Debating Asiwaju's Chatham House Lecture and the Wisdom of Delegated Authority. By Barr Alex Ehimhantie Aidaghese. December 09, 2022

Please, before we proceed to the body of the essay and analysis, let's do a review of some excerpts from "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill and "The Pursuit of Happiness" by Chris Garner.

According to Napoleon Hill, "An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others. Henry Ford comes well within the meaning of this definition."

"During the world war, a Chicago newspaper published certain editorials in which, among other statements, Henry Ford was called "an ignorant pacifist." Mr. Ford objected to the statements, and brought suit against the paper for libeling him. When the suit was tried in the Courts, the attorneys for the paper pleaded justification, and placed Mr. Ford, himself, on the witness stand, for the purpose of proving to the jury that he was ignorant. The attorneys asked Mr. Ford a great variety of questions, all of them intended to prove, by his own evidence, that, while he might possess considerable specialized knowledge pertaining to the manufacture of automobiles, he was, in the main, ignorant."

"Mr. Ford was plied with such questions as the following:"

"Who was Benedict Arnold?" and "How many soldiers did the British send over to America to put down the Rebellion of 1776?" In answer to the last question, Mr. Ford replied, "I do not know the exact number of soldiers the British sent over, but I have heard that it was a considerably larger number than ever went back."

"Finally, Mr. Ford became tired of this line of questioning, and in reply to a particularly offensive question, he leaned over, pointed his finger at the lawyer who had asked the question, and said, "If I should really WANT to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer ANY question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, WHY I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?"

"There certainly was good logic to that reply."

"That answer floored the lawyer. Every person in the courtroom realized it was the answer, not of an ignorant man, but of a man of EDUCATION. Any man is educated who knows where to get knowledge when he needs it, and how to organize that knowledge into definite plans of action."

*Culled from "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill.

"Can I say something? Um, I'm the type of person that if you ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I'm gonna tell you that I don't know. But I bet you what, I know how to find the answer and I will find the answer.

By Will Smit from "The Pursuit of Happiness" by Chris Garner.

Author's Note.

Mr. Chris Garner and Mr. Henry Ford were hale, healthy, and mentally agile when the events represented here took place. Besides, their age was not an issue. Much as I endorse the doctrine of delegated authority or legislation, I believe extending the doctrine beyond the threshold of the workplace is an overstretch, if not an aberration.

When I began to research and write this essay, I aimed to make a case for Asiwaju and justify the invitation he extended to Dele Alake, Nasiru El'Rufai, and Ben Ayade during the Q&E session of his Chatham House Lecture. Indeed, I wanted to cut him some slack strictly on the premise of delegated authority. I was persuaded to argue in his favour, the moment I remember Mr. Henry Ford's encounter with a garrulous Lawyer at a courthouse in Chicago, decades ago, which I cited above. However, the more I tried, the more I was confronted with the futility of the narrative I was trying to push. It just didn't add up.

Asiwaju Tinubu has not constituted a cabinet and doesn’t have a government in place. He is only a Presidential candidate. In other words, there's no power or authority in place, legally defined and capable of being delegated. One could argue that he has power and authority over his Presidential campaign team and could, therefore, justifiably assign responsibilities to any members of the team as the culture was with Mr. Henry Ford. I respectfully disagree. Not in this instance.

Chatham House Lecture, historically, is a coveted moment and opportunity for individuals seeking public offices to articulate and market their motivations for the mandate they seek. It's about what they believe in - their leadership philosophy, and how they hope to apply it to benefit the people they desire to serve. And it's a one-man show - a solo undertaking.

The fact that it was not a joint ticket or joint presentation is indisputable. It was his finest hour to educate the global audience about why he wanted to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Especially, what he wants to do differently to eliminate the endemic culture of corruption in the public sector and the nationwide insurgency. I searched my conscience ad infinitum, but couldn't find a cogent rationale to justify ceding questions on security matters or on the Anglo-Nigerian Defense Agreement to anyone. Therefore, the doctrine of delegated authority or teamwork does not apply here. Not yet.

On the other hand, suppose I am Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), Comrade Adam Oshiomhole, FFK, or any of the Presidential spokespersons, there won't be a problem. In that case, I can enthusiastically hit the airwaves with Henry Ford's hammer or Will Smith's persuasive interview pitch, marketing the virtues of teamwork and delegated authority. And at the same time, amplifying Asiwaju's much-trumpeted sophistication in the recruitment of talents. Yes, I would be more inclined to push that narrative vigorously, if I were to be a partisan hawk.

However, as an objective, constructive, patriotic, and conscientious Nigerian with an unflinching drive for excellence, fairness, and justice and, of course, a Senatorial candidate whose aspiration is anchored on accountability, regulatory compliance, and prosecutorial/judicial activism, I find it difficult to reach a conclusion that has no support in facts or reasonable judgment. It's about moral probity. Period.

Indeed, I resent dictatorship. And I cherish the philosophy of teamwork as Chief Asiwaju does. Nevertheless, at the Chatham House Lecture, Asiwaju did the right thing the wrong way at the wrong place, and at the wrong time. It was a faux pas abinitio. Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Finally, if a Presidential candidate has no original ideas worth sharing about insecurity, educational crisis, and crude oil theft in Nigeria (the three most turbulent departments in our political system), I don't know what else such a candidate is bringing to the table.

On insecurity, the scourge of banditry, terrorism, the bombing of our infrastructural facilities, herders/farmers lingering imbroglio, kidnapping for ransom, and ritual killing is on the rise.

On educational crisis, our university lecturers have been home for the last nine months and a four years university program now takes about six years to complete. Our Teaching Hospitals are bereft of the most basic medical tools, and R&D has become alien on our university campuses.

And on Crude Oil theft, the NNPC cannot account for about 80% of our crude oil production, and almost one year after the start of the Russian/Ukraine war, we are still unable to meet our OPEC-approved production quota. Meanwhile, the mainstay of our economy is cascading precariously into dereliction. Above all, no refinery is in production mode. And you had nothing to say?

That was an opportunity for you to shine and dramatize with calculated panache your grasp of the major problems that defied sustainable resolution in Nigeria over the years. And I'm afraid to say, you blew it. Right now, it's no longer about your message at Chatham House, but the delegated authority fiasco.

If he is reading this essay right now, I respectfully crave his indulgence to pause, reread this paragraph and reflect on it. No one is discussing Asiwaju's PowerPoint presentation or the contents of his presentation at Chatham House, but the ceding of questions to subordinates. That's the headline. Not your vision or dreams for Nigeria is in news. No one is discussing your message or vision, but your ceding of power at the Chatham House Lecture.

Furthermore, the issue here is more than picking a team. At the Chatham House Lecture, he didn't pick the right team. Besides, he didn't know the names of some of the participants he called upon to take questions. How can you possibly vouch for their experience or expertise if you can't even identify them by name? That's an additional strike, and it punches holes in your much-advertised team-packaging prowess.

At this juncture, it's worth asking: where are the Nigerian retired crack detectives, the highly decorated retired Generals, a fresh Ph.D. graduate in Global Security from a top university, or an Energy Czar among your delegates on your UK trip or in the preparation thereof? Must it always be the same old same old and highly connected few? Unless, of course, you want to replicate or continue with the disastrous trend at the core of our endemic culture of low expectations.

On a last respectful note, you're not a god, an emperor, or a military dictator, please, resist any attempt by your handlers or subordinates to treat you as such. Your subordinates and handlers should also heed that warning because it's the fastest route to disconnect and alienation from reality. Anyway, a day is a long way to go in any election and there is still time for managerial restructuring. And on that note, I wish you good luck and good health in your campaign.