BOOK REVIEW: The Taste of Servant Leadership

Book: The Rise of a Servant-Leader

Author: Isyaku Bala Ibrahim

Pages: 214

Year of Publication: 2009

Publishers: Gurara Publishing, Minna

Reviewer: Abdullahi Ismaila

It is often said that the taste of pudding is in the eating. The same meaning is implied in the statement of a Greek philosopher, Sophocles, who says that you will never know a man until you test him in an office. These truisms will serve as vistas through which both the book, The Rise of a Servant-Leader, and the man in the centre of it can be assayed.

Verily, I.B. Ibrahim’s book, The Rise of a Servant-Leader, is an obsequious piece of writing which documents the phoenix-like rise of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu to power and his “meteoric achievements.” Thus, like the pudding, the reading (or eating) and digesting of this extensively well researched book is sure to produce mixed tastes. To some, it may just be another skewed and tailored piece of writing objectified only by the teleology of its proponents – that is, to induce in the readers (or eaters) a predetermined response. To others, it may just be a rich source material no matter how well tailored by which to assess the trail blazing pronouncements and programmes of the self-styled Chief Servant.

In deed, as Sophocles says, having being tested in the klieg-light of such an exalted public office, one may be tempted to ask the questions. Who is Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu? Is he really what he professes to be? Is he not another con-waster adept at rhetoric and chicanery which is the trade-mark of Nigeria’s political elites? These questions as well as the desire to determine the taste of servant-leadership are condiments that will whet the appetite of any one encountering this richly documented and well researched book.

The Rise of a Servant-Leader contains nine chapters with an appendix. It is anchored on the philosophy of servant leadership espoused by Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, the Executive Governor of Niger State. This hallow philosophy provides the writer with the promontory to view and articulate the achievements of the Chief Servant in two years. Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu left no one in doubt right from the inception as to the direction of his administration as he declared:

You have asked for transparent, accountable and collective decision-making government and administration and you have elected and sworn-in the head of the administration today. We are all your servants to serve and provide services to you. Because I am your servant I request and appeal to you to address me as Chief Servant rather than Excellency. (p.108)

This quaint dictum represents a glaring paradigm shift from the hitherto drab and aristocratic nomenclature and philosophy of governance. Nonetheless, the enormity and trajectory of this new found passion is not altogether lost on the icon of that philosophy. Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu notes that his administration is a propitious contract “signed, sealed and delivered between myself, you the people of Niger State and Allah (SWT)” (P.111). This statement cannot be taken as another persuasive rhetoric and gimmicks of a bold-faced politician. In deed, the fact that it is linked to God, Almighty suggests that it is issued by one who is mindful of his responsibility to mankind and to God, and is not intent upon discharging it. For God is not a toy to rascally demean.

Thus, from the first chapter of the book, the reader is introduced to the profile of this personage whose meteoric rise to power is as providential as it is tastily mesmerising. Like a phoenix he emerged from the ashes of political bickering and non-plus sing cape diem.  His emergence thus smacks of opportunism but no less providential. His profile in chapter one is a showcase of a tested and experienced administrator, an erudite scholar and an astute politician who first cut his political teeth in 1983 when he was elected as a member of the house of Representative on the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). To all intents and purposes, the profiling of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu shows that he is a purposive, an adventurous, and a forthright goal-getter.

In chapters two, three and four, the writer traces political development in Niger State which has produced four civilian governors so far, the candidature of Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, and his election in the April 2007 elections. Niger State was created in 1976 and so far it has produced eminent Nigerians who have served and are still serving in various capacities both at the state and national levels. In spite of the huge gains made by the state, however, the writer notes that Nigerlites still yearn for a better deal, a “change from injustice, unapologetic atrocities, dishonesty, betrayal, distrust, lack of focus and irresponsibility” (p.32). Thus, as the writer observes, when Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP after the bitter feud that threatened the polity, he “attracted comments from different quarters in the state. Some described him as an ‘intervention candidate’ while, others saw him as a ‘God-sent Candidate’ or ‘the messiah.’”

His election as governor on 14th April 2007 nevertheless silenced doubting Thomas’s and sceptics some of who sought to discredit him by whipping sentiment over his indigeneship background. Yet, as the writer argues, such base consideration is inconsequential in the light of the cultural integration and globalisation that has effectively broken such barriers as ethnicity, indigeneship, and race thereby allowing peoples of various hues and creeds to become leaders and citizens in countries and localities other than theirs. The writer cites examples of Nikolas  Sarkozy of France, Barack Obama of USA, John Ezzidio of Sierra Leone. In Nigeria, this integrational cultural flux has produced many leaders including the late Alhaji Muhammadu Bagudu Waziri who was once elected in Ibadan as Supervisory Councillor of Land and Public Health in 1950s. Thus, this cultural flux has become a sine qua non, and so riding on the crest of this understanding Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu undisputedly became Governor of Niger State.

Nonetheless, soon after he assumed office he faced many challenges, not in the least, the series of litigations instituted by both the opposition and some aggrieve members of the ruling party as well as the task of value re-orientation. Hitherto, as the writer notes in chapter six, the perception of an average Nigerian about government and politics is to the effect that:

…politics is a lucrative enterprise, indeed an easy way of making money and becoming wealthy. No wonder, every Tom, Dick and Harry comes out to contest and engage in fierce battles to win an election by all means! The result of this is the enthronement of touts and weaklings who would be constantly pushed around as events and godfathers may dictates (p.74)

Obviously, this deeply entrenched perception and value orientation does not agree with Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu’s philosophy of servant leadership. And his attempt to reorient people’s perception towards a service-oriented public service was met with stiff opposition leading to series of litigations, clash of interests, and public inquisition. The net effect of all this is a dragnet on the statecraft and a drain on state’s scarce resources.

In spite of this, however, the vision and mission of the Chief Servant which is to make the state “one of the best three (3) state economies in Nigeria by the year 2020,” as the writer notes, is on course. This forms the thrust of chapters seven and eight. The determination of the Chief Servant to succeed is couched in the following statement:

… I am afraid of failure because I don’t know what it is. I want to succeed. I need your help and assistance and together we shall succeed. As a sign of our determination to succeed, I have generated a credo that will in addition to our national anthem and pledge be a permanent anchor inspiring us to work devotedly as one people. (p.123)

This credo is the much bandied passion, vision 3:2020. The vision is expressed in the ten point agenda outlined in chapter five, which are: agriculture, civil service, commerce and industry, culture and tourism, employment generation, health, judiciary, local government structure, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and security.

The actualization of these agenda is anchored on the innovative ideas of infrastructural and service financing initiatives which are: Direct Government Financing (DGF), Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, Public – International Donor Collaborations (PIDC), Inter-Governmental Partnerships (IGP), Bi/Multilateral Agreements, Private Social Responsibility (PSR), and others. Through these platforms, the writer notes that “the state is witnessing groundbreaking landmarks and transformation across the state.” (p.134)

These landmark achievements are indicated in chapter eight which is the longest chapter in the book. The achievements cover the areas of agriculture, rural development, culture and tourism, commerce and cooperatives, education, poverty eradication and value reorientation, health, land and housing, transport and infrastructural development, information and communication, youths and sports and general administration which includes civil service reform, local government structure, the PDP, urban renewal and discipline, accountability and transparency, zero tolerance for corruption, etc.

It is in the context of these “meteoric achievements” that the writer likens the Chief Servant to the Premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, KBE. Even Danmasanin Kano, Alhaji Maitama Sule concurs when he christened Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, “the new Sardauna of the North.” This means more encomiums, more platitudes, and many awards for the action governor.

In the final analysis, reading through this book, one gets the impression that Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu is astute politician, an inspirational leader, one with an eye to the future of not only himself but that of the state and the country as a whole. By this profiling and detailing of the achievements of the Chief Servant, the writer, I. B. Ibrahim has beckoned to posterity to place the utterances of this man, who Alhaji Maitama Sule says will go a long way in the politics of Nigeria if he continues the way he is going, with his actions. The most striking feature of this book is the thoroughness of research and the rich-store of information of the Chief Servant which is sure to benefit not a few academics as well as critics of the administration.

Nonetheless, there are few instances of grammatical and typographical mistakes such as the sentence “though, if…” in the first paragraph of page 33, “set to achieve” instead of (set out to achieve); “need others’ advice” instead of (need other people’s advice) all in page 33, “toiled” instead of (toyed) in page 34, and the hanging sentence in the beginning of the second paragraph of p.102, and the verbosity in the phrase “as premonitory of many.” Or else, the language is generally down to earth and simple. The pictorials enhanced understanding of issues.