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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
The president general of Unenurhie community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Peter Maison, has cleared the air over why he adopted the position of a servant to his community instead of parading himself as a leader before the people as was the norm and practice of leaders in the community.
The president general made this known in a media chat with our correspondent after he concluded a town hall meeting with elders and opinion leaders in the community.
He said, “They voted me in as the community president general when there was a leadership tussle, which later led to a fierce intra communal crisis. As the community president general, I have successfully completed my first term. This is now my second term. Having known the problems we are facing as a result of bad or poor leadership, I therefore designed a new leadership style known as servant-leader style of leadership.
“This new community leadership removes pride, arrogance, stubbornness, defiance, high headedness and every other corrupt practice or oppressive trait that attached to many community leaders today. These traits I mentioned are always there to breed hatred, enmity, divisions and can finally cause crisis in the community at the end.
“This is the major reason why I put on the garment of a servant in the course of my leadership here instead of parading myself as a leader before the people. I want only the people to see those qualities that will make them to call me their leader. And not me parading or calling myself a leader before them.”
The president general who was highly optimistic that the Delta State government would soon recognize his community as a separate and independent kingdom from the present Evwreni kingdom said, “In fact, this servant-leader style of leadership is paying off well with much achievements since I started it from my first tenure. First, it helped me to establish cohesion and synergy amongst all the arms of government in the community. It’s a style of leadership that carries everybody along. It doesn’t allow power concentration in a particular leader or group.
“I discovered that one of the major reasons that brings about leadership tussle in a community is when too much power is concentrated on a particular leader. Such a leader will therefore become autocratic, oppressive and arrogant to every set of people.
“Secondly, this new form of leadership I created brings peace to the community. Since my first tenure till this present one, we have been able to sustain the peace in the community. The truth is that, there are challenges out there if not well managed, can cause crisis in the community. But because I assumed the position of a servant before the people, I always bear every insult and humiliation to avoid the break-down of law and order in the community.
“So many people in the community and in diaspora have accused me and this leadership because of this new servant-leader style I assumed of being too sympathetic or too weak in administration. But I always tell them that, this is the best system or style of community leadership if truly you want growth and development in the community.”
When asked if there would be continuity in this new style of leadership in the community after his tenure expires, the president general asserted, “It’s my wish and prayer that whoever will take the mantle of leadership from me should also put on this garment of a servant before the people. To answer your question directly, there must be continuity in this new style of leadership to build on this foundation to make it stronger and durable. This should be a kind of new culture and leadership ideology in the community especially to the youths that are described as leaders of tomorrow that every emerging leader in the community henceforth is a servant of the people instead of calling yourself a leader.
“You are either elected or appointed to serve the people in whatever leadership position you are holding. Then, allow only the people to call you their leader. When you have this at the back of your mind, then it will drive away personal or selfish interests. You will then fight for the common or general interests or desires of the community.
“The truth is that, as a serving president general of the community today, I don’t want the community leadership to go to wrong hands again because of sectional nepotism and favouritism. We have tasted enough of bad and oppressive leadership here. There is need for us to leave behind lasting legacies and durable impacts in every leadership. We must therefore continue to build on this new servant-leader style of leadership we introduced in the community,” he said.
