IGBAOTUN: Unleashing The Greatness Within|| Olajide Hamzat

The essence of government is to do those things which private citizens cannot do for themselves. This quote, attributed to Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s finest and greatest Presidents, underscores that government exists primarily to address collective needs and provide essential services beyond the reach of individuals. Think of infrastructure, security, health, national interest, and public welfare.

Undoubtedly, only the government has the capacity to massively invest in infrastructural development across vast boundaries and territories. By providing a social safety net and addressing other societal issues, a legitimate structure and system, recognized under the law, can properly and effectively harness society’s most pressing concerns in ways that foster development.

Thomas Hobbes, in modern political thought, posited that today’s system of government originates from the collective experiences people endured in the state of nature. This Hobbesian school of thought reminds us of a time when life was solitary, poor, brutish, and short—a period that Charles Darwin later encapsulated as “survival of the fittest.” In response, people came together, submitting some of their rights and freedoms to the Leviathan, who, in turn, would act in the collective interest.

Hobbes described this submission to the Leviathan as humanity’s turning point toward order and away from chaos. However, over time, we have seen this trust breached by those in power. Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana famously noted that absolute power corrupts absolutely, a sentiment we might reluctantly agree with.

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Adaptive leaders need real power, influence, and authority to effect far-reaching changes and unleash greatness. It is essential for creative thinkers to step up and take charge before charlatans undermine government, weakening the social fabric through administrative malfeasance and ineptitude.

In Nigeria and across Africa, we have seen leaders who lack the vision and creativity to act in the defense of their people’s interests. Harnessing Africa’s massive potential, especially Nigeria’s, remains an existential challenge. Whether in the Sahara’s heat, the Mediterranean’s restless waters, or the Horns of Africa, the failure of leaders has become evident, as seen in the recent coup d’états in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea Conakry.

As a lawyer of repute and patriot of the highest order, Amofin Beulah Adeoye stands out as a genuine change-maker and a giant in every sense. Only a giant can truly unleash the GREATNESS within a state or country.

Olajide Hamzat writes about the vast prospects and potential of Oyo State and projects Amofin Beulah Adeoye as a solution provider, problem solver, and a creative, adaptive leader who thinks with both compassion and empathy.