If Africa is to eventually enjoy some form of stability, security and safety, our leaders have to pay attention to this major factor that often leads to the downfall of governments. It is a factor that has plagued our continent for so long, and led to the collapse of so many promising leaders and governments. It is disillusionment.
In the previous articles, I addressed one of the reasons for governmental failures across the world. The first factor we examined was the role of cynicism in the fall of governments, parties and even iconic politicians and leaders.
I will continue to explore and dig deeper into the reasons that governments fail and politicians fall from their Olympus heights. The first plague that affects the destiny of nations and great leaders, more than anything else, is that of cynicism.
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We are going to be examining the second plague that often causes nations to boil in political riots and social uproars.
Between the year 2010 and 2013, a new phrase came into the lexicon – Arab Spring.
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This was a revolutionary expression of demonstrations and protest, both violent and nonviolent, which spread throughout the countries of the Arab league. The common factor in all these uprisings was a protest against oppressive rules in the various nations affected.
As a result, governments were toppled in several countries, including Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. These political uprisings also erupted in Bahraini, Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Sudan.
What could have been happening in all those nations, that a similar civil uprising sprang up to overthrow their governments almost at the same time? The reason was what I want to emphasise today. Whenever you see something like that happening, when seemingly peaceful nations, societies or communities, all of a sudden begin to arise in protest, then the reason is clear.
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The second plague of governance is DISILLUSIONMENT.
DISILLUSIONMENT: Disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be. It is when people suddenly realize that their belief which they had held onto for so long is false. People become disillusioned, when the hard truth of reality makes them to lose faith in the ideals and dreams that had earlier been sold to them.
When leaders create an illusionary picture of prosperity, success and victory, while in the real sense the whole truth is not been told to the people. One day it is going to lead to crisis, because the whole truth has not been explained.
“Stop making flamboyant promises. Earn the people’s trust first, then do more than they expect.” ― Constance Chuks Friday
People are always going to feel betrayed, deceived and disillusioned when the picture they have been painted does not absolutely correspond with the actual reality of things.
Countries of the Arab world have mainly held their people in some sort of darkness. Whereas, they were being told that they were living a good life. In these countries, the factor of religion became the greatest instrument of deception which eventually became the instrument of oppression of the people.
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:37
This led naturally to the second plague of governance – DISILLUSIONMENT.
What brought people out to the streets of their nations is an indwelled disillusionment over the years. For a whole nation to arise in protest, it meant there had been hidden disillusions that were only looking for the right time to be manifested. Now, let us examine the factors or reasons that lead to disillusionment in governance.
- Disillusionment is caused when a ruling elite camouflages the truth. In the case of the countries affected by the Arab Spring, they had what I call camouflage democracy. The façade that was demonstrated to the general populace was the fact that they were practicing democracy. In all these countries, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahraini, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Sudan, among many others, only had a form of democracy, an appearance of freedom, whereas in the real sense, the leaders were practicing dictatorship.
They claimed to have freedom whereas you could not criticise the government. They say they practice free market economy, but in reality the economy was in the hands of a few cabals. It was this attitude of hypocrisy from the side of the government that brew in the governed the feelings of disillusionment, which boiled over and led to the eruption of a political volcano, such as we saw in the events in the above-mentioned countries.
- Disillusionment only comes as a result of falsehood. This is so true in matters of governance. People don’t want to believe they are been deceived by their leaders. It goes therefore to say that truth and integrity is the right principle upon which to build a nation. Falsehood doesn’t do well in building a nation or anything whatsoever. Falsehood would always lead to disappointment and disillusionment, because sooner or later the truth would come out. This would eventually lead to a backlash against the very authority or government that sold falsehood to the people. If the economy is not doing well, the government must endeavour to let the people know the truth. If goals and agenda are not being met, a responsible government must explain the situation to the people. Otherwise, they risk the eruption of grief and anger from a populace that is disillusioned.
- Disillusionment is a result of a lost faith. Lost faith in promises that were not kept, lost faith in leadership whose policies and manners do not correspond with the reality of its life. This would eventually lead to a state of disillusionment in the people been led. When this is not adequately dealt with, it is natural to expect an uproar of anger and resentment.
- Disillusionment is also often a result of a lost faith in the nation’s ideals and dreams. Despite the many often too glaring failures of the American society, one major factor that is holding the society together is their faith in the American dream and ideals. When nothing else can hold the nation together, the American dream becomes the colossus upon which the nation rests its hope. So also, many nations try to copy America and sell to its people counterfeit ideals and dreams, which have all not been thoroughly worked out to be able to anchor the nation in times of need. When such ideals and dreams fail, people become disillusioned and vent their anger on their leaders.
Nigeria and other African nations have been plagued by unhealthy and incessant coups. These coups have gone a long way to hamper development and growth in the African continent. Few people will deny the fact that at the bottom of all these coups lies this same factor we are addressing today – DISILLUSIONMENT.
Our people have been disillusioned over and over again. Hence all these instability on the continent.
If Africa is to eventually enjoy some form of stability, security and safety, our leaders have to pay attention to this major factor that often leads to the downfall of governments. It is a factor that has plagued our continent for so long, and led to the collapse of so many promising leaders and governments. It is disillusionment.
Until we deal with disillusionment, on the level of the governed and the governance, there might still be a lot of instability to come in our continent. Any government that wishes to build an enduring legacy, must work on building trust and faith in the people. More so our governments must avoid unfulfilled promises, empty declarations, camouflaged agendas, falsehood and deceptions, unrealistic dreams and ideals, kleptocracy, etc.
In Nigeria, my home country, disillusionment has led to the fall of a number of governments in our history. The very first coup we had after independence, which actually signalled a vicious circle of coups for the next 30 years of the country, was as a result of disillusionment.
“The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” ― Proverbs 12:19
I hope I am wrong, but to a large extent many people would blame disillusionment in the policies of the government for being the main factor that led to the Nigerian Biafra civil war. Disillusionment is a deadly plague that no nation really wants to play with for too long. It was disillusionment in the second civilian government of President Shagari that led to the Buhari/Idiabon coup.
I could remember the jubilation that trailed the overthrow of the government of Shehu Shagari. Only for that government to also fall into a similar fate.
No doubt, the most obvious manifestation of disillusionment in our national history was under the rulership of General Ibrahim Babangida and General Sani Abacha.
The reason it is important to examine these plagues of governance is to avoid them. I am sure Nigeria would not like to go back to the regime of Abacha or even Babangida. The disillusionment of those days is enough pain in the memory of a nation even decades later.
I believe that it is high time for our leaders to lead in such a way that our people will no longer experience disillusionment, which could throw our countries back, hundreds of years in civilisation.
“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”― Douglas Adams
It is my hope that leaders all across Africa are reading this article, so as to take the necessary steps in their nations to avoid the plague of disillusionment anywhere on our continent.
Sunday Adelaja is a Nigerian born leader, transformation strategist, pastor and innovator. He was based in Ukraine.
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