The Chapter of Nairaland Interschool debate Third Edition is gradually moving to its last page, and here we have the best Essay according to the scores by our Amiable judges.


Good day, Ladies and gentlemen, the educational aficionados, the cerebral analysts and pundits, respected Nairaland intelligentsia and commentariat, observers and watchers all well respected Nigerian students both in Nigeria and Abroad,

As the topic of the thread indicates, this is to recognize the debaters from the best of the best of NISD 3rd edition, second stage (ELIMINATION STAGE) , who had the highest personal scores for their essays.

From the third position, the list is going to be done in a descending order and most importantly, according to the scores collated by their officiating Judges.

So here goes,

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Taking the third spot, we have a gladiator who solely fought for his citadel and wasn't discourage despite the fact that he knew that a sole representation amount to disqualification and yet he fought gallantly, he would have been the second best debater but he was relegated to the THIRD as a result of him violating WORD COUNT rule.

Representing The Premier University i have Aysuccess99

You did beautifully well Sirs, and your efforts, well appreciated, Congratulations!

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And taking the second spot with a Percentage score of 75, we have the gladiator that kept on finding his way through his adroit skills to the first three list of the best debaters, the first stage he was on the second spot, the second stage third and now the quarter final stage back to second, the Person is OAUTemitayo representing OBAFEMI Awolowo University.

Congratulations Sir

We hope to see you in the first spot before this exercise comes to a close for this edition.

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And now to the last man standing for the first spot, with a percentage of 80%





The school with the motto - “For learning and culture ”.




So join me as I present to you, from Obafemi Awolowo University , our very own,

Emaculate99


A Hearty Congratulation Sir

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Worthy of mention we have:
HONOURABLE MENTION
Dj hack1
Catalystic4real
Obizeal



With that out of the way, the next post you will be reading are the essays of these outstanding debaters posted for your delectation, enjoy!

Cc:
Luxanne
Lalasticlala

Topic: [size=19pt]The Government is solely to blame for the high Unemployment rate in Nigeria.[/size]

THE GOVERNMENT IS SOLELY TO BLAME FOR HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN NIGERIA.







REFERENCES.
1. Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: nigeriamasterweb.com/Masterweb/MasterwebMobileNews.php?rss_id=MzM

2. Nigeria Unemployment Rate|2006-2016|Data: www.tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/unemployment-rate

Fynestboi:
[size=18pt]Topic: The Extinction Of Godfatherism In Contemporary Nigerian Politics -- A panacea for effective leaders.[/size]

www.nairaland.com/attachments/1403613_abulogo_jpeg76ff220cc807e4d2031970f376113b54


[size=18pt]HONORABLE MENTION[/size]

Name : Catalyst4real

Institution : A.B.U Zaria


Topic: The Extinction Of Godfatherism In Contemporary Nigerian Politics -- A panacea for effective leaders.

Stance: Against


I unequivocally recognize the presence of the unbiased judges, the coordinators, my honourable colleague, Abuklaw, the tenacious opponents and my intelligible audience.

What is Godfatherism? It can in clear context be depicted from the word "god" and "father"
Meaning godly in nature and fatherly in principle.

I implore you to let that echo in your minds, the architectural motive behind the evolution of godfathers is to have an experienced role model to look up to, who is godly in nature and fatherly in principle.

>>>>>>>>>>>The Inception<<<<<<<<<<
Godfatherism is as old as politics itself, it gained popularity following the movie "THE GODFATHER" directed by Francis Coppola

As the movie depicts, godfathers were never pioneered to select leaders, but to direct leaders, not to mesmerise leaders, but to orient leaders, not for the purpose of embezzlement, but for the furnishing of the elect, not to gratify self desires and personal needs or greed, But to uplift and build a nation.

Godfathers were established to serve as mentors, as role models and as guides to the succeeding leaders, to nurture and to train; All for the promotion of good governance and in exchange for "NOTHING" other than National progress.


>>>>>>>>>The Misconception<<<<<<<<<<<
With utmost assurance, at this stage, I expect my opponents to have garrulously and intricately divulged on how Godfatherism is a sole malignant engineer of political corruption in contemporary Nigeria.

And I couldn't agree more, but about it's extinction I am resolutely defiant .

The symbiotic relationship between democracy and godfatherism started eons ago. Democracy, politics and godfatherism have been the three major and harmonious elements of governance. So, in a true democratically oriented political environment, the trio work hand in glove.


Owing to political ossification, some eggheads are groaning beneath godfatherism, depleting it's prior motive and tarnishing it's sole purpose; Nigerian politics has dilapidated this sublime culture and zapped the nectar from it's life force.

Godfatherism has been abused and manipulated for personal gain, it is now a field for the exasperation of greed and an avenue for wealth acquisition. How pitiful!!!

As perversely as this culture may have been re-engineered, it's dilaceration will be more inimical than logical.

There was a time when godfatherism stood for mentorship, that is the very time we need to relive, relay and rediscover.

It is characteristic of humans to look for who to blame or what to blame when things acutely take an ugly turn.

The corruption and manipulation in Godfatherism is what we need to extinguish, not godfatherism itself. If we suddenly start eliminating every tenets of the society that have been stained by corruption, then we'll wake up someday to have nothing left. Corruption has it's roots in almost all branches of this country, even in the grass level; I believe in change.

>>>>>>The Way Forward<<<<<<<<<<<<
It is highly preposterous to think that the elimination of godfatherism ultimately open doors to producing effective leaders; No!!! That is not the answer we seek, we need competent leaders; Selfless leaders who hunger for the growth and excellence of this great nation Nigeria, leaders who'll rather starve than watch this country dwindle and decay, leaders with national pride, leaders filled with immutable integrity and love towards uplifting Nigeria; And I do not in anyway see godfatherism standing in the way of the emanation of leaders with the above listed idiosyncrasies.

Prof. Kenneth Taylor, a H.O.D In a certain high institution walked into a 400L philosophy class and asked the students a simple question. "What would you do, if made the president of Nigeria for 24 hours?"
The responses he received weren't too far away from expectation; they were all self-seeking, stained with self acquisition, having no plans whatsoever to make this country a better place.
That's as bad as it has gotten.

Godfatherism is not the hindrance against producing effective leaders but our unpatriotism and lack of love for our nation.

The corruption, the manipulations, the crime, the insurgence, the vandalism, the perpetration and the animosity in Nigerian politics aren't really the problems pulling this country down, all these are symptoms; Symptoms of lack of love for Nigeria.

We're looking for a culture to eliminate? This is the starting point.

Quite frankly, when we look at developed countries like U.S.A, we get drenched in envy and all we see is the present glory, but behind all that glamour are leaders who have made sacrifices for their nation.
With love, comes sacrifice.


You know where it gets more interesting? America also practices godfatherism, it plays a huge role in United state's government, and yet, they thrive almost impeccably.
I assure you, godfatherism is far from the problem Nigeria faces in producing effective leaders.

Godfatherism use to be a glamorous umpire of good governance, an epitaph of beauty and admiration, a propellant and the very backbone of national reformation.

We live in a country where every leader comes in with a promise, void promises most of the time.
I can never blame godfatherism for our inability to produce competent, uncompromising leaders.
Until our love for Nigeria outweighs our differences and quest for self luxury, progress will remain mythical.






Reference
>(Godfatherism and Democracy)
phemmynaija..co.ke/2011/01/godfatherism-phemmynaija..co.ke-democracy.html?m=1

>(History of Godfatherism)
https://naudigitallibrary./tag/history-of-godfatherism-in-nigeria/

>(Influence of Godfatherism in Nigeria)
www.iproject.com.ng/political-science/final-year-project-topics/the-influence-of-godfatherism-in-nigeria-politics-in-the-fourth-republic-the-role-of-education/project-topics

[size=18pt]Equating HND with BSC: A panacea to Technological Advancement/ Innovative ideas.
[/size]

[img]http://www.nairaland.com/attachments/1403632_oau-logo_jpegfd792ca2348535d7a50271d82c1b576d[/img]





Equating HND with BSC: A panacea to Technological Advancement/ Innovative ideas.
Position: Support
Oautemitayo Representing OAU.

All protocols duly observed.
The discrimination against HND holders in the public service and business establishments across the country is not only a disservice to the mission for the technological development of this nation, it is an injustice being meted on innocent graduates of polytechnics.
HND which stands for higher national diploma is a graduate certificate awarded to individuals who have successfully completed a four year study and an extra year of industrial training and was actually meant for the provision of middle-level technical manpower for the technical and engineering sector of the economy.
The disparity in the ranking of HND and degree if critically examined is one of the factors militating against the advancement of technology in Nigeria.
Nigerian education curriculum as we all know is modelled after the British system. In Britain, an HND is a two year programme and is considered as equivalent to the second year of a three year degree programme. But unlike the British HND which is a two year programme, Nigerian HND is a five year programme requiring two years of studying for OND, one year of industrial training and another two years for the HND programme itself. If HND holders in Britain a developed country spend just two years in getting their certificates and are still given the chance of spending just two extra years to get a full fledged Bachelor's degree making a total of just four years used for getting a degree certificate, why should Nigerian HND holders who have to spend five solid years in getting their certificates not accorded the same status as people who will spend just four years in getting their certificates?
If degree holders are better than HND holders why are major establishments in the industrial and technical sector advertising vacancies and accepting applications from both HND and degree holders for same positions? The fact that major establishments including government institutions normally accept applications from the holders of HND certificates for same positions degree holders are applying for is a conscious acceptance of the fact that the former are capable of excelling on same level with degree holders. If they can do the same thing perfectly why then should there be a ranking that put the degree holders at an advantage over the HND holders?
The argument of some people that it is students with poor academic ability that usually opt for polytechnic education because they don't have high scores in JAMB like their counterparts in the universities holds no water and cannot stand both logical and scientific test when one put into consideration the fact that HND holders normally undertake practical industrial training popularly called IT and this has bridged the gap between the two set of graduates.
It is rather unfortunate that some students are allowed to use pre-degree a one year preparatory course as entrance requirement into Nigerian universities to make up for their failure to meet the same entrance cut off marks that polytechnic students are accused of not meeting but the extra one year HND holders use for industrial training is not considered when they are being ranked.
Considering the alarming rate of examination malpractice in Nigeria where there are special centers for JAMB where students are deliberately aided in cheating, shouldn't we even ponder on the theory that polytechnic students could be the ones who are getting their really deserved scores because they cannot cut corners like the ironically smart ones in the Universities?

The disparity in the grading of this two certificates have turned majority of HND holders into poorly motivated workers in the country as a result of the injustice in the working environment they found themselves. This has led to HND holder withholding innovative ideas that could advance the fortunes of the country since they have the feeling that they are not accorded same respect their degree counterparts are getting. This has proven to be a major cause of animosity in business and government establishments.
This animosity has in turn led to lack of unity, cohesion and unity at the establishments thereby creating a working environment unsuitable for producing technological innovations and products.
HND holders have proven themselves in different positions as capable graduates of equal intellectual ability with their university counterparts.
What can a bachelor degree holder in mechanical engineering do that an HND holder in mechanical engineering cannot do? Nothing speaking from past and recent happenings. We have heard of polytechnic students designing various technological products of high value just like their university counterparts.
Several panels set up in the past by the federal government on the HND/Degree dichotomy have recommended the upgrading of the HND to same status with the degree yet successive administrations refuse to yield to the crying of equity and justice.
The failure of university graduates to take Nigeria out of its technological backwardness is an indication that the current system of rating them above their HND colleagues have turned them into graduates without competition which should have been the motivation to drive them towards entrepreneurship initiatives which will in turn lead to technological products being developed by both HND and degree holders as a result of tough competition to outperform the other.
Government should as a matter of urgency do the needful by equating HND with Degree through appropriate legislations that must be enforced both in the public and private establishments across the country.
Conclusively, it is my opinion that equating HND with degree will give HND holders a sense of belonging and turn graduates of polytechnics and universities into dynamic competitors in the mission to advance our technology sector.

References:
What is HND?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_National_Diploma
Panel recommends removal of HND, first degree disparity/Dichotomy
www.nigeriaschool.com.ng/asup-strike-panel-recommends-removal-of-hnd-first-degree-disparity/
Panel recommends suspension of HND, first degree disparity
naija247news.com/2014/07/panel-recommends-suspension-of-hnd-first-degree-disparity/
HND discrimination bill narrowly scales second reading in Senate
www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/169916-hnd-discrimination-bill-narrowly-scales-second-reading-in-senate.html
ABOUT PRE-DEGREE PROGRAMME IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES
eduregard.com/about-pre-degree-programme-in-nigerian-universities/
Poly students design electric water treatment plant

nigeria.shafaqna.com/EN/NG/1949706

[size=18pt]Equating HND with BSC: A panacea to Technological Advancement/ Innovative ideas.
[/size]


[img]http://www.nairaland.com/attachments/1403632_oau-logo_jpegfd792ca2348535d7a50271d82c1b576d[/img]




EQUATING HND WITH BSC: A PANACEA TO TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT / INNOVATIVE IDEAS

NAME: Emaculate Ife representing OAU,

Position: Support.

My brother got a call to help a friend get a job for his niece. Upon seeing her CV, he found out that she is an HND holder. It is however a policy in his company to employ BSc only. He felt bad for this girl because she opted in for polytechnic education due to her family’s financial constraint. She now sells foodstuff in the market due to the employment discrimination in the country.

Constitutionally, equality is a necessary principle which cannot be extinguished by the same law that prescribes it unless it is a “utopian fantasy whose hopeless pursuit” would lead to “tyranny.” It is no news that the discrimination between BSc and HND holders is becoming worse each day as companies prefer BSc to HND even if the latter is more skilled than the former. They believe in certification as against the equal employment opportunity advocated by the constitution of Nigeria. But what will happen if skilled graduates are shut from employment as a result of certification? Technological advancement or technological adversity? You choose.

Moreover, is certificate the basis of innovative idea or improvement in technology? It is barbaric to put HND below BSc because of a mere certificate. Innovative idea is a no respecter of certificate. Anyone can have innovative idea that can move the country forward technologically. If certificate is the basis of innovative idea, there should be no Microsoft and Nairaland today. You know both founders are dropped out, right?

Furthermore, the core policy of Nigeria of evolving into a technological based country is on the ruin as the discrimination against HND holders has continue to wear an ugly look. It is no news that findings have proved that some polytechnic students are in some cases far better than their university counterparts on the field (Sammyscholar, a representative of Polytechnic of Ibadan, is a perfect example). If this is the case, why do the government and private individual put BSC holders ahead of HND holders without recourse to their skills and ability? Is that not a poison to the realisation of the nation’s technological development? Someone like Sammyscholar would be deprived a job because a company’s policy cannot employ a HND holder when in the real sense, if he should be given an equal opportunity to compete with the graduates, he will compete with them favourably.

In addition to that, the HND holders upon getting job are treated with ultimate distaste and inequality as regard to the salary grade level (HND: GL 07 & BSc: GL 08); security personnel: BSc (commissioned) while HND (non-commissioned); promotion of the BSc is unlimited while the peak promotion for HND is GL 12. HND holders are mostly kept as slave workers as against the status of BSc holders. This is evidently shown in Banking/ financial sector where HND holders are treated cheaply because of their degree. Can any innovative idea come out from someone who has been battered psychologically with the ugly treatment he is going through? I doubt it.

Come to think of it, international companies in the country and companies in advanced countries have no time for certificate discrimination. Their employment is based on meritocracy and not mediocrity as the case is in Nigeria. This is a reason for their technological advancement. If Nigeria wants to advance, it must take a clue from this set of people.

Nigeria is so much interested in curbing criminal activities and unemployment; yet it operates in such a way that criminal activities and unemployment rate will escalate. Giving out policies that do not allow for the employment of HND or making them a second class employees will not only make them indulge in criminal activities, it will also increase the unemployment rate in the country. And this will not avail them opportunity to give out their well-thought ideas which can help move the country forward technologically. This will also reduce the pressure mount on universities for admission.

Polytechnic students are mainly trained to be practically relevant in their field. They are trained on how to do things in their field, while university students are trained to research into why something is done in a field. Ideally, the two are to work hand in hand for the development of the society as “practice without theory is blind and theory without practice is sterile.” Giving prominence to theory means that no productive idea will materialise, however, putting both practice and theory together will advance Nigeria creatively and technologically. Theory and Practice can only work together if both of them are given equal recognition.

Can someone who has passion for Art class be forced into science class and cope well and vice-versa? How do you want graduates to cope when in the real sense they were forced into university because of the discrimination and mentality of the citizenry? Someone who has passion for polytechnic can only cope and deliver better if schooled in a polytechnic. This is the case in other advanced countries but it is not the same in Nigeria as polytechnic materials are forced into universities as a result of the discrimination in the labour market.

Taking cognisance of the aforementioned and the current situation in Nigeria, I believe you will throw your full support behind me that equating BSc with HND will bring about technological advancement in the country.

REFERENCE:

BSc vs HND in Nigeria
www.uniuyoinfo.com/bsc-vs-hnd-in-nigeria/

A perspective on the discrimination against Nigerian HND holders by Christian Dimkpa
www.gamji.com/article5000/news5935.htm

Aregebsola Denies HND holders recruitment into Osun civil service
www.infomationng.com/2012/12/aregbesola-denies-hnd-holders-recruitment-into-osun-civil-service.htm

Ending BSc and HND dichotomy
www.thenationonlineng.net/ending-bsc-and-hnd-dichotomy/

HND and BSc discrimination, part of Nigerian’s major problem
www.nigeriamasterweb.com/Masterweb/MasterwebMobileNews.php?rss_id=OTM=

1999 constitution of Nigeria, 2011 as amended

Fynestboi:
[size=18pt]Topic: The Extinction Of Godfatherism In Contemporary Nigerian Politics -- A panacea for effective leaders.[/size]

OBIZEAL representing UNIVERSITY OF JOS




[size=15pt]HONORABLE MENTION[/size]

It was Abraham Lincoln who defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Many scholars have opined that democracy is the best form of government, I can't agree less since democracy is being practiced by about 153 countries in the world, including world powers like United states of America, France, Russia. However, over here in Nigeria we have been practicing democracy for 17 years now, but we have not seen effective leaders who will provide the dividends of democracy to Nigerians. The reason for this unfortunate situation is not far-fetched; it is Political Godfatherism that has made our leaders ineffective and our democracy inefficient. Hence the extinction of political Godfatherism in contemporary Nigerian politics is the panacea to producing effective leaders and ensuring efficient leadership


Good evening respectable judges, hardworking coordinators, my fellow opponents and all Nairaland intelligentsia following this debate. As always, my profound appreciation goes to Mr. Seun Osewa for the platform and opportunity to engage our contemporaries in this intellectual tussle.
My name is obiZEAL and I am representing the distinguished students of University of Jos, I and my colleague are supporting the motion which says; the extinction of Godfatherism in contemporary Nigerian politics; A panacea for effective leaders.


I will start my first argument by giving a succinct definition of godfather and Godfatherism;
In Christendom, a godfather is defined as a man present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner and is responsible for the child’s spiritual needs and growth.
Godfatherism on the other hand, is the relationship that exists between the godfather and the child. In the Nigerian politicosphere, Godfatherism have been bastardized and eroded of its actual meaning. The best definition of the Godfatherism being practiced in Nigeria’s political arena is as defined by one of Nigeria's renowned novelist and poet, Chinua Achebe, he defined Godfatherism as ''an archaic, corrupt practice in which individuals with lots of money and time to spare (many of them half-baked, poorly educated thugs) sponsor their chosen candidates and push them right through to the desired political position, bribing, threatening, and, on occasion, murdering any opposition in the process. Needless to say, anybody brought into any leadership position through any such means that undermines democracy in a democratic country cannot make an effective leader. Deep study of the definition provided by Chinua Achebe will show that not only does political Godfatherism sabotage democracy, it also disqualifies honorable men who almost always make effective leaders. No man of good moral standing will take part is such a process, when upright men rejects Godfatherism and its antecedents, all that will be left are men who will fall for anything, and with the influence of their godfather, these morally bankrupt men make it to the position of power, and as expected, they will constitute ineffective leaders.


Secondly, if Godfatherism was an illness one of its symptoms will be corruption, and like all diseases if left untreated will lead to death, but in this case, it will lead to death of effective leadership. In Nigerian politics, Godfatherism goes beyond the electioneering process, godson's are expected to show unwavering loyalty to their godfathers throughout their tenure. These loyalty has no definition nor limit, the godfather is at liberty to decides who gets what, he decides who is innocent and who is guilty, in some cases the godson even go as far as diverting the finance of his office to the pocket of the godfather and his cronies under the guise of phantom projects and contracts. These acts of nepotism, selective justice and financial mismanagement are all features of an ineffective leader, they are acts of corruption which blossoms under Godfatherism.
My opponents might want to argue that godfathers only play a financial or advisory role, but we are all aware of the common Nigerian idiom; nothing goes for nothing, it is he who plays the drum that dictates the dance moves.



I will end with giving a short account of Godfatherism gone wrong and how it has rendered leadership ineffective; Chief Chris Ubah and Chris Ngige of Anambara state, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu and Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo state, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi and Rabiu Kwankwaso of kano state, Senator Modu Ali sheriff and Governor Mala Kachalla of Borno State, Senator Jim Nwobodo and Governor Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State, Sir Emeka Offor and Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju of Anambara state. These names are synonymous to Godfatherism in Nigerian politics, the events that took place in each of the situation is unique, but all the situation occurred by the same mechanism; a disagreement between a Godfather and a Godson which yielded anarchy in the affected states.
To prove my point, I will do a brief run-down of the events that took place in Anambra state, one of the states that have had its own fair share of ineffective leadership which stemmed from Godfatherism, During the 1999 election, Sir Emeka Offor played the role of Governor Mbadinuju’s godfather and elevated him into office, after a brief period of Mbadinuju’s rule, he incurred the wrath of his Godfather for not ‘playing by the rules’ and as expected a political battle ensued between the erstwhile Godfather and the state Governor, during that period, workers salaries where owed for months, state institutions went on strike, and all the trappings of a failed leadership was in full display, consequently the governor was given an Ultimatum to resign or put the state in order.
The events that occurred in Anambra state have repeated itself in various levels of leadership in our country Nigeria, hence our slowed level of development.
It is for the reasons given above and many more that I stand to say that the extinction of Godfatherism in contemporary Nigerian politics is the panacea for engendering effective leadership.




REFERENCES
A short definition of democracy
http:www.democracy-building.info/definition-democracy.html

Which countries are democratic as at April 2015
http:www.quora.com/Which-countries-are-democratic-countries-as-of-April-2015-and-which are democratic-in-name-only

There Was A Country A Personal History of Biafra; Chinua Achebe, 2012. ISBN:978-1-846-14792-0

Politics and political Godfatherism by Samuel Uwhejevwe-Togbolo
http:www.gamji.com/article4000/NEWS4468.htm

Criminal Politics: violence, “Godfathers” and Curruption in Nigeria: Case Study B: Anambra State
https://www.hrw.org/reporths/2007/nigeria1007/8.htm

Effective change Nigeria truly needs: Sole responsibility of the leaders or followers?

[size=15pt]HONORABLE MENTION[/size]


My greetings to the owner of nairaland, Mr. Oluwaseun Osewa, the moderators, panel of judges, the coordinators of this debate and the awesome and ever present online audience, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
My name is Alfred, known with the moniker as Djhack, representing the Federal University of Technology Minna, in support of the topic “Effective change Nigeria truly needs, sole responsibility of the leaders or followers”

To get a good understanding of the topic of discussion, we need to understand the terms in the topic. Effective change as defined by change first is the leadership that happens when leaders of change, provide direction, guidance, and support to the people who are implementing the change as well as those having to adapt to the change. Sole responsibility is the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or having control over something and being accountable for it. While the definition of a ‘leader’ is as diverse as the myriad of books and articles written on it. This is because so many writers have defined leadership from different perspectives. No matter the angle from which the definition of leadership is viewed, a leader is one who exerts unusual influence and considerable power. According to McFarland, a leader "is one who makes things happen that would not happen otherwise. If the leader causes changes that he intended, he has exercised power, but if the leader causes changes that he did not intend or want, he has exercised influence, but not power" (MacFarland, 1969, pp.167-178; Kofele-Kale, 1976, p.81).


Leadership in its simplest form can be depicted as the ability to inspire, direct, motivate and encourage others positively to targeted end. Also, leadership is about rising up to the occasion by organizing and adequately coordinating the resources of time, relationship, skills, expertise and finances to achieve a goal for the common good of all in the country. Flowing from the foregoing, it can be deduced that the concept of leadership is complex and dynamic, hence, it connotes assignment, effectiveness, responsibility, accountability, vision, character, productivity, persuasion and realization of targeted goals. Leading a change initiative is one of the most difficult tasks a leader can face. It is a double-edged sword with many risks and opportunities. For most leaders, managing a change initiative is crucial role, but the responsibilities can widely vary depending on what type of change will be pursued.


There are many leadership types and each has peculiar attributes. I will briefly discuss the two types of political leadership found in contemporary African societies, namely: Instrumental and Societal leadership. "Instrumental" leader uses power and influence primarily in the pursuit of private (personal, close family, cohorts) goals. Community objectives are secondary to an instrumental leader. The main concern of the instrumental leader is how he can use his office to achieve personal objectives. He may not be lacking in social/community commitments, but in practice more considerations are given to self over the interests of the society which he governs (Eulau, 1963, p.96). The "Societal" leader is a public servant first and only secondarily a private person. While the instrumental leader uses his position to promote private and selfish goals, the societal leader subordinates private narrow goals for broader community objectives. For him power and influence are important only if they can be used to solve human problems. While the societal leader is likely to resign when he is convinced he cannot influence changes to the benefit of the public, the instrumental leader would hold on to power as long as his private objectives are achieved. He does not care whether the community derives any benefit from his rule, or not. Given the above descriptions and the antecedents of Nigeria’s past leaders, it is clear that the majority of them were instrumentalists and opportunists. General Abacha for instance, was holding on to power, grabbing and hoarding as much money as he could possibly put his hands on without minding the effect of his behavior and actions on the society.


Leaders make things happen; they are wave makers. A society without talented and committed leaders will retrogress or at best remain stagnant without change to the lives of the people and the country. That has been the problem with Nigeria. A careful examination of the attitude and behavior of the leaders of post-colonial Nigeria shows that many of the civilian, as well as military leaders, were mired in the pursuit of selfish personal goals at the expense of broader national interest or needs. In other words, they were ‘instrumental’ leaders, or what David Apter called "consummatory" leaders. But to achieve effective change in Nigeria we are required to vote into power fearless leaders so are change elements and know deep down where it affects the average Nigeria.

Virtually in all human endeavour, be it in the home, corporate, religious and national setting, leadership is the pivot. Every leader has a primary jurisdiction. To the family head, it is his immediate environment. To the politician, it is those who voted him into office after unfolding to the people his manifesto of what he will do to bring effective change to them. For a corporate leader, it is shareholders of his corporate enterprises, people that reposed their trust in him with their life savings. For the clergy, it is his parishioners that look up to him for moral and spiritual guidance. It is safe to say that a leader worth his salt will keep his work to his primary constituency. To do otherwise, as always done in Nigeria by some leaders, is dishonest and below the dignity of man. Nigeria is certainly in desperate need of good leadership, for the constant change in the leadership in our history clearly testifies that we are a people groping in the dark, searching and yearning for a more reliable form of government and effective change overall. The question shouldn’t be ‘where’ the change is; it should be ‘what’ the change is. So what is the change? The answer is… ‘For every single one of us in this nation to commit ourselves to make a change for the better! As Mahatma Gandhi said, every single one of us in this country has a responsibility to be the change we wish to see in Nigeria and hence must task our leaders to uphold it!’

Self-sacrifice should form primarily a duty which must be carried out in fear and trembling. “Self-sacrificed in the art of leadership is perhaps most powerful in attracting loyal followership. Leadership is by example and not just by tenets. Hence, human leadership is delegated responsibilities used with a high sense of humility on God’s behalf. The quality is always one who is willing not only to be selfless but to die for his subordinates. In summary, a leader must recognize the essence of the way of the leader and follow its meaning diligently, because leadership is not certainly for all comers as it is obvious in Nigeria. In China, Leaders focus more on responsibilities with full awareness of the varied qualities that are needed for a good job than devoting times on right and benefits to be derived. For leadership is a most powerful force to be entrusted to devoted and responsible men, since it affects everyday lives.The way our history will be written depends upon the extent to which and the manner in which we - leaders and the people - strive to shape our future and the effective change we need as Nigerians from our leaders. There is a lot of unknown in the society. But since we cannot foresee what the remote future has in store for us, we can only hope for a better tomorrow. Nigeria, the world is still watching! Thank You.


References

Effective change definition retrieved from www.changefirst.com
Leadership Definition retrieved fro

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