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anniebrisibe@yahoo.com Woodbury, MN, USA

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THE ETHICAL IMPERATIVE OF LEADERSHIP:
OBASANJO'S MORAL ALBATROSS

ince the second coming of retired Gen. Obasanjo as the Head of State of Nigeria, he has consistently stated his commitment towards the eradication of corruption in public life. He has used every convenient public fora both at home and abroad to speak about his "war on corruption."

To further embellish his crusading credentials he recently described himself as a "stubborn but virtuous leader." The very use of the term "virtuous leader" suggests to a person who is an embodiment of moral virtue and excellence. Objective critics of the Obasanjo presidency would certainly scurf at such characterization. The president's pronouncements can be said to be mere platitudes and verbose exhortations that do not match the realities on the ground.

Before we accept Obasanjo as a virtuous leader, it is important for us to briefly examine the criteria in which we may qualify a person as such. In as much as there is no ethical "cookbook", it is universally acknowledged that for societies to prosper, the leadership must abide by certain ethical attributes that can be broadly identified as character, civility, and community.

In terms of character; leaders must have a sense of empathy, integrity and honesty of purpose towards a vision, tolerance and ability to listen to dissenting opinions. With respect to civility, an ethical leader must show reverence and respect in the execution of his responsibilities. For political leaders reverence and respect for the rule of law. On the community component, a leader, must show compassion, administer fairly and work for justice.

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Clearly, when we hold up these attributes as a mirror to reflect on Gen. Obasanjo's leadership style, being ethical and virtuous would not be words an objective person would use to define his leadership disposition. An image that would remain eternally buried in memories of Nigerians was his callous and cold-blooded response to the victims of the ammunition depot explosion at the Ikeja cantonment in 2000. No ethical leader with empathy and sense of compassion would have responded in the manner that Obasanjo acted. The arbitrary and shadowy manner in which his administration changed prices of petroleum products given the anguish it caused, it did not tell of a leader who has genuine concern for the welfare of its people.

On the aspect of his much-vaunted war on corruption, it is important to categorize corruption into two parts: civil and monetary manifestations as they both do harm to the fabric of the society. In terms of the civil manifestation of corruption, it is when the president uses his office to subvert the institutions of governance. A few of the examples to illustrate the unethical conduct of the president are the blatant rigging of the 2003 elections by his party the PDP, his criminal neglect of the Anambra state saga between Ngige and Uba, non-compliance of the supreme court's verdict regarding local government funding to Lagos State, and the financing of the talkshop in Abuja without any budgetary approval by the National Assembly.

A leader who is sincerely serious about the eradication of corruption in public life would not be conducting the National Reform Political Conference at this time, no matter the assumed benefits. Given that the rule of the game demands the executive to submit its program for legislative approval, the president has corrupted the process of governance by using extra-budgetary means to finance this venture. These actions among many others undermine the growth of the democratic process and the institutions that underpins it. In fact, it can be said that the president is a major obstacle in the progressive evolution of democratic norms in the country. The president's temperament has been one of dictatorial mien rather than that of consensus building.

In the aspect of corruption by financial inducement and monetary gains, under examination the president can not be said to be above board. Before the recent Osuji-Legislators budget saga, there was enough speculation from reliable sources of the use of "Ghana Must Go" bags to deliver money to members of the National Assembly from the Presidency in order to get its wishes, during the first term of the president. This tactics of financial inducement to achieve specific goals was amply observed during the presidential nomination process at the PDP convention last year.

Many Nigerians living abroad will attest to the profligate spending habits of many government officials (including the presidency) when visiting. They could not be spending money earned from there regular salaries in such extravagant manner. It has been noted that the last Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Azie, wrote a scathing report indicting several departments of the Federal government on financial malfeasance. Rather than empowering the messenger of truth, the Auditor-General was retired and his report consigned in an executive chamber to rot. It is a wonder that after almost six years at the saddle the federal government has not successfully prosecuted and convicted any senior official for financial corruption.

Recently, a posting was made on the internet site www.nigeriaworld.com on January 18, 2005 by one Alao Sanusi alleging corrupt practices in Aso Rock in a piece titled Nigerian Expose. A few of the allegation are the sale of Black Oil in 2003 in which the NNPC was defrauded in the amount of seventeen billion naira. The discretionary allocation of 50,000 barrels of crude oil and four exploratory oil blocks to SINOPEC/JAGAL in 2003. Also the huge 40% discount in price of gas being supplied to Dangote cement industries. No other industry has gotten this form of incentive and discretionary treatment.

For the president to generate confidence in his "war on corruption" he must first remove the speck in his own eyes, by conducting a thorough investigation of financial transactions of the federal government since the beginning of his presidency. As is very well known, the decay and deterioration of fish starts from the head. The president must go beyond wanting to satisfy western financial institutions and interests. It was not lost on curious observers that the presidential broadcast sacking the education minister preceded the visit to Aso Rock by officials of international financial institutions.

The anti-corruption fight must justify its own end, and not as a necessary condition in the campaign for debt reduction. In order to further the cause of anti-corruption, the president should send the National assembly a bill creating the office of inspector-general in all federal ministries. This office must be independent and responsible for the investigation of abuse of the due process in their individual establishment. As it has become crystal clear the development of the nation will remain inchoate as long as the present climate of pervasive corruption prevails. It is time for the president to go beyond sanctimonious pronouncements, hurried national broadcasts and tackle the bull by the horn.