Renowned former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, has issued a cautionary message to leaders in Nigeria and Kenya, advising them against employing high-handed tactics in their governance.
Ezekwesili emphasized the importance of leaders refraining from pushing their citizens to the breaking point, where they feel compelled to proclaim, “Enough is simply now enough.”
Taking through social media, the former minister pondered whether recent events would serve as learning opportunities for both Nigerian and Kenyan leaders.
She stated, “As a Leader, it is unwise to push your Citizens to the point where they say, ‘Enough is simply now Enough.’ According to Proverbs, Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Will the hubris exhibited by current Kenyan politicians and their counterparts in Nigeria and other parts of the continent allow them to draw the right lessons from these recent events? Ezekwesili expressed skepticism, suggesting that wisdom is the key element that seems to be lacking.
Ezekwesili’s remarks come in the wake of protests in Kenya against President Williams Ruto’s decision regarding the Finance Bill 2024.
The aggrieved Kenyans took to the streets to demonstrate against the government’s tax increment plan, citing the additional financial burden it would impose on a population already struggling to make ends meet.
Ruto initially deemed the protesters’ actions as “treasonous,” prompting the deployment of soldiers by the government to disperse the crowds.
However, in a surprising turn of events, he eventually succumbed to the pressure from the protesters and declined to assent to the proposed legislation.
It remains to be seen whether leaders will heed Ezekwesili’s words of wisdom and reflect upon the consequences of their actions, or if they will persist with their current approaches, potentially exacerbating tensions and discontent among their citizens.
