Ex-President Jonathan and praise-singers

Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan recently made an honest disclosure when he said that overpraising sitting presidents makes them feel like a little god and unthinkable for them to leave the office. Jonathan also said the fear of persecution after office makes it difficult for a sitting president to relinquish power. Why people avoid […]

Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan recently made an honest disclosure when he said that overpraising sitting presidents makes them feel like a little god and unthinkable for them to leave the office. Jonathan also said the fear of persecution after office makes it difficult for a sitting president to relinquish power.

Why people avoid telling truth to power is that no matter how sincere, objective and useful such criticism is, those who hold such are tagged as enemies that should be silenced, hunted and persecuted. In the end, except those that are ready to die for the truth, what African leaders continue to hear are only the things they want to hear and promoting sycophancy, eye-service, and nepotism. Media outlets and civil society groups that are not on the side of government are labeled as opposition and sponsored by perceived enemies of the government in power. We recall that under the Jonathan administration too, there were forceful seizures of newspapers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos while distribution vans were stopped and searched in different parts of the country, as wrappers of the tabloids were stripped-off and copy confiscated.

The truth is that good governance can only be established when praise-singing is discouraged and when the media and civil society are alive to their responsibilities. Leaders and past presidents should not relent in speaking up when things are going wrong. This is where I disagree with Jonathan. Past leaders should speak up when things are falling apart. They should not only exercise their fundamental right to, but they should always be opinion leaders in society. More importantly, the leadership recruitment process should be transparent, seamless and honest enough to breed quality leaders badly needed to speak fearlessly and turn around things for the nation. That is how to make a difference as leaders. This is an obligation that Jonathan owes our country by telling truth to power.

Adewale Kupoluyi, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB),   [email protected]