Lt. Victor Agunbiade’s good example

RECENTLY when Lieutenant Victor Agunbiade was  recognised by the United States (US) Navy  for his unimpeachable integrity in carrying out assigned duties, not a few Nigerians literally had a breath of fresh air. This was a salutary elixir from the suffocating stench of incessant news of misdeeds by some undisciplined Nigerians living abroad. Agunbiade, a Nigerian-American naval officer, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Development Medal for his exemplary leadership and high standards of character and conduct in managing the US Navy’s largest overseas cash disbursement office. He reportedly demonstrated impeccable accountability and probity that survived the scrutiny of six rigorous inspections and independent audits with zero discrepancies. The citation read during the award ceremony put the competence and high moral standing of the outstanding naval officer in a succinct fashion: “By his unswerving determination, wise judgment and complete dedication to duty, Agunbiade reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States naval service”.

The officer has been widely celebrated for his honesty, diligence and probity for handling large disbursements without any hitches, a feat that is a rarity among military officers in his country of origin. Interestingly, and happily so, Agunbiade is not alien to special recognition for outstanding performance:  in 2018, he was honoured alongside 17 other officers as Officer Recruiter of the Year at the annual Recruiter of the Year ceremony in Washington D.C. It is heartening that Lt Agunbiade, by sheer display of flawless integrity and character that were typically ingrained in the average Nigerian in the days of yore, is helping to alter the country’s narrative in a positive fashion. He is without doubt a good export from the country to the world and he has really done well for himself and the country.

Even though Agunbiade’s example may be difficult to find in the country today, it is imperative to mention that there were good old times, perhaps unknown to today’s youths, when Nigeria was replete with his ilk. That was the time when industry and diligence paid and the society honoured and esteemed individuals who possessed such virtues. It was a time when young men and women would not dare to flaunt wealth that they could not account for; otherwise they risked sanctions that could be as grave as ostracisation. Unfortunately, that era is almost gone, and the tribe of Nigerians who actually experienced it and are genuinely nostalgic of the good old days is fast becoming extinct.  Today, you are honoured by different hues of authorities—traditional, religious and even governmental—provided you are rich and know how to flaunt it. It would not matter whether or not the wealth and the means of acquiring it diminish your humanity because it was acquired at the expense of many.

Good moral ethos and values that used to be fuelled by the ethics of religion have taken flight and yielded ground to crookedness. Nigerians, especially the youth, believe that acquisition of wealth with ostentatious lifestyles without breaking a sweat is the new normal. In the circumstance, Agunbiade deserves to be celebrated by Nigerians because even though he currently owes allegiance to a foreign sovereignty, his exemplary conduct will definitely rub off positively on the image of Nigeria in the US.  At least while the euphoria of his award lasts, it would be known to all and on record that the story of Nigeria and Nigerians is not all about tales of fraud, sleaze and terrorism.

While the requirement for discipline in Agunbiade’s military calling may have influenced his irreproachable character, it surely is not the major determinant of his fidelity, judging by the number of military officers, including Generals, being probed and litigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the country. Again, the fact that the officer was recognised in a clime where it  is the norm to do things right and appropriately means that he must have been exceptional, and exceeded expectations by avoiding even insignificant errors that would have been otherwise ordinarily permissible.  Candidly, the Nigerian society is so decadent that any expectation of the emergence of a crop of compatriots in the mould of Agunbiade appears to be delusional. Nonetheless, an otherwise sane society that lost its bearing along the line still needs to restart its journey towards restoration of sanity and greatness from somewhere. Thus, we strongly recommend Agunbiade’s honesty, probity, impeachable integrity and good judgment to Nigerian youths.

Those in charge of affairs in the country should refrain from demonstrating dishonesty while the society at large should seek after moral rearmament and value reorientation.  Also, official premium should be accorded preventive measures to rein in the corruption that pervades the national life, including the anti-graft agencies. And more significantly, the society must recalibrate its social parameters for recognition and celebration of citizens in a manner that discourages the proclivity for dishonesty; otherwise, any hope of ‘reproducing’ more Nigerians like Agunbiade will remain an illusion. We salute Lt. Victor Agunbiade and urge him to keep the flag flying.

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