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As a student of leadership, I am further troubled that people I had thought are models of re-engineered leadership in Nigeria are not even conscious of the Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Recently, in course of my self-imposed study of leadership, I stumbled on John Maxwell's 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Law, number 18, states that "A leader must give up to go up" This is the irrefutable law of sacrifice. Gerald Brookes, another leadership expert, is of the view that "when you become a leader, you lose the right to think about yourself"
I feel strongly that people that are really keen to lead this country, out of the woods, must be ready to make sacrifices. Sacrifice here must be total. It must not be made in the fashion of a child, who wants to eat his cake and still have it. It is not a one off thing. In fact the law of sacrifice insists that one sacrifice seldom bring success. "Sacrifice is an ongoing process not a one time payment".
In conclusion, let this truth be told, as we await the court's decision on this issue: It is morally reprehensible for serving ministers of a highly independent poor country, where countless people are dying of hunger, deprivation and diseases, to be paid such a fat dollar salary that is not only unprecedented in the history of the country, but is equally outside the lay man's reading of the laws of the land.
urgency of this landmark search for justice, justice for the voiceless and long suffering Nigerians. Their views should not be allowed to go unchallenged.
I'm troubled by the views of one Olatunji Dare, a Nigerian, IT consultant in California, USA. His article titled "Much Ado about Dollars" published in the Guardian of Thursday, February 26, is a masterpiece in artful misanalysis.
In that article, Dare reviewed the intimidating profile of Dr. Okonjo Iweala, the Minister of Finance, which we know very well. Dr Okonjo was, until her appointment, the Vice President and Corporate Secretary of the World Bank. She gave up her job, to the applause of many of us, who are in desperate search for leadership role models in Nigeria.
Using that background as a premise, Dr Dare's argument could be presented as follows:
• The Minister was being paid in dollars, prior to her coming on board.
• She accepted a lower salary in dollars to enable her meet her financial obligations in the US, where her children are studying.
• Therefore, we should not make much fuss about her being paid in dollars.
A similar argument has also been proffered in defence of the foreign Affairs Minister, who served at the United Nations before being called to serve his country. I am emphasising "serve" because I am in real doubts whether many public officers in Nigeria are in governance to serve the people.
I find it intriguing that in all the views, I have read justifying this strange salary scheme, none of them considered the following facts:
• That there is a subsisting law in Nigeria that clearly provides for the salary of all Ministers.
• That the dollar salaries of the Ministers are being selectively paid, making other ministers and public servants look as if they are less endowed.
• And most importantly, that the reality on ground in Nigeria does not favour such an unprecedented salary. By the reality on ground, I mean the crushing poverty in Nigeria
All those facts do not bother the likes of Dare, who proudly tells us that he is an IT Consultant in the US, at a time his country is neck deep in crisis of hunger. For his likes, it is more important to set a precedent that would be favourable to the returnees before they can contemplate making the sacrifice of running home to save their country from the abysmal pit of bad leadership.
I feel a sense of anger and I am sure many Nigerians will be traumatised at this revelation of dollar salaries for public officials. For those who pretend not to know, Nigeria is ranked as one of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries in the World. Over 70% of the country's population are living below poverty line. People here are not just poor but
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Wilfred Mamah
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