OPINION: HON. UJU’S PURPORTED PEACE DEAL FOR ISOPADEC STAFF AND MATTERS ARISING By Collins Ughalaa

 

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things". Ronald Wilson Reagan.

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent".... Douglas MacArthur.

Many leaders and philosophers have given their thoughts on leadership. A leader that does not achieve his goal is not worth his title.

Regrettably, some people who are supposedly leaders, employ theatrics as leadership style. By so doing, they tend to hoodwink their unsuspecting followers and the general public into believing that their outward appearance is what leadership is all about.

Making reference to such leaders, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989, noted that “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things".

Also outstanding is the position of Douglas MacArthur on leadership. He said: "A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent".

On Tuesday, August 25, the news broke on the social media about a meeting of Hon. Kingsley Chima Uju with Governor Hope Uzodimma at the Government House, Owerri, on Monday, August 24.

According to a statement by Joe Chimezie, Uju’s Media Aide, Kingsley Uju apologized to Governor Hope Uzodimma on behalf of the detained ISOPADEC staff.

“The lawmaker [also] condemned their action, pleaded with the governor for their release with an assurance that such an ugly trend will never occur again” (sic). We have no axe to grind with anyone over his visit to the Governor, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma. We only take exception to the brazen attempt to twist the facts of the meeting. It is not the duty of the followers to swallow hook, line and sinker anything dished out by anyone purporting to be a leader. However, a visit to the Governor by Hon. Kingsley Uju is no achievement at all. Leadership is a phenomenon. It is also an art. It varies from person to person. This variation or variability in the art of leadership is traceable to a wide range of factors, including the human character, physical and mental wellbeing, personality, and etcetera.

This is the reason we consider psychology as a fundamental tool in unravelling the phenomenon called leadership, especially leadership in the political turf. Some may argue that psychology and politics are interwoven and constitute a complex matrix, with their several indicators. However, understanding the psychology of leadership cannot be subtracted from the discourse. This may be clearer when we consider the concept of DIFFERENTIAL PSYCHOLOGY, which deals with the study of individual differences. Political leaders are human beings and they pander to human nature, and irrespective of their exalted positions, they display the variability in their personal characteristics. It is, therefore, important not to ignore the variations in leadership traits, because they pose real and serious consequences on the performance of any leader.

In this respect, we consider Uju’s nocturnal visit to the Governor a mere window dressing choreographed to curry cheap applause and deceive the gullible. But not everyone is gullible, and those who are not gullible would always call the erring leaders to account. The Igbo man frowns at anyone who beats the drum in the bush but comes out to ask who was beating the drum. Those who are part of the problems with the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) cannot pretend to be part of the solutions now. We say this bearing in mind that when as the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly and member representing Ohaji-Egbema State Constituency, Opiah conceived the idea to create a Commission that would manage the 13% Oil Derivation Fund to cater for the needs of the oil producing communities. The idea led to the creation of ISOPADEC. It was not to make the Commission a conduit pipe, or to fatten the accounts of certain individuals masquerading as leaders.

Discerning members of the public would realize that ISOPADEC deviated from its ideals from 2011. The Law establishing the Commission was observed in the breach and corruption became the order of the day. This was why for the eight years of the Okorocha administration the Commission recorded no concrete achievements. Ironically, the only achievement posted within the period was arming our youths, introducing thuggery and using our youths for nefarious activities. During this period, many communities in the oil producing communities were engulfed in crises. From Ohaji-Egbema to Oguta Local Government Area, the story was the same: communities deserted, many murdered, women raped and children rendered orphans. Traditional rulers went on exile while their sacred stools were desecrated. Smarting from the problems they created, these crafty politicians have been at the forefront of resisting the genuine efforts of the Uzodimma led administration to right the wrongs so that the Commission could move on and achieve its mission. They sponsor protests. They sponsor attacks and run to the Governor at night, pretending to be ambassadors of peace. The Holy Scriptures describe such leaders as white sepulchres. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean”, Matthew 23:27.

We caution that no one should be under the illusion that the Governor, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, does not know about his or her activities, even those considered clandestine. From his most vantage and omniscient position, he sees all. And that the Governor granted someone audience should not be enough reason to insult his intelligence. Uju and his co-traveler know the details of their meeting with the Governor. They also know what transpired before, during and after the meeting. And if he can disclose those details, it would surely include that the Governor expressed his displeasure with him, and that when it became very difficult, Opiah rose to the occasion and cleared the way for him. Moreover, such details would include that, as part of measures to resolve the impasse in the Commission, a stakeholders meeting is imperative. The Governor had instructed Uju to liaise with Opiah, who is the Leader of the oil producing areas, for a stakeholders meeting.

Any leader who claims to love the people of Ohaji/Egbema/Oguta/Oru and Oguta LGAs more than Opiah does should do what Opiah had done, by creating a Commission similar to ISOPADEC. You cannot love a child more than his mother. And you cannot be benefiting from someone’s ingenuity and at the same time claim to be better off! There would have been no ISOPADEC if Opiah did not create it. Opiah has done a lot, and has continued to do more for his people. Recently, he created a Committee on Oil and Gas, with over 85 persons as members. This nascent Committee has a great future before it. Would it become another Commission? It is in the belly of time. Opiah is also championing the recovery of lost oil wells from neighbouring states. While he does these, he refuses to employ theatrics as a style.

A quintessential gentleman, Opiah’s eyes are always on the ball. And as far as achieving the goal is concerned, the noisemakers could go on while he pursues his goals. This is the situation, and it is illustrative of what Opiah has done in the face of the fracas that ensued between the government and some staff of ISOPADEC, where the Governor's convoy was allegedly attacked. Those whose style is to employ theatrics can go on. They are free to make their photographers focus their camera lenses on them. That is what they want. Opiah wants to achieve tangible results for his people. And he is doing it.