Achebe convinced me that the African problem lies in its leadership or lack of it

Achebe convinced me that the African problem lies in its leadership or lack of it

“I

 believe quite strongly that if Nigeria is to avoid catastrophes of possibly greater dimensions that we have been through since Independence we must take a hard look and unsentimental look at the crucial question of leadership and political power.” 

The African continent has languished in perennial problems since its States got Independence. Africans thought that by driving out the Whites they will find solutions to their issues from their own African leaders they would elect.

I read Chinua Achebe’s booklet The Trouble With Nigeria nodding to every page I opened. The book is a real depiction of the problems that his native country Nigeria suffers. The story is much the same as Kenya’s and indeed most of what Achebe calls Black Africa. He says the trouble with Nigeria boiled down to one word: leadership or lack of it. “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”  He continues, “The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership.”

Achebe’s country languished in crises but he was hopeful that it would overcome. Written in 1983, the book is still relevant today as it highlights the poor characteristics of a typical African leader in an honest way. Achebe indicts African leaders as self seeking, arrogant, proud, living in denial, corrupt, tribal (in his words they are clannish), unpatriotic, insensitive to the needs of the masses and incompetent to lead their countries.

As I read through the 63 page booklet, I could not help but sympathize with my country Kenya because I thought Achebe had it in mind. He accuses the citizens, especially the educated elite of being apathetic. The young and intellectuals are out of touch with the political class and do not hold them accountable. He proposes that getting an education is supposed to make one critical of their environment and develop a questioning attitude towards the easy promises uttered by the politicians.

I remembered how the Kenya’s middle class took to the social media to discredit some presidential candidates and root for others who they thought had development agenda. The middle class failed to turn up on the Election Day-as if the polling was being done on Facebook and Tweeter. The result? They let the candidates they did not support win by not voting for those they preferred. Someone said that bad leaders are elected by good people who do nothing about the situation. This type of accomplice which the Kenyan middle class partnered with the usual political suspects still haunts them and they have themselves to blame. Fortunately, they have the next elections in 2017 to right their wrongs.

“I believe quite strongly that if Nigeria is to avoid catastrophes of possibly greater dimensions that we have been through since Independence we must take a hard look and unsentimental look at the crucial question of leadership and political power.”  He then proceeds to give the Nigerians hope by saying: “I do not think that bad as it is our condition is totally bereft of hope or that our citizens are too dense to appreciate the explosive potentialities of the self centered politics we practice.”

Achebe is right to blame the political class for running down the rich African countries that they are entrusted with the citizens to lead. He challenges the citizens to rise up and hold their leaders to account. Achebe does not leave us in dilemma of the leadership examples he thinks should be emulated. He cites the example of Aminu Kano and Mahatma Gandhi as some of the icons we should emulate. He goes ahead to condemn past Nigerian rulers like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General Olusengun Obasanjo, and Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe for incompetence.  To Azikiwe he says mediocrity is his bane for he “has never shown an excessive desire to surround himself with talent”.

The above allegation is particularly serious given in our African countries the leaders make appointments on tribal basis and not merit. He challenges the readers to show him one important and strategic post that is held by the best Nigerian talent the country has got. Again, Achebe does not spare African leaders for abetting corruption and/ or partaking of it. He gets astonished by President Shehu Shagari admission that there is corruption but it has not reached alarming levels. African leaders are yet to show commitment in slaying the dragon that is corruption.

So what does Achebe think is the answer to bad leadership that has been the hallmark of Independent Black Africa? I think he wants the leaders to be transformational and change the dire situations of their people. He says Nigeria cannot be the same again because Aminu Kano lived there. The same can be said that India cannot be the same because Gandhi lived there.