Midwives have played vital roles in human history by helping deliver women of their babies into the world. From the time of pregnancy till after the delivery, midwives support the wellbeing of mothers and babies. Like pregnant mothers, every human being comes into the world with specific gifts, talents or message for the world. Thus, humans require content midwives at different stages of their lives to bring out the greatness in them for the society. Likewise, societies require midwife leaders to bring out the best productive and social qualities of their citizens.
Societies’ growth and peace spring from the values that guide the people in their interaction with one another and the environment. The main social values for growth can be categorized or summarized under three values: sincerity, modest and generosity.
SINCERITY: Sincerity is the quality of being honest, true and real.[1] It includes the absence of pretence, deceit, or hypocrisy.[2] Sincerity can be divided into two aspects – passive and active sincerity.
- Passive sincerity is the supply of accurate information that could lead to social justice. It requires curiosity to obtain truth and humility to accept truth when it comes and willingness to transmit truth for good in the society. It is called passive because the information will be utilized by other people in their interaction with the society. This includes truths at the foundation and processes of communal, religious and professional areas of life. The quality of information disseminated in a society can either bring peace and progress, or conflict and discord.
- Active sincerity is dedication to fulfil one’s words of commitment and agreements. Many people commit themselves in seemingly harmless pledges by saying things – I WILL call, read, support, keep appointment, come or do something – without the intention or dedication to do them. This attitude seems minor until it becomes a habit or an acceptable way of life, whereby words lose meanings. Hence, leaders, politicians and citizens make many pledges, which they quickly forget or had never intended to fulfil. This active sincerity is the value that binds citizens to their national agreements or constitution as patriotic and loyal members of a society.
Modesty: modesty in this article implies the search and application of moderate means in interacting with humans and environment. It represents self-control for managing one’s impulses, emotions, appetites, addictions and inclinations for a healthy balance in the society. Modesty enables people to seek amicable means of resolving conflicts, instead of just fighting. It helps people to exercise restraint in different temptations and other socially disruptive attractions.
Generosity: this is the willingness to give out something for the good of other people. The act of giving in generosity is not limited to material gifts. It extends to services, time, inspiration, direction and caring. In order to sustain generosity, individuals develop and provide their gifts or talents for the society in exchange for other people’s products and services. Contrary to greed, generosity enables citizens to contribute freely and wholeheartedly to the sustenance of their society.
Before the colonial invasion, these social values had formed moral foundations for African cultures in different degrees. Members of Nigerian ethnic communities were trained to be sincere, modest and generous to their communities, but also to foreigners. Unfortunately, these different communities and kingdoms were brutally forced into an unconsented union under colonial governments that have to be contested by different natives based on the colonialist laws. The unconsented union pitched the communities against one another in constant fights over positions for the central control of resources, a conflict that brings out the worst in all of them. Presently, the social values of sincerity, modesty and generosity in African communities are gradually replaced with corruption, violence and greed.
Despite the launch of corruption, violence and greed, Nigerians still retain the consciousness of their true cultural values. Yet, since there is no agreement between the communities and kingdoms on how to harmonize their different values in a productive national union, they adopt the survivalist mentality for fear of deprivation. Hence, Nigerians adopt extreme greed and corruption in fear of losing out the basic necessities of life that could have been guaranteed if there were a true agreement.
Now, Nigeria needs midwife leaders to revive the communal values that had distinguished African societies. Nigeria needs a midwife leader to enable the various communities re-establish these values in their communities. Nigeria needs a midwife leader to harmonize the socio-cultural values between the ethnic communities into a proper agreement for productive and national union. Socially enabling values can be seen in the different cultures and religions – Christianity, Islam, traditional religion. What we need is the consistency in stimulating and harmonizing these values on the society.
Nigerians are made to believe that the most important thing in Nigeria is crude oil due to its demand by industrialized nations. Thus, all the groups and individuals are focused on acquiring access to crude oil money without seeking to develop their respective human or natural resources. Every group and ethnic community have both human and natural resources to be developed for further productivity. Albert Einstein insists that all men are genius, but if you would judge a fish by its ability to climb tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.
Hence Nigeria needs midwife leaders to enable the different groups discover and bring out the values of their human and mineral resources, not just for Nigerians, but also for Africans and the world.
[1] http://www.yourdictionary.com/sincerity
[2].https://www.google.com.ng/search?q=define+sincerity&oq=define+sincerity&aqs=chrome.69i57j0l5.4283j1j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8