A lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Professor Harry Obi-Nwosu, has attributed underdevelopment in Nigeria to leadership failure resulting from failed constitutional democracy.
Professor Obi-Nwosu, who was speaking during the maiden Colloquium of the Faculty of Social Sciences, also attributed the failure of democracy in the country to the quality of persons elected into leadership positions at all levels of government.
He noted, “We have argued persuasively that: psychological incompetence of persons in positions of authority is the major predictor of social irresponsibility/failure. If the situation is reversed, Nigeria and Africa will develop. Thus, the envisaged reversal process (the healing process) is the actual foundation for true development of Africa.
Prof. Obi-Nwosu who is the Director, Centre for Counseling and Career Development, stressed the need to ensure that psychologically unhealthy persons are not allowed into corridors of power. “It is obviously advantageous to prevent leadership misfits by allowing only psychologically healthy persons to take up leadership.
“Psychologically deficient parents disrupt family development and endanger society with their products, psychologically deficient heads of schools, religious groups communities, and organizations destroy their various holds and endanger the society. This pattern holds for various arms and levels of government up to the presidency,” he maintained.
“It is foreseeable that most people in authority would kick against this proposal for psychological health certification as a prerequisite for appointment or presentation for election into leadership positions due to psycho-dyscrasia,” Professor Obi-Nwosu feared.
The Chief Host and Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Charles Esimone, represented by the immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Professor Frederick Odibo, noted that democracy despite its global spread, has attracted criticisms, in equal measure, from classical antiquity, to the present age.
“One of the arguments leveled against democracy is that most of the economic issues involved in casting their votes. This argument holds particularly strong validity in many third world countries, including Nigeria.
“Others changes there are inevitable frequent changes in policies; that democracy has a penchant for vehement disputation of results and predilection to electoral violence. In Nigeria, except for those conducted by the military, other elections had been characterized by bitter contestations of the results with a number of cases degenerating into violence”.
In a welcome address, the Dean, Faculty Social Sciences, Professor Frank-collins Okafor, expressed delight that the dream to have the colloquium has finally materialized through the support and cooperation of the staff of the faculty. “I am so delighted to welcome you to this all-important first in the series of the Faculty of Social Sciences Colloquium.
“The idea to initiate this Colloquium came after series of interrogations on why the erstwhile Faculty Seminar Series failed over the years. We discovered that the lack of interest on the part of colleagues and the necessary academic glamour and support, etc. were responsible.
“I am happy to inform you that today, a number of colleagues have shown interest in presenting the next papers and we wish to assure us of the commitment of the Faculty to make the Colloquium à bimonthly academic conviviality and to publish all presented papers at no cost to the presenter.
For professor Okafor, the theme of the colloquium is both timely and apt. “The topic is not only interesting but also germane and timely at a time like this in the democratic evolution of our nation.
“Nigerian democracy is under siege and emergency care unit under the deliberate conspiracy of the political miscreants whose modus operandi is antithetical to any meaningful development in the country,” he argued.
The immediate past Head of Department, Political Science, Professor Jaja Nwanegbo, discussed the topic of the colloquium while other academic staff and participants also shared their views.