Olusegun Obasanjo military-to-civilian.

Olusegun Obasanjo Military-to-Civilian.

NewsReport Nigeria February 14, 2021

Twelve past and present leaders in the government operations of the Eastern Region of Nigeria participated in the study, and the leadership assessment instrument survey questionnaire was used to support the study. 

NewsReport Nigeria gathered that this are the major key words that as to do with governance, Leadership, Management, Corruption, Decision making, Policy, Culture, Ethics, Accountability, Government practices.

While the study showed a great need for change in leadership, the results of the study revealed that most of the leaders and policy makers in the Eastern Region of the country lack effective leadership skills for the positions they hold.

The study also suggested some recommendations for improving the current leadership situation in Nigeria.

The most urgent issues in Nigeria today are the lack of management of the public trust, corruption, government instability, and the maintenance of decaying simple amenities and infrastructures in the nation.

Inefficiency in governance has further deteriorated the Nigerian economy.

Political instability and lack of proper accountability in the country have severely impeded the ability of successive governments to implement economic policies for the common good of the people, thus creating a lack of basic amenities for the people in the country.

The 1999 democratic military-to-civilian transition saw the emergence of retired army General Olusegun Obasanjo as the first fourth republic Nigerian President.

That administration was fraught with a subtle militarization of a civilian government.

Sincerely speaking, the only gain we have got in the past 10 years of democracy in Nigeria is simply that we have had a civilian regime.

Besides it has not been truly civilian in the true sense of it. 8 years out of the last 10 years (Obasanjo’s administration) was a quasi-military government because Obasanjo ruled Nigeria like a military head of state.

Obasanjo’s military approach to democratic rule popularized presidential arbitrary imposition of elective candidates with sheer impunity, a situation from which the citizenry developed the slogan ‘selection’ in place of election.

The military-styled democratic rule of the government which was nothing much short of despotism and dictatorship institutionalized the cankerworm of Nigerian democratic leadership- corruption.

Throughout history, the most important aspects of the democratic way of life have been the principles of individual equally and freedom.

Accordingly, therefore, citizens in a democracy should be entitled to equal protection of their persons, possessions, and rights; have equal opportunity to pursue their lives and careers; and have equal rights of political participation.

In addition, the people should enjoy freedom from undue interference and domination fry government. They should be free, within the framework of the law, to believe, behave, and express themselves as they should as they wish.

Democratic societies seek to guarantee their citizens certain freedom, including freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech.

Ideally, citizens also should be guaranteed freedom of association and assembly, freedom from arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, and the freedom to work and live where and how they choose.

One of the greatest manifestations of corruption in Nigerian democratic leadership is the inability to ensconce a free and fair election.

Even the judiciary considered the last hope of the common man is equally enmeshed in collaborative corruption with the
political bigwigs.

Thus it is possible within Nigerian democracy for political moneybags to influence judicial decisions in order to
install cohorts in power.

With the critical tool of philosophy, this information identified corruption and ethno-religious politics as the major problems of leadership in

Nigerian polity.