“Let
everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no
authority except that which God has established. The authorities that
exist have been established by God”
(Romans 13:1)
Few things will enable a leader to
harness the collective creativity and persistence required to grow,
develop and weather storms like a people’s love for their organisation
or country. In his seminal work, Exodus: Immigration and
Multiculturalism in the 21st Century, economics professor, Paul Collier,
argues that poor societies are poor because they lack the attitudes of
trust and cooperation rooted in patriotism. But as powerful a sentiment
as patriotism is, it wanes or waxes to the rhythm, failure or success of
leadership.
Patriotism is not a function of birth. In
other words, being born a Nigerian does not automatically instil
patriotism. Patriotism follows leadership’s ability to create a sense of
shared values, purpose and destiny people can connect to. It was on the
assumption of office John F. Kennedy said: “Let every nation know,
whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any
burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure
the survival and the success of liberty.” Liberty, for Kennedy, as for
most Americans, was an overriding virtue that could not be compromised,
something that excited the moral sensibilities of the people, a shared
value they could rally around. Similar to this was Gen. Yakubu Gowon’s
victory speech after the civil war which introduced the slogan, “To keep
Nigeria one is a task that must be done.” This provided a then
fragmented Nigeria with a sense of direction, shared purpose and
something to aspire to. The truth is, patriotism does not develop in a
vacuum. Leaders must inspire and sustain it by articulating and
exemplifying a common set of values, norms and aspirations.
No matter how multicultural or
multi-religious a people may be, a shared interest and pursuit can help
them find strength in their differences. For over a decade, during its
civil war, Lebanon was fractured into warring sects: Sunni, Shia,
Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Druze – all at each other’s
throats. After the war ended, there sprung up in the country a sort of
defiant patriotism, a shared love of country over sect. A British
journalist visiting Lebanon and writing for The Spectator had this to say:
“A decade ago, when I visited with
friends, no one we met would confess which side they’d been on in the
war. ‘It doesn’t matter, we’re all Lebanese now.’”
Consider the sense of patriotism that
typically attends our support for our national sport teams. Consider how
Nigerians, regardless of tribal, religious affiliation or class rally
round the Super Eagles wishing and willing the team to victory. Now,
consider how much stronger a country we could build if we transferred
that same sense of devotion to every aspect of our national life; that
same interest, that same sense of pride and joy we derived when the
Super Eagles won the African Cup of Nations in 2013, oblivious of the
ethnicities or religions of the coach, captain or player who scored the
winning goal.
Now it is true that the sense of
patriotism and destiny that attended the birthing of Nigeria in 1960 has
continued to wane owing to decades of systemic and leadership failures.
To unlock the potential for greatness we all know Nigeria possesses, we
should amongst other things, rediscover and reignite our sense of
patriotism; one that recognises the beauty of our differences but
transcends them. This will require definite direction by the leadership.
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