AKPATANATION: The revolution may have begun

 

Elections in Nigeria are high-stakes contests. General elections in our fourth republic have not only been characterised by pervasive malpractices, tears, and blood, but have also seen the systemic disenfranchisement of the majority in favour of an elite class that have perpetuated themselves in power. Since there is a well-established correlation between political transitions, democratic consolidation, and development, it is no surprise we are where we are.

Any serious push towards fixing Nigeria must therefore start with addressing leadership recruitment – who leads us and how they get to office. Not only at the level of government but every segment of the public sphere. Therefore the recently concluded elections of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) should be of interest to any patriot. According to the official results announced by the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), Mr. Olumide Akpata polled 9,891 votes to defeat two senior advocates – Mr. Dele Adesina SAN and Dr. Babatunde Ajibade SAN, who scored 3,982 and 4,328 respectively. Effectively, Akpata hauled 53.40% of the 18,256 ballots that were cast – matching the combined efforts of his two opponents with some change. To be clear, Adesina and Ajibade are well respected and eminently qualified for the position, but this was a landslide by all ramifications.

Akpata’s victory on the back of a strong appeal to the younger generation of lawyers is significant. It is evidence that such factors as demographic dynamics and technology are altering conventional structures and principles on how power is acquired, used, kept, and lost. From the insights which Moisés Naím provides in his book: The End of Power (published in 2013), it is apparent that power is shifting from brawn to brains, from north to south, west to east, from old corporate behemoths to agile start-ups, from entrenched dictators to actors in town squares and in cyberspace. Akpata is a symbol of a renaissance that may have begun, and his election holds extrapolative lessons for the possibilities in Nigeria’s larger body politic.

Few would disagree that the legal profession and ultimately the Nigerian judiciary need urgent reforms. On all fronts, ranging from our abysmal human rights records, to widespread delays and outright denials of justice, Nigerians need a more responsive, efficient, and effective judiciary to uphold the rule of law. There can be no peace and development without justice. However, the primacy of the rule of law in any society does not come easy. Rule of law and political accountability can only be extracted by a critical mass of enlightened citizens, and through the advocacy and interventions of non-state actors such as the NBA.

As the elite association of lawyers in Nigeria, the NBA bears a moral burden to champion the reform of the justice sector. More so, the NBA as a professional association cannot avoid the myriad of challenges associated with rising unemployment in the country, and the dearth of economic opportunities available to a burgeoning youth population.

Akpata’s campaign demonstrated an understanding of these issues and he did well to articulate his strategies to address them in a manifesto that should become a reference point for anyone aspiring to office. He leveraged the widespread discontent with the status quo in the affairs of the bar, that paid little attention to the welfare and prospects of younger lawyers. He preached hope to those trying to earn an honest living practicing the noble profession. Amongst other things, his manifesto promised institutional responses that would seek to widen opportunities for lawyers in emerging practice areas. He promised to push for curriculum review to produce first-class lawyers from our institutions that are better prepared to thrive in a fast-changing world.

The pushback from the powers that be was largely covert, but not without the widely publicised opposition to Akpata’s candidacy coming from revered silk Asiwaju Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, who wrote to Chief T.J.O Okpoko SAN, a former President of the NBA (1998), as well as the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), expressing his fears that members of the Outer Bar were making moves to “wrestle” the office of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president from the members of the Inner Bar. He further opined that to preserve the seniority in the Bar on the one hand, and “the integrity, honour and respectability of the Office of President of NBA” on the other, the revolutionary quest to take away the position from a SAN by junior members in the Bar required an urgent meeting of past Presidents of the NBA to save the situation. No such convening ever held, but rather became a call to arms to younger lawyers.

Indeed, Akpata’s election defied the inner and outer bar dichotomy and is the first time in over three decades that the president of the NBA has been elected from outside the rank of senior advocates. The first runner up Dr. Ajibade, SAN, being an honourable Ekiti man, did well to “respectfully disagree with the position” presented by Awomolo, asserting that “there is nothing contained in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Constitution or in the history of the NBA to support the submissions. The focus should be on the character, capacity, and antecedents of persons who aspire to lead our profession and not on their title or rank.”

On his track record, Akpata has passionately engaged in Bar activities right from his days at Dr. Mudiaga Odje & Co., Warri, Delta State. As a foundation member of the NBA Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL), he worked closely with predecessors before becoming the chairman of the NBA-SBL in 2016. During his tenure, the SBL became known for advancing progressive conversations on addressing challenges and improving the opportunities available to corporate lawyers. It also became an avenue for robust social interactions. SBL conferences were by far the most exciting and attracted young lawyers in their numbers. Akpata being a people-person nurtured relationships across board and became a mentor to many. That is where the #AKPATANATION movement started from.

Asides the legal profession, Akpata has been well known as a reformer. He has seized every civic space available to promote his vision for a new Nigeria. He has been active in every association he has been affiliated to – from the King’s College Lagos Old Boys’ Association, to the University of Benin Alumni Association, to faith-based organisations, to Cultural preservation endeavours in the ancient Benin kingdom, to supporting political aspirations of visionary underdogs in elections across all levels – Akpata has paid his dues! He is a man of deep convictions and integrity, and a respected bridge between the younger and older generations. Personally, I have known him for over 15 years, and he has been consistent in his activism, and investing in relationships across board, logging in hours on the road and in the air to personally attend social functions of his many friends and associates. He has consistently looked out for the interest of everyone associated with him, especially younger lawyers, long before he needed their votes. He is also deeply respectful of elders and I am certain his tenure of office would cater to the interests of his seniors at the bar, SANs inclusive.

Akpata’s victory should teach our political elite, and Nigerians at large that there is the possibility of the emergence of competent candidates from outside conventional circles, and that digitally connected young Nigerians in their numbers are a bloc that cannot be ignored. With deteriorating infrastructure, limited economic prospects, worsening insecurity, and other portends, they are unlikely to continue to sit idly waiting for good governance or change. One day, they would demand it – and without sounding apocalyptic, the glamorisation of corruption and the failure to pursue economic growth and development today would result in an increasingly restive citizenry which has the potential to destabilize governments at the least or lead to even more disastrous outcomes for the state. Conversely, if the right set of policies and institutional actions are taken, it will spur the conditions for long-term growth and demographic dividends.

Demographic shifts and the spread of information communication technology (ICT) is what distinguishes today’s world from those of our forebears – it promises to alter how leaders get to power. The most important lessons from Akpata’s election however are that contrary to popular arguments by those who fear change: anti-establishment is not necessarily anti-intellectualism; populism and deft retail politics does not equal vacuous pretence; political change is tenable with minimal or no collateral damage; and borrowing from Robert D. Blackwill and Jennifer M. Harris, it is possible to wage the war for the soul of our dear country by other means and win.

I join all well-meaning Nigerians to wish Mr. Olumide Akpata success. May the wine from your bar be sweet.

Akin Rotimi

Balloons and Bullets: Reflections on Awolowo’s ideologies of love, empathy and mental magnitude - Akin Rotimi

 

              Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo

It was a pleasant day, long before the pandemic. I was inside the Gloworld at the Ikeja City Mall to fix something with my phone line. Everything was going well until the sound of gunshots – skrrrahh, pap, pap, ka-ka-ka-ka-ka! I jumped to my feet very quickly and scanned the environment to determine the safest escape route. I quickly considered that if there was to be a stampede everyone would make for the only door to the small room and run towards the direction the salvos would be coming from. So, I decided that the small room behind the service agents, where they usually kept their stock of phones and accessories would be the safest place to hide. Quick thinking.

People were getting increasingly agitated and asking the lone security guard what the problem was. The sounds went off again, this time louder and longer, and in the ensuing pandemonium I made my move. It was from the safety of the storeroom, while praying feverishly, that I heard people explain what had just happened – and then they all burst into laughter as I emerged from my fortress. They were laughing at me! One lady gathered herself and said, “Oga, na balloon, no be bullet”. A nearby store that sold balloons and other celebratory materials simply had an incident with some of their balloons popping off. Indeed, it was balloons and not bullets. So, I had the walk of shame, with stares from staff and customers alike, not back to my seat, but out of the store and headed home. I was thoroughly embarrassed.

As I drove home, I thought hard about what just happened. I knew exactly where it came from. On Wednesday, March 13, 2013, I was returning from a trip with my colleague. Our wives had driven to the airport separately to pick us up. As we approached the car park, Tina and I said our goodbyes to Tolu and Bolanle as we went in different directions to find our vehicles. Tina decided to treat me to the spicy meat delicacy suya, because she knew I longed to reunite my taste buds with Nigerian food. So, she described where she parked the car and handed the keys to me so she could go buy it while I fetched the car. Her kind gesture is what saved her from the traumatic experience that was to follow.

As I pushed the trolley along within the large car park, I heard gunshots go off from very close quarters. I was caught up in a robbery in progress. About ten dare devil robbers had stormed the Murtala Muhammed International airport, reportedly in trail of a huge sum of illicit funds that had been transported in a bullion van enroute Dubai. It was a brazen case of attempted “relooting” as the thieves made to take their share of the loot, resulting in the death of two policemen and one of the robbers in the gunfight that followed.

It was a very horrible experience. At a point, I saw one man in a flowing gown drop flat to the ground and roll under a car to hide. I tried to follow him, but it was not easy – many are called but few are slim enough. He kicked and yelled that I should find another hiding place. As I ran, another volley of gunshots went off which made me scrape my knees on the concrete resulting in a painful injury. By God’s grace I was able to escape the theatre of violence and reunite with Tina. We went home in a taxi that night, too traumatised to return to the carpark to find the car.

In the years before that incident, I had led missions to five post-conflict countries to engage with young people rebuilding their lives. Our audience included victims of the most horrendous war crimes as well as former child soldiers. I had heard war stories and prided myself in being able to relate with them during counselling. My later experience, which is nothing compared to theirs, showed me how wrong I was, and how it takes a lot more effort to truly empathise with people especially when you have not lived their experiences. I have since come to learn more about empathy and how this is a crucial factor in conversations about leadership and development in Africa.

The late sage Obafemi Awolowo wrote a lot about the subject of love, empathy, and mental magnitude. He was born into a peasant family and his prospects in life were further dimmed when his father died while he was still very young. Asides the existential struggle for food, clothing, and shelter, he faced the challenge of continuing his education. This experience accounts for his dogged commitment to free and universal education, and his belief that education is the fundamental building block for development in any society. The trials of an indigent boy resulted in empathy, which in turn led to enduring political ideologies and structures that posited a relationship between education, political consciousness, and development. His achievements in mass education and development as the premier of the defunct Western Region remains unrivalled in the history of post-colonial African states.

On love, Awolowo saw love as an important virtue for anyone aspiring to lead, which is in sharp contrast to the chicanery, knavery, and brutish credentials required in Nigerian politics these days. Aboluwodi stated that “Awolowo saw accountability, transparency and the like as the mainstream of political order which may constitute the thesis while selfishness, greed and so on constitute a negation of this order. The conflict between man’s natural instincts like greed and impulse is resolved when these greedy and selfish acts are overcome and love which manifests in social justice, fairness and equity is attained. Love then becomes a quality that the state or family must aspire to have. Just like the state aspires to reach its perfection when it has freedom, morality, and rationality in Hegelian dialectic, Awolowo’s perfect state is achieved when the state and its parts attain a perfect state of love. Love becomes the quintessence of state and human interaction.”

On mental magnitude, Awolowo theorised that those who aspire to lead should be able to bring their acquisitive tendencies under the control of reason and cultivate self-discipline. He further postulated that good leaders should abhor vile emotions and vices including anger, fear, malice, gluttony, drunkenness, and sexual immorality. He believed that only those whose interests are subsumed under the interests of the collective can succeed as leaders. Achieving this state of consciousness is what Awolowo called the regime of mental magnitude – the ability to subvert human proclivities for crass materialism and indulgences in favour of self-discipline and rational behaviour.

With very few exceptions, Africa has since retreated from producing leaders with the virtues of love, empathy, and mental magnitude that Awolowo wrote about. Our human development indices have declined steadily over the years because of the many reprobates in power stifling the good efforts of the few honourable people who manage to get to positions of authority. That is not to say we have not had leaders who had no shoes while they were growing up. We once had the case of a minister who was in tears during inspection of dilapidated critical infrastructure but ended up becoming one of the most prolific looters of public funds. It has simply been a case of misplaced empathy.

Paul Ekman distinguishes between different forms of empathy. He wrote about “cognitive empathy,” which is the ability to know how the other person feels and how they think. While it has its good aspects, this sort of empathy has been associated with the “dark triad” – Narcissists, Machiavellians, and Sociopaths, who possess this attribute while having no sympathy for their victims. A torturer needs this ability, if only to better calibrate his cruelty – and talented political operatives no doubt have this ability in abundance. (Goleman, 2007).

Majority of the current crop of political leaders understand the politics of poverty all too well. They are skilled in the art of exploiting the desperation of poor Nigerians, who are in the majority, to advance their own selfish interests. Add to that wizardry in identity politics and you have tales of heists by uncommon people in power who go against the will of God by stealing funds meant for development, while people from the regions they claim to represent wallow in poverty. “Compassionate empathy”, on the other hand, according to Ekman, helps people understand another person’s predicament and not only feel with them, but are moved to do the right thing and help them. Some statements by serving public officials give them away that they are far removed from the pains and suffering of the people.

In the months and years ahead, when we have another chance to elect leaders to different positions of power, Nigerians would do well to pay greater attention to the personal lives, characters, and antecedents of those aspiring to office – because desperation and a lack of moral rectitude in aspiring leaders, according to the great Awo, is a veritable hint of disasters waiting to happen. We have recycled deceptive populists, mercantilist demagogues, and indignant godsons of entitled godfathers, over many years with little to show for it. This is the time to revisit existing models of leadership recruitment and find good people in unlikely places to lead us. Moral exemplars who have been the bulwark against the free fall of society. Empathetic men and women amongst us that we often remark would make good leaders but are not cut out for the politics of money and violence. These are the exact corps of patriots we need to salvage our country.

Akin Rotimi

TRIBUTE IN HONOUR OF SIR OLUREMI OMOTOSO - AKIN ROTIMI

 

Sir Oluremi Omotoso's demise is deeply devastating. He was a mentor, a father, and a forebear in many ways that I cannot write about him without reference to my personal odyssey. He was undoubtedly one of the most prominent indigenes of Ekiti state, Nigeria, with global renown and impact, who sadly died recently.

Like many people from Ekiti, even before the state was created out of the old Ondo state in 1996, I grew up hearing stories from my late father about what it meant to be an Ekiti person. Stories like that of Mr. Femi Adeoye, who handed his son over to state government officials for flouting the ban on interstate travel instituted in the wake of COVID 19. Sadly, there were more Mr. Adeoyes then than now – principled men and women of Ekiti origin who were called stubborn because of their integrity.

Thus, early in life I learnt to love all things Ekiti. When I heard on radio sometime in 1999 that the socio-cultural association for Ekiti indigenes, Ekiti Parapo, was holding meetings at the Ikeja Airport Hotel, I made up my mind to attend. So, at 18 years old, I journeyed from Victoria Island to Obafemi Awolowo Way Ikeja, once every month, if I remember correctly, to attend Ekiti Parapo meetings as the youngest member. It was at these meetings I met late Sir Omotoso, alongside Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Architect Fola Alade, and many others. Under the guidance and mentorship of these legends I gained my first experience serving Ekiti as a volunteer in the association’s activities including the organisation of the reception held at the Club Arcade in Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos Island, in honour of H.E. Otunba Niyi Adebayo, on his ascension to office as the first civilian governor of the state in 1999.

It was rather unusual for a teenager to attend those meetings with elders, and though I mostly listened and rarely spoke, I was always warmly welcomed. Sir Omotoso especially took an interest in me because of the things we had in common including hailing from the same hometown – Odo Ayedun, and belonging to the Methodist Church Nigeria. Subsequently, I matriculated to study Geography at the University of Ibadan, many years after Sir Omotoso graduated from the same department. It seemed like every path I have walked, Sir Omotoso had gone ahead of me. For these reasons, he was a role model and source of inspiration, and a father figure more so since my father who was his friend died in 2017.

As alumni of the same department at the University of Ibadan, I consulted with him when I became president of the students’ association, and he sent a representative Oloye Lekan Alabi to a departmental function he was unable to attend in 2014. His achievements in the corporate world and his admonitions provided assurances that there were diverse career options for graduates of geography because we were trained to look at the world through the lenses of place, space, and scale. His career as a boardroom titan demonstrated understanding and proficiency in the application of geography’s domains of synthesis to the private sector namely – environmental-societal dynamics relating human action to the physical environment, environmental dynamics linking physical systems, and human-societal dynamics linking economic, social, and political systems.

As a Christian and member of the Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN), he was a true definition of an elder. While I was a nominal member of the MCN, he frequently reminded me of my heritage being the grandson of Adeleye Silva, one of the founders of the Methodist Church Cathedral of His Glory in Odo Ayedun, which he served as Baba Ijo till he died. He was very involved in the local affairs of the church, and on several occasions he personally called me to make a contribution when the church needed funds for a project. Humble to a fault, Sir Omotoso would personally call everyone associated with the church, old and young, home and abroad, to raise funds and support for the church. He was the critical link to many of us all over the world who did not have as much connection to the administrative affairs of the local assembly.

Beyond Odo Ayedun, Sir Omotoso served the MCN movement nationally. He was at a point the Lay President of the Conference, serving diligently with the evangelistic fervour of John Wesley, before and after holding office. He supported efforts of the clergy to reposition the church with dynamic and resilient structures, as well as sustainable funding mechanisms, and was central to the development of the 2006 constitution. He is credited with the idea of adopting “Worthy is the Lamb” as Methodist Church of Nigeria’s slogan. He brought his humane leadership and experience in the board room to bear in advocating for better working conditions for church workers, including the establishment of pension and housing schemes and other welfare programmes. He served the church diligently with his time, talents, and resources.

As a community leader, Sir Omotoso was one of my guiding lights. I consulted with him at every milestone in my public service career, and he was always eager to offer his advice and support. In June 2014, when Governor Fayemi lost his re-election bid, he was one of those who reached out to ask if I needed any help reintegrating into the private sector. His offer was not one to be taken for granted considering his influence on the boards of many companies. He was impressed when I informed him that though I was not clear what the future held at the time, I had decided to stay on with my boss because I saw my role as crucial to his seamless transition into new endeavours.

What I found to be most instructive about Sir Omotoso was that he served conscientiously although he needed nothing back from the community. He had zero political aspirations nor partisan affiliations, yet had incredible staying power, influence, and relevance in the state’s affairs, and was called upon to serve administration after administration in different capacities. Being on a different track having held political office in the past, Sir Omotoso’s approach has always been a check to my motives and methods of engaging with the community. I learnt from him that you should quietly make an impact in the lives of people, not for political mileage or recognition, but simply because you have been blessed by God and are able to be a blessing to others. The outpouring of tributes and testimonials about Sir Omotoso, especially from our hometown, is evidence that at the end of the day, people know the difference between jobbers who see the people as merchandise, and those who truly serve.

His last message to me on facebook was “O kun o, Akin. Ma gbagbe wa ni Cathedral of His Glory, MCN, Odo Ayedun-Ekiti. A proud legacy for you as your grandfather was a co-founder. Great man indeed and you are following in your family’s pedigree. So proud of you, with a promising future ahead of you. Shalom.” I will have these words framed. Sir Omotoso served and excelled on all fronts – a loving family man, an apostle in the marketplace, a community leader and mentor, and most importantly a devout Christian. He has fought the good fight. He has finished the race. He has kept the faith. He has left a legacy, and very big shoes to fill. Indeed, Worthy is the Lamb, who blessed us with Sir Oluremi Festus Omotoso, and has now taken him home.

May his memory be blessed.

Akin Rotimi

Speaking Engagement - Opportunities in Film and Media Production between Canada and Nigeria

Hello.

I am pleased to inform you that I was recently a guest speaker at a webinar that focused on Opportunities in Film and Media Production between Canada and Nigeria.

The event was organized by MineAfrica Inc. and Leadership and Governance Canada, in partnership with Schulich Executive Education Centre at York University, and had an impressive line-up of thought leaders on the panel.

As someone privileged to work actively in both jurisdictions, I shared my thoughts on current opportunities for collaboration between practitioners in both countries in the short term, as well as the viability of a Canada-Nigeria Co-Production Treaty which we are already working on with other stakeholders, over the medium to long term.

The recorded event is now available to watch via this link: Opportunities in Film and Media Production between Canada and Nigeria.

Thank you and kind regards,

Akin Rotimi​