What Nigerian Leaders Can Learn From American Founding Fathers

The United Nations, popularly known and recognized by many countries, did not just surface on the earth without the tremendous impact and sacrifice made by the people, especially the leaders. For any nation to develop there must be people who are willing to extra mile for the growth and development of such a nation. Let us consider how the nation Called the United States came into Existence.

The Existence of the Nation Called United States

The land known now as the United States began with the arrival of the First people in the Americas around 15,000. where Different indigenous cultures were formed and many saw the transformation of the 16th century, The European colonization of the Americas began in the late 15th century, and European colonization of the Americas has a significant impact on the Native American cultures through what is known as the Columbian exchange. the transfer of plants, animal culture, human population, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World in the 15th and 16th centuries.

In 1776, in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress declared the independence of the colonies as the “United States”. Led by General George Washington, it won the Revolutionary War. The peace treaty of 1783 established the borders of the new sovereign state. and the United States became the world’s leading industrial power at the turn of the 20th century due to an outburst of entrepreneurship and industrialization and the arrival of millions of immigrant workers and farmers.

The United Nations is one of the largest countries on Earth by population and area and is rich in natural resources and human capital. The United Nations didn’t wake up to this in a day but all this was done by the immense work done by their leaders, here is the work done by the American leaders for the Development of their nation The history of the United is not complete without acknowledging the foundation named Founding Fathers.

The Contribution Of Founding Fathers to The Development Of the United States

The phrase “Founding Fathers” was first coined by U.S. Senator Warren G. Harding in his keynote speech at the Republican National Convention of 1916. While U.S. presidents used the terms “founders” and “fathers” in their speeches throughout much of the early 20th century, Ronald Reagan referred to “Founding Fathers” at both his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and his second on January 20, 1985.

The existence of Founding Fathers was known in the late 18th century and consisted of American revolutionary leaders who united the 13 colonies. Americans are known as those who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation the United States Constitution, and others. historian Richard B. Morris identified seven figures as key Founders, based on what he called the “triple tests” of leadership, longevity, and statesmanship: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington

Each of these men held additional important roles in the early government of the United States. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison served as the first four presidents; Adams and Jefferson were the nation’s first two vice presidents, Jay was the nation’s first chief justice, Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury, Jefferson and Madison were the first two Secretaries of State, and Franklin was America’s most senior diplomat from the start of the Revolutionary War through its conclusion with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783

 Nigerian leaders  Need To Learn American Founding Fathers

American founding fathers are considered the founding fathers of modern democracy. They have also been immortalized in world history for establishing the first nation-state founded on Enlightenment principles of unalienable natural rights, consent of the governed, and republicanism. Nigerian leaders on the other hand have become infamous around the world, for their incompetency, corruption, and lack of regard for human rights. From an analytical perspective of the two entities, here is what Nigerian Leaders need to learn from the American Founding Fathers

1. Protection of Individual Rights:

According to the current constitution [1999], human rights such as freedom of speech, movement, and many more are protected by the constitution, However, In 1979, Nigeria adopted a presidential system to properly instate the right of choosing who rules them with a new constitution. This constitution guarantees fundamental human rights that are constantly in violation, Nigerian leaders need to safeguard individual liberties which must remain relevant in contemporary discussions on the balance between security and freedom.

2. Separation of Powers:

Separation of powers is a constitutional doctrine globally practiced by the most democratic governments where power is shared between the three arms of government which are the Executive, legislature, and judiciary. However, this reflects the founders’ commitment to preventing the concentration of power in a single authority. and this underscores the importance of checks and balances in any system of government. Despite the theoretical availability of separation of powers in Nigeria’s democracy, the judiciary and legislature are still subjected to the executive due to numerous factors such as the distribution of funds, and loyalty to the political parties instead of the people of the nation.

3. Adherence to the Rule of Law:

The rule of law is an embodiment of essential ingredients of law that need to be in place in a functioning democratic system. The eradication of taking power through dictatorship, force, or tyranny is absent implying that the implementation of the rules of the law is not ostracised. Also, the principle reinforces the idea that no one, regardless of position is above the law. Unlike the American founding Fathers, who were responsible for popularizing the principle, Nigeria n Leaders are notorious for for contact violation of the constitution. An example is The Nigerian former President Muhammadu Buhari, who disobeyed numerous court orders during his eight-year tenure as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Conclusion

As has been stated throughout the articles, American founding fathers are the pro-pounders of modern democracy and are also responsible for promoting the principle that sustains this form of government that practically gives power to the people. The Nigerian government on the other hand has bastardized the concept of democracy, as they are often ignoring or violating some of the most important principles that sustain the structure.

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