Culture of Secrecy and Opaque Leadership in Africa

By Uchenna Ekwo
In A Culture of Secrecy: The Authorities Versus the People'south Right to Know, Athan G. Theoharis examined the secrecy perpetrated by successive Us administrations of Nixon, Reagan, Bush-league, and Clinton. Contributing scholars, journalists, and attorneys reviewed dissimilar policies of previous United states of america governments and brought to focus the constant conflict between the public's right to know and government spin masters who obfuscate, hide, and warp the truth. All the essays in the book conspicuously illustrate an abuse of the Liberty of Data Act by withholding information that has nothing to do with national security.

With the prevalence of secrecy in an advanced democracy similar the U.s.a., one could merely imagine the extent to which nigh emerging countries grapple with a more sinister culture of secrecy. In nearly African countries for example, there is a lack of openness that ofttimes breeds corruption and misrule. The culture of secrecy is sometimes overstretched to ludicrous heights where citizens are non allowed to know the travel plans of their leaders, birthdays of their leaders or even to ask questions near the health of their leaders.

Republic of cameroon'southward President Paul Biya who has been in power for over thirty years was recently reported to take gone on vacation for several months in i European state and his beau citizens dared non ask questions.

Recently, quondam Nigeria's president, the late Shehu Musa Yaradua was reportedly bed-ridden in a hospital in Saudi arabia for many months and his sickness was concealed from the citizens. Speculations went wild in the media around the earth about the absence of the and then president. Information technology was such a shame that fifty-fifty his Vice President did non have enough information about the whereabouts of his boss at the fourth dimension. Even at expiry, the Nigerian leader was secretly flown home to the nation's airports under darkness caused by power outage in the entire drome.

Barely three years after the drama associated with former President Yaradua who was succeeded past the electric current President Goodluck Jonathan— two governors in Nigeria, Liyel Imoke of Cross River and Sullivan Chime of Enugu States are playing the same ostrich. The duo have been absent from function for several months fuelling speculations about their expiry.
Yet, the government in Calabar and Enugu or should I say the spin doctors in usa' capitals are manipulating fellow citizens past manufacturing all sorts of stories ranging from the governors being on vacation to asking citizens not to carp about their leaders' whereabouts.

Media reports in Nigeria clearly show mounting anxiety amidst the populace about the electric current state of their governors. For example, in Enugu State where the Governor has non been seen for over 110 days, a group calling itself Save Enugu Group (SEG) is exerting sufficient pressure on the government and demanding total disclosure about Governor Chime.

Rather than addressing the consequence of whether the governor is sick and in which hospital, I found it bizarre and embarrassing that the government spokesman, Achife would impugn the motives of fellow citizens who are genuinely interested in the welfare or health of their leader.

This is evident of everything incorrect about governance in fledgling democracies. The arrogation of some individuals to a god status makes mockery of the notion of equality before the law in a constitutional system. A governor is a human being in the first identify and like all human beings could fall ill anytime, anywhere, anyway, and be treated in a hospital like other mortals. To hibernate the sickness of a leader amounts to taking us back in the ages where leaders were seen by their subjects every bit almighty and omniscient. Today the landscape has changed and citizens are empowered past different confusing communication technologies that help in sharing information and destroying long held myths of leaders. They tin question obfuscation, misinformation, and propaganda.

Smart leadership in gimmicky times requires a loftier degree of transparency. It is a national embarrassment that leaders should abscond from their duties for unexplained circumstances. Citizens have a right to know about the health condition of their leaders. It is non besides much of a demand. At least, if they are denied data about financial transactions that authorities officials engage in on their behalf, they should non exist denied simple information about the health and whereabouts of their leaders.

It may be appropriate to advise that before anyone aspires to a public office, the private should practise a medical exam that should exist published publicly. Such information could exist a consideration for some voters who may cast their ballots to a candidate on the basis of sound health. Subsequently all, individual and public companies require potential employees to nowadays their health records prior to employment. Why can't aspirants to higher and more demanding public offices be required to practice so knowing that avoiding information technology could potentially cause a national embarrassment like the case of Governors Imoke and Chime.

President Goodluck Jonathan whose deceased boss played like tricks on Nigerians must rise to the occasion and call out these governors who are smearing Nigeria'due south image with their opaque leadership. I believe he knows where they are hiding. If they are sick, they should tell their citizens so they can put them in their thoughts and prayers. On the other hand, if they are sick and there is footling promise about their coming back to govern, the governors should resign to take care of their wellness issues. The state is in a higher place an individual. The frustration, anxiety, and perfidy associated with all this charade should end. The era of secrecy is gone. This is time for openness.
A sometime US Supreme Courtroom Justice Louis Brandeis said it best when he uttered his famous words, "sunlight is the best disinfectant". A spotlight is needed in the dark corners of earth.