Qiyada Rasheeda – Wise leadership (Part 1)
By Joseph Lino Wuor Abyei, Cairo – Egypt
November 6, 2015 (SSB) — October 12, 2015. Cairo International Airport was spectacular at night, because it was all light, and this writer’s head was about to get dizzy. The taxi driver told this writer that the airport has been renovated, “Yes, ten years ago this airport was not like this,” this writer told him. Cairo airport is about half the size of Juba City and it is modest by international standard.
Mou’min, an Egyptian peripatetic businessman, was in Juba before the rebellion and he supplied many food items, “I gained a lot of money” he said. He mentioned that everything is paid in USD and that alcohol is all over, all kinds of brands not found in Egypt are in Juba, and that there are lots of beer, lots of music, a lot of sex and he told this writer that “you have this and that, and that… money is dished out just like that … the richest country in the world,” Mou’min stressed.
Mou’min told this writer in a scornful manner that “your airport is just a kiosk …a small strip, what is this?” With embarrassment, he writer told him that the present airstrip was used for military operations while pointing at a Sudanese Arab who was sitting in front of Mou’min.
This Arab from Sudan and this writer were sitting in front of Mou’min with eyes and ears open and listened like pupils in an early morning lesson.
Mou’min, this heavily built Egyptian businessman who was breathing with some difficulty, addressed this writer eye to eye that “You have no “qiyada rasheeda.” This writer looked down for this is too much.
Is it true that South Sudan lacks wise leadership? Let us see.
What is a wise leadership – qiyada rasheeda?
According to this writer there is no standard definition but in the two dictionaries it means: ability to guide, direct, or influence people. It means guidance or direction. Or having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment. But any of the dictionaries consulted should have added that it means being decisive and courageous in taking decisions and corruption free and tribe – less, religion – less, race – less and so on.
This writer does not claim to be expert on the subject, but is just trying to contribute within the required limits. Practically speaking not anyone is so wise in the absolute term and therefore a leader. That is why people usually resort to seek advice from a person believed to be “wise,” and there are people who tend to believe that wisdom is a gift from God.
Often, people look for a courageous man/woman to lead them in times of crises or eminent danger. This means that wisdom and courage go hand in hand and are very scarce.
Implications of lack of wise leadership – qiyada rasheeda
Muo’min, the Egyptian peripatetic businessman gave an emphatic judgment that we in South Sudan lack “qiyada rasheeda,” in the sense that most basic requirements are lacking in the country. One of the things he mentioned is the appalling condition of the airport, and he said that “an airport is the face of the country.” He wanted to say that “the way your airport looks is the same way your face looks like.” Who is that person in his/her right mind that would like to show a sad face?
Muo’min went on to enumerate the areas of wealth in South Sudan and concluded “…it is the richest country….” Indeed South Sudan is among the richest countries in terms of potentials. Yet
South Sudan is among the poorest countries by today’s standard, why because South Sudanese “qiyada” have failed to utilize the rich potentials above and underneath, and to make good use of the petrodollar cash amount that was available.
Here comes the role of “al qiyada al rasheeda” i.e. wise leadership, a leadership that takes the lead in certain situations to lead the nation out of a bottleneck, and out of distress and out of poverty, a leadership that takes initiatives, a leadership that confronts any external force that tries to tamper with the wellbeing of the general public, a leadership that does not sleep, a leadership that does not take any kind of wealth for itself at all at all no matter.
If leaders begin to enrich themselves at the expense of their subjects, who is going to hold them accountable and punish them? And how is the country going to develop?
There are examples of “qiyada rasheeda” like Mr. Lee Kuan Yeu of Singapore and leaders of the Asian tiger countries. These are countries that rose up from abject poverty and are now economically prosperous. The Gulf countries, which rely on oil export only and on small amounts of natural gas only, are living examples.
Simply stated “al qiyada al rasheeda” leads to prosperity, to strength and to global respect. South Sudan is still a baby; teeth have not yet grown, isn’t it, but till when?
Till when shall some teeth of “qiada rasheeda” grow to be able to bite the fingers of anyone who would want to encroach upon the dignity of the people of South Sudan and upon the territorial integrity of this “waleeda” country.
According to this writer, a wise leadership does not tolerate corruption of any kind at all and is ready to tear up any suspect like what Kim Jung Un of North Korea did to his uncle last year. It pays sometimes to be rough and tough when it comes to the issue of public money, and public services. But you must be rough and tough but with wisdom and a vision, i.e. what do you want to achieve and how, with what.
It must be a leadership that must be ready to bring the corrupt to book instantly; Kim Jung Un ordered his personal uncle, the Minister of Finance, hung on suspicion of self-enrichment. Then this leadership must be far sight and must be ready to cultivate friendships with near and far neighboring countries for mutual benefits.
In short a wise leader is like a “conscientious father/mother” in whom the sense of responsibility is at the top. He/she is who does not tolerate to see one of his/her children misbehaving and treats the children equally. A father is the last person in the family to take dinner if there is dinner and does not eat privately in restaurants. A father is the last person to go to bed.
It is true that South Sudan was misruled, mistreated and abused and bruised by governments in Sudan for a very long time. But
Since 2005, the transitional government failed utterly to deliver some of the urgently needed basic services starting with public security up to the rest of the usual list of the shortfalls like clean healthy potable water and nightlong public electricity.
The issue is that we are living in modern times and people tend to be ambitious and tend to be impatient. South Sudanese have the right to think that it has been too long waiting for delivery of some of the basic services.
What happened to the oil revenues that got accumulated before and after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, for example?
Muo’min told this writer in a hotel foyer in Cairo that you lack “qiyada rasheeda.” He said this in a manner of a highly confident man who does not care at all and he suddenly grabbed his bag and left for the airport without saying “goodbye.”
Muo’min sounded harsh on South Sudanese and on this writer as if to say, “What have you been doing during the past years,” and that “your leaders have failed to deliver the basic services.” To him the often repeated statement that we are a “dawla waleeda” is not plausible. He is saying “you should have grown up by now with teeth ready to bite, wake up to your national responsibilities, build your country and catch up with the fast developing world, stop calling yourselves ‘dawla waleeda.’” It is true that no one shall come from nowhere to build this country. But
According to this writer, what Muo’min should know is that comparing Egypt with South Sudan or Cairo with Juba at this stage has no much ground, because Egypt has been on the map for thousands of years and Egyptians have known “al qiyada al rasheeda’ for thousands of years. Muo’min would have told this writer “shut up, this is not a good excuse. To be a “qaiyd” is not a joke.” But
An open book
Muo’min may be right when he mentioned that in Juba there are all brands of alcohol and beverages, and that money is freely dished out and so on and so on.
To him this is a sign of lack of “qiyada rasheeda,” that people are wasting time in singing and dancing and there is no serious work to develop the country going on. To him seriousness is first seen from the condition of the airport.
According to this writer wise leadership is not imported, it is home grown. This means that this country needs to grow “wise leaders” who are blessed with the basic characteristics of “al qiyada al rasheeda,” because if there was such “qiyada rasheeda,” most probably the UN and the rest of the foreign bodies meddling in this petty semi tribal embroilment would have not dared to undermine the sovereignty of South Sudan. And most probably living conditions would have been much, much and much better.
Fortunately, lack of “qiyada rasheeda” is not South Sudanese curse or invention. It is all over those countries whose conditions are similar to or probably worse than what we have here, is this true?
The writer feels obliged to thank Mou’min, the Egyptian peripatetic businessman, for his harsh view on South Sudan. Mou’min is saying that your country is an open book and it is rich but lacks “qiyada rasheeda.” Is he mistaken?
You can reach the author via his email: josephabyei@yahoo.com
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