Two young political leaders in the world are exhibiting exemplary leadership at a time of adversity. Hit by a terror attack last weekend, in which scores of people were brazenly slaughtered, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, not only refused to bow to the white supremacist sentiments of the killer, but responded in a way that has won her admirers across the globe. Four days after the Christchurch massacre, Ardern’s colleague in the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, equally demonstrated that age is no barrier to sound leadership with his swift response after an attack on commuters in Utrecht.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about leadership in Nigeria. Although the country is repeatedly witnessing bloodshed, leadership here is largely defined by lethargy and sentimental political colouration. As the world has become a global village, President Muhammadu Buhari has invaluable lessons to learn from the unfolding events in New Zealand and the Netherlands.
New Zealand’s tranquillity was shattered by a white Australian supremacist, Brenton Tarrant, on March 15. Tarrant, 28, invaded two mosques in Christchurch, where he callously gunned down worshippers. Shockingly, he streamed the killings live on the social media. At the end of his orgy of brutality, he had massacred 50 innocent souls and over 50 others injured.
It was a trying moment, but Ardern, 38, responded with mettle, not by sitting down in the state house and issuing hollow statements. The following morning, she travelled to Al-Noor mosque, the scene of the disaster, and empathised with the bereaved families. Ardern cut through red tape, providing as much information as possible to the citizens at periodic intervals. This is laudable.
She did not stop there. She restated the values of humanity, saying that the victims “are us,” not refugees or Muslims who came to settle in New Zealand. Resolutely, Ardern catalysed a campaign to review New Zealand’s gun laws. “Part of ensuring the safety of New Zealanders must include a frank examination of our gun laws,” the PM said. To underline her avowal, she mobilised the parliament to commence an immediate debate on it, promising that new laws on gun control would be passed within 10 days. This is remarkable leadership.
In the Netherlands, Rutte, 52, also handled the killings by Gökmen Tanis, on Monday, with sagacity. Tanis, from Turkey, had opened fire on commuters at a tram station in Utrecht. He killed three and injured others. Instantly, Rutte convened crisis talks in government and raised the country’s terror alert level. Nothing was left to chance.
In both cases, the law enforcement agencies moved into action and arrested the perpetrators of the heinous crimes. In Christchurch, Tarrant was charged with murder the following day. These are countries Nigeria’s leadership and its law enforcement agencies can take a cue from.
Clearly, Ardern and Rutte bring Nigeria’s leadership deficiency to the fore. It bears restating that social life has collapsed and insecurity is the order of the day with the massive bloodshed in Adamawa, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Taraba and Benue communities. Shortly before the elections were postponed on February 16, scores of people were massacred in Kajuru, Kaduna State. Even now, bloodshed is rife there. What is the response from Buhari?
After the latest round of bloodletting last weekend, the President once again displayed his helplessness. “Everything is politicised in Nigeria, including the efforts to bring offenders to justice, because their people will rise up in arms to resist their arrest and prosecution,” Buhari lamented. The President was elected to tame these monsters. It is strange that after once being a military head of state and elected President since 2015, he has yet to rise above primordial interest.
Similarly, the governors, whose states are in the throes of banditry, are not any better. Their stock-in-trade is to make outlandish political statements.
For starters, the President is not helpless. He has immense constitutional powers and the security agencies at his command to deter and punish criminals. Without punishment, there is no deterrence. Within 24 hours, the suspect in the Christchurch killings is being prosecuted. Despite the innumerable atrocities of Boko Haram in the North-East, the bloodshed by Fulani herdsmen in the North-Central, and the banditry in the North-West, no serious prosecution is going on.
All this means one thing: leadership here is weak, and is not under any pressure to perform. Buhari should initiate a new approach; shed his aloofness and identify with communities that are undergoing crises. By putting the top hierarchy of the security agencies on their toes, he can yet make a difference.
Out of the 500 million small and light weapons in West Africa, Nigeria, according to the United Nations, has been home to 350 million of them since 2012. It is time for Buhari to mobilise the instrumentality of the state and reduce the proliferation of arms as Ardern is set to do in New Zealand. The President should work on rebuilding the national security architecture. Shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks, the United States government overhauled its security structure, establishing the Homeland Security Department to coordinate its efforts. In a country of almost 200 million, the idea of a single federal police is illogical and outdated. It is about to destroy Nigeria. Therefore, policing power should be devolved to the federating units.
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