Bond (2001), a value is that which is worth having, getting or doing. The potential link between individual values and behaviour has been recognised for many decades, according to scholars. Fry’s model of spiritual leadership makes the link between values (contained in the vision and altruistic values) and ethical well-being and behaviour. From values including moral values, we are able to secure virtue which leads to ethical being. Fry (2003) advocated a spiritual leadership comprising of the values, attitudes, and behaviours that are necessary to intrinsically motivate one’s self and others so that they have a sense of spiritual survival through calling and membership.

If the principles, ideals or standards with which we evaluate actions, people, things, or situations are lacking in leadership and spirituality, both become a tragedy.  But, through virtue, the moral excellence is espoused.

In our country today, the missing link in leadership and spirituality is Value. The following points fall under value and by extension virtue and ethical well-being: fidelity, sacrifice, love, affection, forgiveness, trust, sincerity, commitment, sacrifice, trust, conviction, service, goodness, purposiveness, transformation, grace, hard work, fiscal discipline, prudence and courage. The list is in no way exhaustive.  We can debate or discuss each of these points to be able to agree or disagree whether the missing link in leadership and spirituality is our values.  Whatever we come up with should explain to us the state of our nation or the system or organisation we find ourselves.

For African countries and organisations to unleash their potentials, the missing link in leadership and spirituality must be bridged. No nation develops without values. Ours is a continent that has been held back by absence of value and virtue. The situation must be addressed holistically to remove the toga of ‘forsaken continent’. Nigeria as the most populous African country has a key role to play in setting an agenda for a value-based leadership and spirituality.

In concluding this paper, it must be emphasised that there should be a nexus between leadership and spirituality. Secondly, value which is the missing link must be embedded in leadership and spirituality. Thirdly, we must interrogate the phenomenon of the overt religiosity in our country with less spirituality. Fourthly, we must jettison the stereotype belief of our country men and women that only Christians or Muslims (depending on whether you profess Christianity or Islam) would inherit the Kingdom of God. Whereas, Allah SWT in The Qur’an says ‘If it is my wish, I will make everybody a Muslim’; and therefore, ‘Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion’. The Bible also says that ‘It is not all those that call Me Father (God) that will inherit My Kingdom’. Have we ever considered where our brothers and sisters who followed and are following African and Asian religions but had or have value-based spirituality would be? Heaven or hell?

Let us therefore, strive to provide the missing link (value) in whatever we do, think, say and observe. We need value-based leadership. We equally need value-based spirituality.

THANK YOU.

CHIEF FASSY ADETOKUNBOH O. YUSUF, Ph.D, FNIM, FIoD.

Ilupeju, Lagos

drcfassyaoyusuf@gmail.com

0803 315 4488 & 0802 898 3880

Saturday, 11 May 2019