Jonathan’s Govt Promotes Sycophancy – Ezekwesili

A former World Bank Vice President and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls Group, Oby Ezekwesili, has said until a review of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is done, Nigerians will not realise how much damage sycophancy did to governance under the outgoing president’s watch.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Mrs. Ezekwesili suggested that the kidnapping and failed rescue of the Chibok girls were classic examples of how President Jonathan allowed sycophants destroy governance.

The Chibok girls were abducted from their hostels at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014 by Boko Haram militants as they were preparing for their WAEC exams.

After news filtered out that the girls, over 200 in number were kidnapped by insurgents, the present administration refused to believe the reports and did not make a categorical statement on the issue until about five weeks after their abduction.

It is almost a year since the unfortunate abduction of the Chibok Girls and their fate still remains unknown.

According to the former World Bank VP, “When a review of President Jonathan’s administration is done, we’ll realise how much damage sycophancy did to governance. Example? Chibok Girls”.

She further elaborated on how Mr. Jonathan allowed sycophants in his cabinet.

She added, “A leader must be without an inordinate desire to be serenaded with ‘good news’ or their team will never let them know the true state of affairs.

“An environment that rewards sycophancy encourages team to withhold accurate ‘bad’ news (problems) from the leader while serving up ‘good news’.

“When a leader makes hero worshipping costly to those who engage in it, he/she deprives the ‘sellers’ market to set the ‘Mediocrity Benchmark’.

“A critical success factor in governance is for the leader to both in word and deed convey a culture that abhors sycophancy. No hero worshipping”.