By Christie Doyin
While pondering on the way to go and if this country can ever get it right with the unfolding and recurring events in the past almost a decade, I was almost concluding like many other Nigerians that the country is doomed for total collapse. Obviously, Nigerians not only think so but hope so.
In the last couple of months especially, agitations for disintegration have been stronger and louder because no one seems to believe in the leadership of this supposedly great nation. The truth is that though there have been series of calls for several years but now, the call has been rather too loud than ever before.
I happened to be one of those praying and hoping for better and independent nations emerging from the present day Nigeria. My hope is that things would take shapes until I read an article last week tagged ‘GET YOUR OWN BROOM’ and it sets me thinking and wondering if we are all ‘getting our own brooms’, especially as it relates to our roles in nation building and cleansing.
To say the least, this thought provoking article is a must read for every citizen and all leaders of this great country. And not just a read, but also one that should be applied in our day-to-day activities. The story revolves round a Church Parish meeting and the late Bishop Michael Eneja of Nsukka Catholic Diocese was on a Pastoral visit.
According to the story, when the Bishop visited a certain parish, the heat within the confine of the church was not bearable, hence the decision to move outside.
“That faithful late afternoon, the weather was very hot, such that staying inside the Church or Hall was not an option at all. The Saintly Bishop decided to have his teaching outside, under the avocado pear tree at the centre of the Church premises.
“This impromptu change of arrangement caused a stir, occasioning a lot of running around for the Parish PRIEST and other key officers of the Parish council. The major drama happened when the Parish PRIEST returned with a conference table and discovered that the Bishop had already picked up a broom at the front of the Church and started sweeping.
“On sighting the Bishop bending down with a broom in his hand sweeping, the Parish PRIEST shouted “My Lord, please don’t do that to me! Give me the broom, let me do the sweeping myself!”
Despite the Priest’s insistence, the Bishop refused to allow him. On the contrary, he said to the priest, “Go and get your own broom.”
“In obedience, the Parish PRIEST went and picked up his own broom and started sweeping. It did not take long before the catechist arrived at the scene and saw both His Lordship and the Parish PRIEST sweeping, and he nearly fainted!
“The catechist rushed the Parish priest to collect the broom from him but the PRIEST told him, “Go and get your own broom.” The same continued until everyone who came for the conference got their own broom. Just within minutes the whole compound was clean and the Bishop continued with his catechetical instruction”.
Really, just like the writer thought, the problems in Nigeria can be solved with all of us “getting our own brooms” and joining in the sweeping. If everybody is to sweep their corner, the whole nation would be sparkling clean within minutes. It is all about starting small and starting it by yourself now”.
The short story above ordinarily does not need any addendum, however, it is pertinent to chip in a word or two. And I unequivocally and without mincing words, say dearth of leadership, good leadership has been the bane of this country and many organisations within it, so much so that everyone expects the other to take the broom without any one taking the broom. This negligent attitude has wreak so much havoc on the nation and would need great resolve as well as definite will to effect a change.
From what I’ve learned so far, it’s a matter that calls for prompt action to effect positive desired change. It is not a matter for paper work. The Bishop, as related in the story never waited for the priest before taking up his own broom and he refused to drop his broom for his subordinate and on and on it goes.
I think its about time we stop passing the buck of our failures to past leadership, our subordinates, friends, opposition or those not there to defend themselves. Nigeria, obviously would have been better than what it is now if we all played our roles and not wait for someone to come and do it for us. As government and the governed it is time to look forward, effect positive attitudinal changes and not keep blaming everyone else for our woes.
Leadership and a good one at that is by example. I know a leader who keeps undermining and slandering his subordinates through gossips and back lashing. He never stopped and before you know it, it became a ripple effect that led to total collapse of the organisation which eventually became history.
The thing is that the man became suspicion of everyone and was never ready to trust or shared responsibility. He also was guilty of not taking the broom, especially to clean his own mess. Leadership by example can mostly be as a result of the type of influence you have on those following you.
This is because good leadership is determined by your ability to influence others to follow in your tread as well as getting their cooperation. The divide and rule option always eventually fail. A good leader would get his followers united to get the spirit of ‘together, we can’ and ensure the vest for others. Just like the Bishop, he should always lead from the front and not the rear. Must be ready to have his followers intentionally, willingly and trusting following in his steps and directions.
The SARS, the police and others are not wholly to blame but it remains a fact that we are all guilty of not willing to take our brooms and clean the dirt we made to make the nation a better place for our own peace and good.
The call out in the Nigeria of today is for the government and all citizens, irrespective of status and might to take up our individual brooms to sweep out the rots that has hindered the progress of the nation. Time to stop the blame game and take positive steps towards rebuilding of the nation to avoid the looming devastation of disintegration.
The truth is that we can do it, yes, together, we can!
*Doyin writes from Ilorin via e-Mail:cdoyin@yahoo.com
