Need for Nigeria to tackle leadership challenge, by Obasanjo, Jonathan, Osinbajo

  “Based on that, we banned the importation of rice before we left the government. In October of 1979, when the civilian administration came in, one of the first things they did was to lift the ban on rice importation so they could allocate import licences to their supporters and political associates.

“One of the barons, who obtained a rice import licence from America, ordered rice and then asked the suppliers to add $5 million to the cost. They did. He then went back to New York and demanded $2.5 million out of the $5 million. They refused and gave him only $1 million. He wanted $2.5 million but had taken no risk. So, they gave him $1 million.

“Since the lifting of the rice import ban in 1979, we have not recovered from it. That is why we are still importing rice today. These are the kinds of things that go wrong.”

The former President said Nigeria urgently needs leadership reform and building the capacity to produce for local consumption and export.

  “When I became elected president, cocoa production in Nigeria was 150,000 metric tonnes. We introduced a new system to boost production and within four to five years, we were producing 450,000 metric tonnes; we tripled output.

  “Today, I understand we are producing no more than 300,000 metric tonnes. That is not how Africa will come of age. We must grow at nine to 10 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually to come of age,” he said.

Dr. Jonathan also stated that Nigeria needs to build pragmatic leadership within its youthful population to take the country higher.

He said: “While Murtala symbolised decisive leadership, our democratic future depends on strong institutions. These include credible electoral management bodies, independence of the judiciary, well-trained security officers and accountable governance systems. Democracy requires vision rather than decree, persuasion instead of command and it depends on institutions, not individuals.

“Such a culture must respect term limits, protect the independence of the judiciary, press freedom and credible elections.”

The former President also said: “More importantly, it is essential to emphasise the transformative power of vision in leadership. General Murtala assumed office as Head of State at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision for a greater and more prosperous Nigeria.

  “The President we are celebrating today was Head of State at the age of 38. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look at the age within 30 and 40 years old. That is the way you can be very vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound. If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can. But if you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in the hospital.”

Jonathan urged African countries to lower age barriers and strengthen institutions that allow youth participation in governance.

Describing Africa as a predominantly young continent, the former President Jonathan said growing frustration among youths should not be mistaken for a rejection of democracy.

He noted that it reflects a demand that democracy must deliver opportunities, dignity and justice.

According to him, where justice is absent, “there are fractures within democracy”.

Jonathan noted that Murtala’s brief but impactful leadership showed that age is not a barrier to effective governance when leaders are driven by patriotism and discipline.

“General Murtala Muhammed assumed office as Head of State at a very young age. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision for a greater Nigeria,” he said.

The ex-President lamented the future of democracy in Africa, saying the continent cannot sustain democracy while excluding its most vibrant population.

He called for a deliberate inclusion of the young people in decision-making and leadership positions, reinforcing support for the “Not Too Young To Run” movement.

Jonathan argued that leadership in the modern era requires physical strength, mental alertness and stamina often found among younger leaders.

“If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look at the age within our day and age. That is how you can be vibrant, physically strong and mentally sound,” he said.

 If Africa has come of age, Jonathan wondered, why do its leaders spend 50 per cent of their time outside the country?

 He stressed that in other countries, such as the United States of America (U.S.A), some governors do not leave the country throughout their tenure in office.

But the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said leadership is not about physical age but about ideas.

Akume applauded the ideals of the late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, saying: “He was not just a Nigerian, but he loved the country and did so much to restore its glory. Nigerians will continue to remember him for his fight against corruption. He believed in Africa and fought for its liberation. He devoted lots of resources and there were results”

The SGF also praised the late Gen. Murtala for putting in place a programme to return the country to democracy before his assassination.

He also pleaded with fellow Nigerians not to despair, assuring that the government was working towards implementing its set goals.

 The Chief Executive Officer of MMF and daughter of the late Mohammed, Dr. Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode, said: “It was about who controls your resources, who shapes your policies and whose interests define your future. Today, as we look across our continent, that question still challenges us.

 “We are politically independent, yet we are still negotiating economic dependence. We are rich in talent and resources, yet still confronting inequality and fragility. We are young, dynamic and globally connected, yet we are often uncertain about the leadership structures that are meant to serve our people.”

 Professor Osinbajo, who was the keynote speaker, eulogised the late Muhammad for capturing the imagination of the nation through the sheer clarity of his reforms.

The former VP said Muhammed purged the civil service to confront corruption and inertia, probed military governors and seized illicitly acquired properties.

 “Yet, he declared that Africa had come of age, which immortalised him, the speech that he made 34 days before he was assassinated,” he said.

  “He was speaking of the awakening of responsibility, identity and self-determination and his context was the generational obligation of African leadership of his era to fight the viciousness of neocolonialism as those before them had fought colonialism. “He was summoning the high values of integrity, dignity and individual autonomy, by virtue of which African people, like others, had a right and an obligation to determine their own destinies and who they chose to undertake that journey with.”

Also, former Ghanaian President John Kufuor said the real question should be whether Africa today stands in the world with a settled sense of identity, responsibility and purpose, not only as a political space but as a moral presence within humanity.

According to him, the late Muhammed stood before African leaders and declared with conviction that the continent had come of age.

“I do not think that his words were merely an expression of triumphalism. Rather, they were an assertion of dignity. He was saying that Africa would no longer accept being treated as an object of history, with exploitation, a territory to be influenced, divided and directed by others.

“He was insisting that Africans were capable of judgment, choice and shaping their own destiny.”

Kufuor recalled that Muhammed spoke against systems that denied the African person his or her full worth, systems that reduced human beings to labour territory or strategic advantage.