No Nigerian Leader Qualified As ‘World Class Leader’ In Ex-Ambassador Iyorwuese Hagher’s Book On Leadership
Whilst enumerating Founding Fathers of Africa and World Class Leaders in his new book LEADERSHIP: Leading Africa Out Of Chaos, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher’s left out Nigerian and west African leaders.
With the exception of Ghanaian and former Secretary General of the UN, the handful of African leaders that made the list include: Julius Nyerere of Tanzania (east Africa), South Africa’s Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, and Ghanaian and former UN Secretary General, Kofi Anan. Nyerere made the list for his disdain for material wealth, and the vision of establishing social justice in a multiracial society comprising blacks, whites, Indians, Arabs (page 170); and Mandela for his vision of “a happy rainbow coalition of blacks, whites, and coloured living in harmony and building the economy and society of South Africa.
The reason is not far-fetched, as a majority of Nigerian and west Africa are observably lacking all or parts of what the author called ‘the building blocks of leadership’ – vision, character, competence and charisma – to make an enduring social impact. But beyond these blocks, there is an absence of God-centered leadership.
His list of model leaders which included Muslims, Hindus, fraternal organizations, among others, also indicates that even non-Christians do subscribe to God-centered leadership, because no religion supports corruption or bad governance.
“God-centered leadership – as modeled and articulated by Jesus in Mark 10: 42 – 45 notes, “those who are regarded as rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, btu to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.””
For Hagher, Africa needs God-centered leaders “who are disciplined, visionary, selfness, sacrificial, reformatory, proactive and effective. The God-centered leader derives his moral power from God’s word and put God at the center of all his thoughts, actions and speeches.”
So, how do we craft God-centered leadership that is devoid of internal colonial inspired by rigid feudalism as perpetrated in the northern and middle-belt Nigeria, and from political leaders whose public service are rife with whiffs scandals and executive highhandedness?
Hagher proffers answers in the ten-chaptered book in Chapters 4: How To Develop God-Centered Politicians – through the Church; Chapter 5 Crafting Leadership via the four building blocks of leadership; Chapter 8 A Pilgrimage In Christianity, Politics & Corruption which emphasizes the importance of the power of leadership by example, particularly in a familial setting. From thence, he set forth to present a restoration agenda for Africa’s Future Leader in Chapter 9, and articulates what The Future Leader As Liberator’ encapsulates.
Speaking of the publication, it’s reviewer, Pastor Simon Imobo Tswam said, “It takes courage to say the truth, even in a corner. But to stake it all, to proclaim it from the rooftops as Hagher has done – that is no ordinary courage, that is suicide.
“In Nigeria, where religious competition between Muslims and Christians is rife, and it is, sometimes, a matter of life and death, the author risks political harm or even personal injury.
the book is far from perfect “it has its contradiction’s, he promised not to name names … but broke this authorial promise, in addition to holding typographical errors, it is a great book that is revolutionary in its prognosis and prescriptions.
“I heartily recommend it to public officers, administrators, policymakers, scholars, researchers and students. It’s a compelling book for everyone who is offended or ashamed of the problems associated with leadership poverty in Africa.
Published in 2024, LEADERSHIP: Leading Africa Out Of Chaos is set for a public launch in Abuja on Friday, June 28,2024.
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