MARKS OF RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP (PART 1)

PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)

NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons) MA, PhD.

Call: +2348037346939  E-mail: professorbenonyeukwu@yahoo.com

MARKS OF RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP (PART 1)

CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE

MAIN TEXT:

“When the righteous is in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rules, the people groan and sigh”, (Proverbs 29:2).

                                  

INTRODUCTION:

Globally, “Righteous Leadership” is a scare commodity, as citizens of many countries of the world bear the burdens of the wicked policies and programmes of people in authority. According to the Bible, the basic proof that shows that a government is headed by a righteous person is that the people rejoice, for the fact that they are governed righteously, and one is righteous when one possesses a disposition which is evidenced in doing things the right or lawful ways. By way of application, when a righteous person is in power, he invariably draws up good and lawful policies from the good treasure of his righteous mind which in turn promote the welfare of the people. But, a wicked leader is the opposite of the cited person who governs in righteousness, thus, people weep and sign when the wicked rules, (Proverbs 29:2)

In fact, people like Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Idi Amin of Uganda, Sani Abacha of Nigeria to mention but a few are good examples of those whose cruelty in power remain indelible in the annals of history. At present, also, Nigeria and other countries of the world still carry traces of wicked persons in their reins of power, whose ways of governance are detrimental to the socio-economic well-being of the people, and so, this write-up seeks to point out some basic facts of righteous leadership, which hitherto bring about the happiness of the people, especially as it concerns a democratic nation like Nigeria, where the rule of law is supposed to be the guiding principle. Therefore, this effort of the writer is to show that;

RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP DOES NOT EMPLOY UNRIGHTEOUS POLICIES IN GOVERNANCE

Government policy can drag people to the path of joy or sadness, as it can equally lead to disaster or safety. So, those in authority should learn to be prudent in policy formulation, as every unrighteous policy has obvious negative implication. According to the BBC English Dictionary, “a policy is a set of plans that is used as a basis for making decision”. Here marks out the major differences between a righteous header and the unrighteous one, and we know that the former always guards against the infiltration of any form negative input in decision making process, whereas, the latter does not, and it may be helpful to cite the Land Redistribution policy of President Robert Magabe of Zimbwe that robbed the white farmers of his country their farm estates, which in turn plunged the nation and its citizenry into untold socio-economic hardships as a good example of unrighteous policy informed by unguarded decision.

In Nigeria, the use of maximum force by ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo that resulted in the destruction of the vast majority of the people of Odi Community in Bayelsa State when he was in power remains one of such unchristian, as well as unrighteous, cum sadistic policies that make people mourn when the wicked is in authority. Here in Imo State, the decision of Governor Rochas Okorocha that sought to relocate the Imo State University from Mbaise/Ngor Okpala to Ideato, the cancellation of the 10,000 jobs of erstwhile Governor Ikedi Ohakim, among others are seen in the same light. But, the Imo State Governor must be commended for dropping the selfish and visionless idea of relocating the university to his country home.

However, the writer still suspects that the relinquished drive to relocate the institution could as well carry a political undertone, as a secret “contempt policy” may have replaced the one which sought to relocate the school. In line with this, the governor may have resolved in his heart not to execute the project at the proposed venue, since he was not given the nod to relocate the hallowed citadel of learning, and this may have been the reason for the unholy politics of setting up another committee to find a suitable place for the university, which the foundation stone had since been laid by former Governor Ohakim, and so, the writer’s challenge before Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State is that, “if truly, he bears no grudges on the matter, he should then show it, by executing the project at the said Mbaise/Ngor Okpala site, as this is one of the outstanding ways to demonstrate that he carries the virtue of righteous leadership.    

RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF ALL IN SOCIETY

The heart of a righteous leader is the heart of love for all, irrespective of opposition or support, and this is the mind of God, who gives His blessings to both the wicked and the righteous. But, some members of the political class seem to think otherwise, as most of them can hardly forgive or drop charges against their imagined or real enemies. Therefore, the saying that, “politicians have permanent interest and not permanent enemies”, today, appears to be a mere exercise of the lips. Now, think of the alleged politically motivated killing of one time President John Kennedy of the United States of America. Also, reflect on the death of Price Bola Ige, one time Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the regime of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, who was murdered in his home by unknown assassins, as well as consider the brutal murder of one of the finest Imo State senatorial aspirant of Orlu Zone, fondly referred to as OJB, whose death was allegedly traced to one of his political opponents in the state.

But, don’t forget that this section of the piece is an attempt to establish the fact that righteous leadership works for the good of all in society. Yet, what has been said above remains relevant, since the cited assassinations were directed by a kind of leadership of what is known as organized crime, which work against God and humanity. Consider also the fact that, if Righteous Leadership was in place, the over three hundred years of apartied government in South Africa that reduced the black race to a second class status in their fatherland wouldn’t have existed, and the policy of slave trade of the Western World, which destroyed most African notable sons and daughters wouldn’t have equally come to mind, and you know that the foregoing carry elements of man’s inhumanity to man, as orchestrated by certain heartless individuals in power, in favour of some caliber of people, against their fellow human beings.

                Similarly, people in authority, nowadays, often advance the idea of using the collective treasure of the people for the good of those in political, religious or ethnic affiliations with them, while others are allowed to suffer perpetually. This is the spirit of anti-christ, and carries the principles of apartied way of governance or the Western slave trade policy. To this end, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and all those in authority, here and elsewhere in the world are by this advised to ensure that they work for the good of all, instead of harbouring a hidden agenda against those they see as opposition or political enemies, as such a concept is not in line with the principles of righteous leadership.     

RIGHTEOUS LEADERSHIP USES PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE IN GOVERNANCE 

                Justice is the principal things in Righteous Leadership, and for the purpose of this work, justice is defined as the ability of being right and fair to all. By this, therefore, a righteous leader is viewed as someone who possesses the power to render what is due to those who deserve them. But, it is unfortunate that most of the people who occupy leadership positions in every part of the world, including their Nigerian counterparts lack this divine nugget which seeks to promote impartiality in governance. Note as well that justice reward good deeds, as well as punishes evil behaviour. However, when the reverse is the case, injustice is in place. There is also false justice, that is, when one secures justice in an unlawful way, and a leader should learn to guard against the negative dimension of what has been said, since it is only by justice that a king gives a country stability. (Proverbs 29:4).

                Hopefully, the foregoing may have highlighted one of the sources of instability in Nigeria, with the Niger-Delta problem which destroyed many lives and billions of naira worth of property as a concrete example. Yet, today’s political leaders do not consider it wise to learn from the mistakes of the past, which is the only way to avoid certain problems of the future. In this connection, what is Governor Rochas Okorocha teaching the people by his present action against the ex-27 Local Chairmen of the state? And, where is the place of justice if the alleged beating and humiliation of these chairmen, who were said to have a court order for reinstatement? Furthermore, for the sake of peace and stability, is it not proper to bring back the beneficiaries of the 10,000 jobs of ex-Governor Ohakim to their duty posts, instead of endless court actions? Here, the writer wishes to cite the statement, “politicians think of next elections, but leaders think of future generation”, as credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha, which seems to suggest that the governor has a godly passion for the future generation, but needs to be told that, it is the sustenance of the present generation that determines the survival of the next generation. Long Live Governor Rochas Okorocha! Long Live the beneficiaries of the 10,000 jobs of ex-Governor Ohakim! Long Live Imo State of Nigeria!

                In conclusion, this work is an attempt by the writer to highlight some basis principles that make for good governance in society, and the choice of the title, “Marks of Righteous Leadership is to indicate that good governance is not possible without a godly romance with the God of righteousness. Therefore, what may be seen as indictment against some notable individuals in the project are but fair comments designed to drive home the message and not a plot against anybody, as the collective good of both the leaders and the led remains that principal goal of the work. READ WITH UNDERSTANDING.