After realizing that the bane of Africa is the lack of Good leadership I reason it is indispensable to shed light on some of the problems that is affecting African development through LEADERSHIP and some remedies.
Various development programmes have experienced a number of setbacks in the region since independence. A very important factor that contributed to this failure is the perpetuation of inherited colonial structures, which are often unproductive. This could be added to the problem of the continuing fragmentation, fragility and external control of the development process; poor social and economic infrastructure; and the concentration of the benefits from development in the hands of just a few. One last point in this regard is the diminishing relevance of primary products on which export earnings have long depended; and the many social and institutional discontinuities that constrain effective development administration. Africa faces today a deep and deepening crisis.
Compared with other developing nations of Asia and Latin America, Africa now risks being marginalized in the world, In drawing upon the experience of other regions, care must however be taken to avoid easy generalizations about new determinants for Africa’s economic and social transformation.
The problems of corruption at all levels, mistrust of the leaders by the people, and general cynicism towards government affairs were also IMPORTANT to deal with. With high opinion to corruption, public office-holders in Africa have to operate within two contexts. The first is that of the general public, which condemns corruption.
The other is that of the private domain, the ethnic group or the extended family, which benefits from the fruits of corruption and therefore encourages it. In those circles, an office holder who does not deliver is often thought of as weak, foolish or at best naïve. The problem of corruption and of the expectation of the members of the ethnic group and the extended family were also seen as tied to the problems of poverty and the role of a leader as a provider.
Since public office holders often do not have enough of their own to give, the temptation to misappropriate public wealth may be irresistible. The same problems of poverty also applied to the distribution of national wealth. How could leaders get a consensus from the masses when opinion is generally influenced by the allocations leaders make to the various constituencies from a national cake that is grossly insufficient in the first place?
With respect to the role of leadership in the development process, there is the problem of the inadequacy of the data available to leaders on the basis of which sound decisions could be made. The data available were usually scarce, poor and outdated. This is an area in which remedy is urgently needed. While appreciating the critical role of education and database, I argued for giving high priority to the ethnic and cultural problems of nation building. In particular, stress was laid on the issue of ethnic, cultural and religious diversities and the tensions and conflicts, which often result from the disparities and inequities characterizing such diversities. Education is in itself a way of addressing these aspects of the challenge of nation-building. Much depended on the leaders and the extent to which they play an even-handed role in balancing the interests of the various ethnic, cultural and religious group.
A person, who milks a cow without feeding it, ‘’will lose it” am referring to the importance of the leader taking care of his followers. While some of these proverbs that have positive messages can be used to uphold and reinforce the moral and cultural value of leadership, those with a negative, though perhaps pragmatic, message need to be understood as expressions of prevailing realities and practices that need to be watched and countered.
Periodic reports on leaders and the extent to which they live up to postulated goals in their performance might be a way of making them accountable.
Government leaders should perhaps have regular “sessions of introspection” during which they can examine themselves according to some rules of conduct which would have previously been laid down. Beyond such methods of accountability, leaders should be exposed to some forms of political and strategic training.
This could take the form of discussion for an exchange of views and experiences among leaders with the participation of knowledgeable and respected resource people. Within the wider international framework, African leaders must be self assertive, in an enlightened pursuit of Africa’s interests in the global arena.
Today, what Africa needs is a strong alternative force to the central governments that can positively influence it to willingly promote justice, fairness, participation and equal opportunity for all citizens.
And yet all countries find that in the absence of true global cooperation, they have to tackle particular aspects of them. At the national as well as the regional level in Africa today, the inadequacy of information, data, and resources further complicates an already daunting problematic state of affairs.
African leaders have frequently come to leadership positions with limited experience. Though most of them have often battled on, confronting their awesome problems of development and nation building essentially not only unprepared but unaided, their efforts have been, at best, only a qualified success. It is quite clear therefore that Africa cannot afford to continue its journey with ill-prepared and unassisted leaders. Those on whom the burden of leadership will fall in future must fully comprehend the nature of their responsibilities, duties, and obligations. In other words, they must be given all the necessary exposure and carefully planned preparation to be able to meet the challenges that they will inevitably face. This new task is all the more apparent when one considers the level of preparedness of our leaders of tomorrow who are clearly not bothered by anything other than the pursuit of their professional careers.
We face neither East nor West: we face forward. Long live Africa, God bless Africa, Light up Africa to the World, and I rest my case!!!
Author: Muhammed Lamin Saidykhan (Justice MK Saidykhan) on Facebook
