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Plato’s Idea Of ‘philosopher King’ And Nigerian Leadership Crisis
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1.2 AIM OF STUDY
The most urgent issue in Nigeria currently seems
to be the issue on how to address the problem of leadership. Having
done away with military leadership, Nigerians thought that embracing
democratic rule would bring to us a responsive and responsible political
institution that would promote a government that is accountable,
government that would prevent corruption, respect human and civil
rights, and ensure popular sovereignty, but the reverse is the case. In
view of this, the aim of this work is to see how the issues of
corruption, incompetent leadership, tribalism and nepotism, since they
remained the most difficult problems in Nigeria leadership system, could
be addressed.
For most Nigerians however, the pressing
problems of everyday survival remain the highest immediate priority. And
how could such immediate priority get to us without effective
leadership and management? Nigeria is undoubtedly endowed with abundant
human and natural resources to address its problems. The solution for
addressing its problems and so consolidate democratic governance in the
federal republic lies in having a government that works on the
principles of good governance and is most especially, accountable to the
Nigerian people.
Leadership crisis has done more harm
than good in this nation of ours. The paupers are marginalized, men are
shouting, women are screaming, children are crying- it is chaotic. The
most baffling and awful of all is that Nigeria has all that it requires
to be great, but who can bell the cat? Who can lead the people of
Nigeria out of this dungeon? Our leaders have lost the quintessence of
true leadership in pursuit of shadows. We have not truly had any
significant input into the design and structure of our polity.
Consequently, Nigeria is gradually but inevitably dwindling into
mediocrity and ineffectiveness. Our leaders are no longer servants but
masters. There is utter disregard for Ojukwu’s advice that
Those who
aspire to lead must bear in mind the fact that they are servants and as
such cannot ever be greater than the people, their masters.[6]
In
his political philosophy, Plato thinks that the most qualified in the
state should be the person to rule. So, this work is aimed at bringing
to lime light the need for someone who can pilot the affairs effectively
and should be entrusted to take up the task.
Following the trend of
Plato, those who have the greatest of the great qualities should have
the first place unless they fail in some other respect, and for the
scripture, when the good man is in power the people will rejoice.
1.2 SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH
One
could recall that the major problems witnessed in the world; first and
second world wars were all as a result of leadership tussles. As a
matter of fact, these had made great thinkers to examine and propound
various leadership theories that seem to be the best and are widely
accepted form of leaderships. It is on this regard that I wish to dwell
basically on Plato’s political theory with regard to leadership.
The
range of this work embraces both the pre-colonial and the post-colonial
era in Nigeria political history. Plato’s political theory is brought
in to juxtapose it with Nigerian circumstance. So, within the limit of
this work, attention will be given not only to Plato’s political theory
but also to Nigerian political situation.
I will be indebted to
justice if I fail to mention some of our political leaders who have not
done well both in the past and the present administrations. We shall
try to present also the possible causes of leadership failure etc.
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