HOW DO WE SELECT OUR LEADERSHIP?
A Lesson for Anambrarians as the chose a Governor on 16 November, 2013- Segun Dipe's Essay with EKITI STATE'S KAYODE FAYEMI Reference.
I have no doubt, whatsoever that Nigeria has been sorely lacking in making an effective and efficient leadership choice across the board- from the Presidency to the Governorship and unto the local government Chairman and Councillors. We have been unable to “Elect” our best Eleven for the job, and it's not just because INEC has progressively conducted shambolic elections, but also because the voters have either been too naïve (lack the requisite knowledge to make informed choices) or they have been compromised by mundane short term benefits (which corrupt politicians have exploited by buying poverty stricken votes with food and materials- bag of salt, Rice and Wrappers.)
In a few days' time, precisely on the 16th of November, 2013 the registered voters of Anambra state will be choosing a replacement for outgoing Governor Peter Obi, if INEC and its dodgy officials allow for a near decent and fair elections.
In an article very well written essay by Mr Segun Dipe, the criteria (Job responsibilities and person specification for the job of public leadership was very well articulated, that you will think Mr Dipe was either a CIMA qualified Accountant or has a post graduate degree ( a PHd maybe) in Strategic Human Resource Management. Segun's essay was master piece, and I commend his essay attached below to both the people of Anambra state and the entire Nigerian electorate when they chose their leaders in future. Yes I thought Mr Dipe was a CIMA Alumni (permit my use of this for a professional Accounting body, instead of an institution of higher learning), or possibly a PHd holder in Strategic Business Planning or in War studies, like Governor Kayode Fayemi has, will write about the stuff Segun has so lucidly put across as the best tactics and methods to chose our leadership. I have met Dr Kayode Fayemi in London, as far back as 1995, along with Senator Bola Tinubu, Dr Broderick Ineneji, late Pa Anthony Enahoro- with his PA, Luke Aghanenu- and John Filani when we participated in various demonstrations against the vicious Abacha regime, the last in cold November month of 1995 after the "Judicial murder" of Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni-9. Why do Nigerians hate and punish their brightest minds and brains? Kayode Fayemi, for those who do know, has a PHd in War studies from the prestigious King's College ( University of London ), and Slouches don't go there. I was at Kings College ( Small Committee meeting room ) last week with five members of our Board, one of which is a Lecturer there- what a brain, what a citadel of top learning. You don't muck about with any person who got a Masters, let alone a PHd from that glorious university, particularly the Strand, London WC1, Kings College campus.
In 1990, when I first attempted the CIMA stage 4 (Final stage, then) examinations, I studied one of the most comprehensive ( Like a Havard, or Cambridge level PHd in both Strategic Planning and Marketing) studies and the paper was called "Strategic Planning and Marketing"( now tell me what that "double-barrel beast of a subject was doing in the Final stage of a world-class CCAB professional Accounting body-you usually will see stuff like Taxation and Auditing, not Strategic planning- and I tell you why CIMA is the "Gold standard" in professional Accountancy studies world-wide; American AICPA had no choice but award me a CGMA ( Chartered Global Management Accountant ) without writing a single paper in their professional examination route, because they know CIMA-Global is the best in the business of world class Financial Management and Business and Public Sector Accounting- No shaking a CIMA Accountant anywhere they are! Anyway lets focus on Mr Dipe's very well articulated and lucidly put across criteria for selecting the best candidate for the job, and this we must do in every business for it to achieve its objectives, whether private or public jobs, including President, Governors, Local government Chairpersons, or Legislators for Nigeria: Go for the best person for the job, and carefully pick him/her and tell the pretenders to "Sod off!"
The Yoruba states seem to have picked this important Selection criteria-Best guy for the job, and I always give a rile smile to those who accuse and ridicule Asiwaju BA Tinubu, Chief Akande and the rest of the former ACN party leadership that picks ( detractors say impose-nothing wrong with that if pure democracy may produce idiotic moneybags!) all of the party's candidates for elective positions. Now from the horse's mouth:
"When we think about how best to choose leaders, we assess the challenges and opportunities confronting our society, and then look for the person who has the best array of skills to address those challenges and opportunities. But what if we are not that good at figuring out the most critical challenges and opportunities that we may want our future leader to solve? What if the issues of the day are eclipsed by new events? With the pace of change as intense as it is across the world, how can we even believe that we are able to identify the precise bundle of experiences, capabilities and personality needed to take on what tomorrow brings?"***** Segun Dipe (email attachment: Accessed Nov 6th, 2013)
How else could anyone put it better than the way Segun has put it across? Tony Surridge, who taught me Strategic Planning at then famous "Emile Woolfe Accountancy Tutors Plc ( Still famous but now known as Kaplan Financial, Accountancy Tutors ) would be very proud of Segun Dipe for the quote above- BTW, Tony Surridge, was a former British Army colonel before he trained as a CIMA Accountant, and although he did not attend a formal university, and has no degree, he was both an FCCA and FCMA, but his brain is loaded to the brim with Information Technology Management ( then Stage 2 CIMA when I learnt about E-Commerce System design and Security, at a time most of the world and the other Accountancy bodies were yet to know what email was about. Btw email is short for "Electronic mail" and I knew all these stuff in the late 1980s when I did my CIMA stage 2, at a time I was yet to know or use a computer keyboard: Bless you Mr Surridge, you know your stuff, more than any PHd could dare in any area you taught, he was a monster in Strategic planning and does a few war games in the class with videos of War Strategies and tactics to overwhelm any opposition. He explained how to "Out-flank and encircle the competitor/Opposition at their weakest link, most probably when they are sleeping and snoring or doing "Guiter work" with some pretty ladies. Then Bang, B for Bomb, pull your trigger, and the competitor surrenders, without a shot fired!)
That has been the selection criteria the great sage Obafemi Awolowo adopted since the 1950s, and cascaded down the default format for "Recruitment and Selection" of Yoruba. I did argue with some Ibo irredentist, intent on mischief making, and playing the ethnic polarisation game that Awo was never the problem of Nigeria. He was the solution- go read the excellent book "Path to Nigerian Freedom" written by this great brain- Awo's prescription for Nigerian multi-ethnic dilemma and you will know that Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello are rubbish mischief makers. Zik knew the truth, and knew a coalition between his NCNC and AG in 1959 would have sorted Nigeria- and by now Nigeria would be way ahead of UK, France and Holland's economy in terms of GDP size- but treacherous Zik double-crossed Awo, after agreeing with him, to go form a government with the less endowed (intellectually in Western Education) Tafawa Balewa, and the rest has been history ( Dismal and horrendous history, that is!).
My Ibo brethren, particularly those in Anambra state are at the threshold of making history by removing the yoke of bad leadership which has plagued that very well endowed state since the return to civilian democracy in 1999. Read Segun below again and again, and see how Ekiti got it right with Kayode Fayemi, and choose wisely, the best man for the job. Shine your eyes and say no to evil leadership. Do not let Peter Obi and his "third term" proxy and "Shadow governor" hoodwink you this time. Forget about the paid hate agents who sell trash to you because they have been paid peanuts to sell their conscience, by Peter Obi with the remnants of your commonwealth he has been misapplying for private use in the past 7 years. Vote for Dr Chris Ngige, the best man for the job. Vote for APC, the best pan Nigerian party standing, and be ready to vote and remain to get your votes counted! And watch INEC officials closely so they don't do the type of magic they recently did in Delta Central Senatorial Election of October, 12, 2013, when the electorates were disenfranchised and thumb printing the norm!
By : Tony Ishiekwene
[email protected]
PS: "Now read Segun Dipe's below; very worth reading for those who have not read this before, and very good for Employers of labour and Human Resources departments of both Commercial and Public sector organisations."