Sycophancy and cronyism: Nigeria’s Albatross

In addition to corruption, poor management of resources and insecurity, sycophancy and cronyism are the greatest hindrances to good leadership, socio-economic and political development in Nigeria. Sycophants are people who specialise in winning favours from influential people by flattering them. Nowadays the most profitable trade in Nigeria is political sycophancy. Even though it’s essential that individuals holding public office are told the truth about themselves, rather than criticise them we shower them with unearned praise. This is not only wrong, it’s immoral, servile and unpatriotic. Our public office holders derive great joy and satisfaction from flattery and praises. They love and worship titles and other organised recognitions, and never tire of beaming with smiles as they collect all sorts of meaningless awards.

The extent to which sycophancy has taken over from reality and stunted our development can be gauged from the daily praising of failed politicians, fraudsters and charlatans in the media. Sycophants have been selling innocent Nigerians all sorts of falsehoods and propaganda to the extent that it’s all too common for the wrong people to be appointed to head sensitive and important positions. A prime example is the case of Andrew Laah Yakubu the former Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). A Federal High Court sitting in Kano recently ordered that he forfeit the sums of $9,772,000 and £74,000 in cash, which he confessed to owning and stashing in a nondescript building. He is currently in custody assisting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with their investigation. The question is how did such a glutinous, unprincipled and unethical character get to such a position? What did people think of him when he was appointed?

This is the saddest part of the story. Yakubu’s honours include the Presidential Merit Award by the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCE), and the GMD of NNPC Award. He also holds the Chieftancy Title “Iyan Atyap” given by the Atyap Kingdom in Kaduna State. When he was appointed sycophants that benefit from the irregularities in NNPC, went to work. Trending on the social media is a video of what they said about Yakubu at the time. It is a serious embarrassment to the likes of Dafe Sejebor, Musa Lawan, Tein George, Ladi Jadesimi, Bayo Julari, Mustapha Yakubu and Akin Odumakinde who are on camera professing Yakubu to be “A consummate professional, compassionate, magnanimous and focused”. They said he is “a true Christian and the test of this is in the way he lives his life”. Unrestrained in their praises they also described him as “a very passionate manager and director” - “such a trustworthy human being”- “very passionate about Nigeria” - “very humble and one of the few leaders who listens well”, who “genuinely believes in always doing the right thing” and “is easy going quiet and very unassuming”. They further claimed that “his intelligence in incredible” and “his analysis of issues in the industry is remarkable”. Not done with the overkill they said “If you are looking for a complete professional, if you are looking for somebody who follows due process and somebody who understands the industry I don’t think you can find a better person than Andrew” and that “it’s no surprise that a man of such integrity rose to the top of the industry”. Tein George must be hiding his head in shame for telling us that “I don’t think you can have better candidate to occupy that office”.

Andrew Yakubu’s fall from grace reveals the fallacy in our penchant for giving out awards and pouring encomiums on people simply for assuming office rather for meritorious service. At the end of the day Yakubu was dismissed by ex-President Jonathan for insubordination and a propensity for larceny. Nigeria is a nation which despite having wealth right under its feet is afflicted with mass poverty nationwide. The reason for this is that instead of demanding internationally acceptable payments, compensations and royalties for the Nigerian people our petroleum officials connive with international companies to sidestep payments in return for “something” to be given to them personally in dollars. Since time immemorial people in charge of NNPC like Yakubu have negotiated away our common wealth for a mess of pottage.

Regrettably, Nigeria has developed into a nation in which men get rich through graft and pull rather than through hard work. Corruption yields massive rewards while honesty has become self-sacrifice. The single largest hindrance to solving our problems problem is our resort to prayer in public affairs. Prayer is supposed to lead us to revelation, not to success in life. The Chinese and Koreans are neither Christian nor Muslim so their success cannot be rooted in repetitions of Biblical or Koranic verses. The solution to our problems doesn’t lie in praising the almighty and shouting halleluiah or reciting the Koran at the top of our voices, it lies in possessing an understanding of character and choosing good leaders. Success is about correct decision making. In order for our nation to be successful we must put an end to the sycophancy albatross round our necks and learn to make sound decisions on top level appointments.