Servant-leadership is an age-long concept bearing its scriptural root and antecedent, and the various themes propounded by ancient, medieval and modern philosophers on society and mode of governance.

However, the phraseology of servant-leadership was engrained in Nigeria's political lexicon when Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua adopted it as a bait to woo the electoral to vote him in as president.

Although at the time, a candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which leadership had the carriage in tandem with the "philosopher-king" syndrome or maximum ruler, a czar, it was a strong selling point. Nigerians were yearning for a paradigm shift from the obtrusive, super imposing, and laisez faire leadership style of President Olusegun Obasanjo (as he then was). Yar'Adua's servant-leadership postulate was therefore, a welcome relief to many as unfolding events in the country later revealed.

On taking the reins of government on May 29, 2007 President Yar'Adua marshaled a seven-point agenda which expressed the servant-leadership philosophy anchored on the rule of law doctrine. After one year in power, the reverberating question remains the contextual meaning of servant-leadership in relation to Yar'Adua's stewardship so far, and to what extent can the concept impact on or shape contemporary and modern Nigerian society?

This was the basis for an intellectual intercourse among a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the Nigerian project which include but not limited to the academics, media practitioners, civil society groups, captains of industry, the political class, etc. The venue for the interaction was Gidan Matasa, in Minna, the Niger State capital which is significant given the fact that the helmsman in this state has also adopted the appellation of chief-servant instead of the grandiose title of "His Excellency the Executive Governor".

The symposium which took place on May 20, 2008 under the theme: Servant-Leadership, Re-orientation and National Development was organised by the National Orientation Agency in collaboration with the Niger State government. The discussion session was as stormy as the central issue of leadership has been around the world, particularly in Nigeria.

Professor Femi Otubanjo of the University of Ibadan presented the lead paper at the occasion which had Chief Mbazulike Amechi, first republic minister of aviation as chairman. Others include co-chairman, Alhaji Maitama Sule, Danmasanin Kano, father of the day, former president, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Turakin Sokoto, the special guest of honour, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), Minister of Culture and National Orientation and the chief host, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, the chief servant of Niger State.

The director-general, National Orientation Agency, Alhaji Idi Farouk, delivered the welcome address at the leadership symposium while Professor Godwin Sogolo of the University of Ibadan, Alhaji Mohammed Goni, former governor of old Borno State, Professor Nuhu O. Yakub, vice-chancellor University of Abuja and Professor Dora Akunyili, director-general NAFDAC were among the discussants.

Other discussants were Archbishop John Onaiyekan, president Christian Association of Nigeria, Sheikh Abubakar Siddique, National Mosque, Abuja, Mrs. Modupe Adelaja, director-general, SMEDAN, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, vice-chancellor University of Ilorin, Dr. Tonnie Iredia, former director-general NTA, Hajiya Ramatu Bala Usman, president National Council for Women Societies, Dr. (Mrs.) Ketebu Nwokeafor, secretary to government of Bayelsa State, Mr. Dele Oluwu, managing director, Media Plan Abuja, and Mr. Liad Tella, National Hajj Commission Abuja.

Professor Otubanjo in his lead paper expounded the principle of servant-leadership. He posited that as a Marxist scholar, Yar'Adua belonged to the socialist school of thought which explains his servant-leadership leaning. He hinged the success of President Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda on the principle of servant-leadership.

"The desire for Servant-leadership in Nigeria, is a clear statement of dissatisfaction and an indictment of the past, recent and current leadership in Nigeria, apart from being an acknowledgement of the logical connection between leadership and a society's capacity to attain its primary purpose of creating the maximum opportunity for happiness, for its members", he pointed out.

He drew the analogy of contemporary leadership modules with some philosophical postulates. For instance, Professor Otubanjo contrasted the kernel of over 2000 years of political philosophy from Plato's preference for "philosopher-king" to Karl Marx's historical determinism and the inevitability of the rule of the proletariat.

According to the egg head, "discernible in the works of great political philosophers, throughout the ages, is a tacit assumption that relationship between leadership and the ideal society is a logical and not a contingent one. In Plato's republic, a forceful argument is made for leadership to be vested in the most knowledgeable in a society… i.e. a society will not attain its goal until philosophers become kings or kings become philosophers.

"We have, since Aristotle, come to the recognition of the distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge; that knowledge of general laws does not, necessarily, equip a man to rule and that rulership calls for practical experience, wisdom and political sagacity".

Otubanjo also highlighted the theories of authoritarianism, monarchy, Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan (monarchical absolutism), St. Thomas Aquinas the arch-proselyte of the "divine fight" of kings and of Nicole Machiavelli who's PRINCE argues, persuasively, that strong government was actually in the interest of the citizen.

He reasoned that the use of the people's interest as propounded by these philosophers and the forces of absolutism and tyranny became increasingly untenable and were more than matched by new perspectives of social order which put the well being and interest of the citizen as the sole purpose for the existence of any human society.

The lead speaker also cited John Locke as painting a unique and compelling picture of governance depicting it as a TRUST in which the people are the TRUSTORS and the rulers are the TRUSTEES. The implication being that rulers have no privileges but only obligations. He said the communist revolutions, in Russia and China were a victory against absolutism of the worst kind.

On these whimsical leadership postulates in relation to Nigeria, Otubanjo described Nigeria as "disaster zone, as far as leadership is concerned. For all of her 47 years of independence, she has been under the thumb of authoritarian, criminal-minded, self-seeking, buccaneering and callous leaders.

"Although her inheritance at independence, was a democratic system of government, this survived for only 5 years and 3 months during which everything that could possibly bring down democracy was thrown at it - ethnic bickering, intolerance of dissent, manipulation of elections, and suppression of opposition through perversion of justice and violence.

"When the military took over power on January 15, 1966, there were very few tears for the politicians who had been swept away nor the system which they had been so inept at upholding. If the leaders of the first republic were so cantankerous that they could not identify their collective interest, they were saints compared to the succession of leaders that maneuvered into power and leadership in the next 42 years.

"Four years of hugely unsuccessful civilian democracy, 28 years of predatory military dictatorship and another eight years of civilian governance, of questionable democratic credentials, have left Nigerians with a leadership problem of monumental proportions and its population with a massive dose of skepticism about governance and leadership".

Stirring the hornet's nest in a preposterous correlation, the learned scholar remarked: Nigeria needs "servant-leaders" if it is to move from the present state of stunted growth to president Yar'Adua's 2020 vision. The quality of and attitudes of leadership, in their present state, are so dysfunctional that it is unlikely that we can achieve any profound developmental goals. A revolution in leadership is a sine-qua-non for the 7-point agenda to succeed and the 2020 vision to be accomplished".

Coming on the heels of the tsunamic exposition by the chief servant of Niger State, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, Professor Otubanjo set the tone for an explosive interaction on the subject matter of the day i.e. servant-leadership phenomenon.

The governor who harped on the quality of a servant-leader, cited both the Hadith of Holy Prophet Muhammed: "Kullu kum ra'in was kullu ra'in mas'ool an rai'yyati hi", meaning "Everyone of you is a caretaker, and every caretaker is responsible for what he is caretaker of;" and the holy Bible in Mark 10: 42-45 where the Lord Jesus Christ told his disciples: whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all…"

The governor illustrated the servant-leadership concept with the Shagari model. He stated that: "till today, some of us are amazed and inspired by the fact that Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari went back to Sokoto State to take up appointment as a local government councillor and later chairman of Sokoto Urban Development Authority, long after serving as cabinet minister in the administration of Sir Tafawa Balewa".

The chief host who extolled the servant-leadership virtues of President Yar'Adua, slammed today's critics of Obasanjo whom, he said, did nothing when Obasanjo was in power but stayed till the end 'to eat food', 'to chop-chop' and now they want to hoodwink us into believing that they are lovers of northerners.

Speaker after speaker at the symposium emphasised the imperatives for a new leadership culture founded on a vibrant and pro-active citizenry. They stimulated the advocacy for a shift from the present state of docility, complacency and concurring followership to that which must hold the leaders accountable for their actions and inactions, a revolution of sorts.

A communiqué was issued at the end of the symposium which called for an action plan on the foregoing adumbrated issues by all tiers of government and institutions.