Nigeria and the Dilemma of Leadership -An X-ray of Chief Tony Enahoro's perspective

THIS book by a journalist, Editor of the Nigerian Observer and author, Eubaldus Enahoro, a nephew to the revered nationalist and statesman and a remarkable journalist, Chief Anthony Enahoro, is a revelation of an aspect of the man who moved the motion for Nigeria's Independence in 1953 proposing 1956.

That year could have been possible if true nationalism was ingrained in all the nationalists equally. If the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) was Nigerian Peoples Congress (NPC), perhaps the story of Nigeria could have been different today.

The first section of the book titled, 'The man', gives an incisive biography of a successful radical public official, an indefatigable man, who, even though an octogenarian could be described as the Caleb of our time. For Caleb, the son of Jephuneh, told Joshua, 'look at me! I am eighty-five years old and I'm just as strong today as I was when Moses sent me out.

I am still strong enough for war or for anything else. Now then, give me the hill country that the LORD promised me on that day when my men and I reported. We told you then that the race of giants called the Anakim were there in large walled cities. Maybe the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out, just as the LORD said' - Joshua 15:10-12.

According to the author, even as an octogenarian, "... he has been determined to sustain the patriotic zeal for which he moved that motion for self government. In all his adult life Chief Anthony Enahoro proved to be patriotically relevant in every decade.

In the second section, 'Historical Review; the author runs down on the pages of the life and times of Chief Anthony Enahoro as a chief spokesman for his age. He always embarks on significant political voyage that must jolt any regime he moved against, right from colonial days.

To him, Nigeria’s political leadership have sailed the nation astray against his dreamed Nigeria that made him to move the motion for self-governance in 1953. No politician today burns with his kind of passion for Nigeria. He was a book to study to make a better Nigeria.

Chief Anthony Enahoro rightly fits into the author's observation on page 14 in the second section, thus: 'his life has been a story of arduous and sustained struggle for the nation and in the process, he incurred the wrath of so many people...' In the 'Passion for good governance.' this royal blooded man did not behave royally when it comes to good governance. Although a noble man from Uromi. Edo State, he had a pedigree in his ancestors who never enjoyed seeing injustice perpetrated against fellow man. Chief Anthony Enahoro can best be seen as the fruit of a tree from a family of resistance to any form of injustice and unfairness. That passion in him is not a passion for shameful act.

In the fourth section, Chief Anthony Enahoro is a prophecy fulfilled. For him to be a Jailbird and his father became proud of him is unusual of any father. He was not even encouraged to play safe by his father, but goaded on by the long letter he wrote him in prison. Against all odds, Chief Enahoro began to outlive all those who could not endure his patriotic passion for independent and better Nigeria. One of the testimonies of his political prisoner experience is a rare book, 'Fugitive offender'.

Real great men live by principles or philosophy. The fifth section of this book shows a man who is ravenous in reading different materials which should be the stuff a good journalist is made. He is seen as a journalist, parliamentarian par excellence, and he was the great man of yesterday.

In section six. 'Leadership failure,' as far as Chief Anthony Enahoro rightly perceived, no-good nation without good leadership. Nigeria is prostrate because the nation never had the right leaders to TRULY lead the country. And the followers are not exonerated from the troubles with Nigeria either.

In what seems to be part two of this book, 'Selected speeches of a statesman; Chief Enahoro's self-governance motion speech was presented to the reading public. It is a thesis of a sort. Its ending note of 'let my people go' is much appropriate today as it was that time because Nigeria is yet to be free from neo-colonialism.

In 'Crisis of democracy in Nigeria', page 83, while addressing the press, we can still see the youthful zeal in a septuagenarian with a freedom cry for his people he laboured for in the colonial days. If the way he confronted the military was anything, it wears down the military, thus, the distressed democracy in Nigeria was granted to the rest citizens. That was independence number two for Nigerians by Chief Anthony Enahoro's prompting.

In 'Nigeria needs a new order,' we could see Chief Anthony Enahoro enunciating the merit of a parliamentary democracy over presidential democracy. He would prefer Nigeria revert to the system the colonialist left behind for the nation which died on 15 January 1966.

In 'Rebirth of a nation,' while addressing the British parliament, Enahoro sees a wobbling nation in Nigeria which is yet to settle whether to continue to be one Nigeria or disintegrate for peace to reign. He needs the British role in sustaining one Nigeria because she unilaterally amalgamated several nations into one at her conquest.

In 'The Legacy of Chief Awolowo,' Chief Enahoro portrays Chief Obafemi Awolowo as a quintessential leader that Nigeria missed as President of the country. This visionary leader and prophet was mishandled and misunderstood by unpatriotic forces in Nigeria and Nigeria is worst for his absence.

In "Who is Anthony Enahoro.' we can see a man from his cradle into his octogenarian age. He could best be described as a political activist almost all through.

In "Anthony Enahoro speaks again', Chief Enahoro was revealed to the world, proffering confederacy as panacea to galvanize Nigeria's development, stem corruption and establish a virile nation. Moreover, in sifting his views. 'Anthony Eromosele Enahoro' was a man who always had great concern for the well-being of Nigerians, no matter whose ox is gored.

In 'Nigeria's False Federalism' Chief Anthony Enahoro want action to be taken to make every Nigerian have a sense of belonging in spite of their ethnic sizes.

In “Why I remain a rebel', the octogenarian chooses to remain a rebel until equity and social justice is attained in Nigeria and also in “A meeting with Chief Anthony Enahoro.' it was a wonderful privilege meeting the conscience of Nigeria right from colonial days. Meeting him is like viewing the comet.

In 'How to resolve Niger Delta Question', Chief Anthony Enahoro demand that justice should be done to the Niger Deltans since otherwise would be robbing them.

The book's historical pictures speak volumes of a man of authority in self-governance, political activism, and social justice given the caliber of those in the pictures with him. The pictures tell stories of their own.

It is expedient for our leaders to consider this last line on page 110, ‘the only thing that has kept the different tribes together is force". Can it be otherwise? If Nigeria is undergoing evolution to remain a united Nigeria, then our leaders and indeed every patriotic Nigerian should read this expose.

Our present crop of leaders should reconsider the nation, Nigeria from Chief Enahoro's points of view. Is the presidential system of government good for us or do we opt for parliamentary system? Should Nigeria continue to be a unitary federation or a confederate federation?

According to Chief Anthony Enahoro, Nigeria can afford full-fledged social welfare scheme, unemployment benefit, old age benefit, free qualitative education at all levels, free Medicare for all children eighteen years below, free antenatal and post-natal care for women, etc.

Since Nigeria is fabulously rich, can these things not be possible presently in Nigeria? What is the purpose of our leaders being in office? Is it to cater alone for their own welfare? How are the masses feeling the impact of the government? Chief Anthony Enahoro would want these issues addressed hence his political activism over the years was not for his pocket.

Nigerian leaders should read this book and then come up with a programme of action to make Nigeria appeal to her citizens, especially the majority of the masses. The dream of a Nigerian nation of Chief Anthony Enahoro is a dream for a better Nigeria. What dream of Nigeria can our current leaders articulate and pursue with vigour to attain as the 2023 general elections draw near?

If the crop of the so-called godfathers in our polity are or have been dogged in pursuing a better Nigeria, Nigerians would have been living in a better country today.

They are the neo-colonialists of today and Chief Anthony Enahoro is re-echoing Moses call on Pharaoh, 'let my people go'. The labour of our true hero’s past should not be made to be in vain. When our leaders provide the good leadership, the followers will fall in line.