National tragedies ,ethnic cleansing and other national problems don’t just happen . They are consequences of a leadership and people that have lost sight of their origin. Truth be told how many leaders alive today really know or even care to know about their origin.
Nations get into trouble when they neglect the existence of the owner of nations nor care less about pleasing Him. However bitter a pill this might be for man to swallow,it does not reduce from the fact that God owns all nations and He created them to serve Him and do His Will and nothing less will do!
National problems are not exclusive to Africa.Does that not explain why there are troubles everywhere.It is either the earth is quaking in Chile and Haiti or there are bloodbaths in Jos.There have been several ethnic problems and tragedies in several other parts of the world. Does this have to continue.what can Nigeria do to stem the tide of this evil?
One of the best references I have come to know as a panache for effective leadership(call it manual,if you like) is God’s Word: The Bible!
There are several accounts in that book that provide a head start for any leader that will rule his/her people well and keep them away from harm’s way.Of these several inferences I will just take the reader through just two of them.Coincidentally, both instances involve the same person:David,the best King of Israel yet!It was he (David)who ,shortly before he died, was quoted to have said ”When one rules over men in righteousness,when he rules in the fear of God,he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning,like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.” 2 Sam.23:3-4.
David was a leader who made several mistakes (ranging from adultery to murder to pride)but also thought us how to be sincere and admit it when we are wrong and to humbly seek to made amends.At different times this great leader and accomplished warrior never failed to crush any oppositions that came his way in the form of external aggressions.
During his tenure of office(2 Sam.21:1-14),there was famine for three years and life got very tough for his subjects owing to a wrong earlier committed by his predecessor(King Saul had ,while he was the political leader, mercilessly massacred the Gibeonites, a minority group of people living among the majority Jewish nation)and though Saul himself was since dead and gone the consequences of his erratic leadership was beginning to tell on the citizenry.Inflation had galloped to an all-time high and life was just simply unbearable.And what did David do?Complain and do nothing,play the blame game and line his pocket and that of his cronies?No,no no,and no!
Great leaders do no such things ,only chalatans .Rather David the leader got concerned,empathized with the minority.He even called a national conference to plavcate the hurt that the minority had suffered.He asked them in plain language how he could make amends(2 Sam.21:3).He made it up to them.
He knew this economic plague was a fallout of a wrong done to some people and that it was not going to leave until the hurting parties were placated.Isn’t it htime leaders of this nation took responsibilities for wrongs done in the past by the fathers,open their minds and seek a reprieve for the people they claim to lead ?so that all this acts of aggression,killings and continued heating of the polity can stop.Its been said severally that people who are hurt, hurt other people .The only reprieve will come when they are placated. Call the parties.Meet with them.Ask them what they want and do it! They are bound to sheath their swords and broker peace.Enough of our leaders begging the truth.Or isn’t leadership all about leading anymore?
In the second analysis(2 Sam.24),he was moved to conduct a census which turned out to be a plague on his people .Precious lives were lost.Unfortunately, any time leaders fail to do the right thing the consequence comes on the led. Don’t leaders ever get it?It was David that (probably out of ego and a feeling of accomplishment )counted the people and now it was the people suffering for his egomaniac decision.The Pandorra box had been opened.
Instantly David knew it was time to make amends.Sure it is human to make mistakes but it is also honourable to humbly get it fixed.David had enough leadership intelligence to know to go back to the Owner of nations.He pleaded with God and gave an offering to appease Him.Real leaders should trace their way back to God in repentance. what is so hard about our leaders calling a convocation ;a national day of repentance where they lead the led back to the Owner of nations with each of us encouraged to bring an offering in repentance to our God ; cutting yet another covenant.
