By Young Erhiurhoro
Leadership is the political and traditional way, process or system of leading a group of people. This group of people could mean a family, community, social organization, company and a nation. This has extended to where two or three persons are gathered in a particular place. Leadership in its clear terms is defined as the process of promulgating laws, rules, regulations, decisions and policies and enacting same to the benefits of the people. Those at the helms of affairs or in charge of promulgating and enacting these set of laws are known as leaders, rulers and lawmakers as the case may be.
In the same way, opposition is defined as the political process of opposing these set of laws considered unfavourable before the people by a group of other leaders or selected persons in such a group or place. This group of people that is usually termed “opposers” are not always in the same camp or party with those leaders that promulgate and enact the said laws. These opposers will usually study the laws and review them and make sure such laws are favourable to the poor masses. Once they discovered that, those laws would not meet the needs of the people, then, the opposers will rise in complete opposition against such laws and how to subject them to political or traditional review or complete rejection by the people.
More importantly, in Nigerian politics and also in community leadership across the country, opposition is usually tagged as enmity and leaders in any cadre of leadership are fully ready to vehemently deal with it with their last pint of blood. This is because all those in opposition camps are those that once contested with those vested with power. That’s, the leaders controlling the affairs of government or leadership at the time. This is why when those people are opposing or challenging them for promulgating obnoxious laws against the peace and unity of the people, the leaders usually see such move as threats to their leadership and ready to deal decisively with such opposers and their acts.
However, our leaders whether at the government or community leadership, have failed to observe that, opposers are not their enemies in whatever way they design or classify it. They have also failed to notice the beauty of opposition in leadership. The importance and advantages of opposition in leadership are uncountable and many.
For instance, opposition is like a grease that soften the bearings of an engine. It strengths the leaders to always stand firm in order to promulgate good laws. Secondly, opposition is a political hub and social network for the masses to always air their views and shared opinions. This allows the leaders to know the needs and priorities of the people. Thirdly, opposition brings about the true meaning of democracy. If opposition is not accepted and guaranteed by a leadership, then such leaders would likely indulge in autocracy. Whenever there is a kind of leadership when the rights of the people are not respected by the leaders, such a leadership is cruel, harsh and autocratic in its political system of governance.
Finally, opposition is a beauty in leadership because opposers use it as a microscope to view all the activities of the leaders and have the fundamental rights to point to them their shortfalls, fraudulent acts and administrative demeanor. This is why an airing leader can be removed from the leadership position he’s holding according to the terms and conditions of the law.
Conclusively, either the wrong use of opposition by opposers or wrong definition of opposition by leaders has caused several internal crises in communities and nations. However, opposition crises are very common and rampant to community leadership as a result of closeness of the people or their commoness in living. Every little spark of opposers to community leaders in most cases usually result to unbearable unrest. This has destroyed people and properties in recent times.
This is unlike the opposition in government or corporate organizations. When opposition result in these places, they may finally be settled in the law courts. This doesn’t result to physical combat as in the case of the opposition in community leadership. Therefore, I want to call on our leaders whether in government or in our communities to usually see opposers to their laws and policies as friends, rather than enemies. No doubt, opposition is truly the beauty of leadership.
Young Erhiurhoro;Kjc, sent in this piece from Ughelli
