BUILDING WARRIORS OUT OF WORRIERS

MORACK AKIN-DAVID

The greatest test of leadership is being able to make do with, and make good use of available resources. Building something amazing and monumental out of what others see as nothing is what places demarcation between dynamic leaders and others. Those are leaders who transform wastes dumping sites to treasure wonderlands. They turn wanderers to wonders and worriers to warriors. The only challenge is that there are few of such leaders around here.

It seems to me, an irony and mockery, for Africa and Nigeria in particular, to be named among the largest economies in the world and yet it is the most pitiable clime around the globe. How can one explain a land that for decades was discovered to be so rich in economic potential, yet, producing the greatest number of poor population in the world?

The moment those that are made leaders or who forced themselves on the people as leaders, turn themselves to notorious beggars before their counterparts in other nations, yet they are never ashamed of repeating the same year in year out, then, it is no more about resources, it is purely about dearth of truly resourceful leaders from top to toe. 

This exactly was what the great Pan African Revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, in his lifetime, decried with almost a bleeding heart, “Our country produces enough to feed us all. Alas, for lack of organization, we are forced to beg for food aid. It’s this aid that instills in our spirits the attitude of beggars”. 

Thomas Sankara in his 4 years rule, shunned all foreign aids, canvassed for debt reduction, and averted the power and influence of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Rather, he propagated and promoted African self-reliance, by exploring indigenous resources for sustainable nation building.  He built warriors out or worriers. Alas! My fatherland has rather turned our own warriors to worriers! Shame. 

– Morack Akin-David (Author, Game of Leadership)