Distinguished Failure: The Cost of Glorifying Nigeria Do-Nothing Politicians

By Dr. Michael O. Omoruyi | iNewsAfrica

In Nigeria, the culture of addressing political leaders as “Distinguished,” “Honorable,” and “Your Excellency” has gone far beyond courtesy. It has become a national ritual of unearned reverence — one that increasingly shields incompetence, excuses corruption, and rewards failure.

What should symbolize public service has quietly transformed into automatic praise, even when public good is absent.

Across government functions, campaign rallies, and public events, Nigerians rise to applaud officials whose records are marked by broken roads, unpaid salaries, failing schools, worsening insecurity, and abandoned hospitals. Yet the titles flow freely — as though performance no longer matters.

This culture is not harmless tradition. It is one of the most powerful enablers of poor governance in the country.

When Honorifics Replace Accountability

Within institutions like the National Assembly of Nigeria and state governments, many public officeholders operate in an environment where respect is guaranteed regardless of outcomes.

The message is clear:
You may fail the people — but you will still be celebrated.

When leaders are continuously praised without measurable results, accountability quietly dies.

How Glorification Damages Leadership

This obsession with grand titles produces three dangerous effects:

Entitlement Culture
Power begins to feel like royalty rather than responsibility.

Silenced Citizens
Questioning leaders becomes “disrespectful” instead of democratic.

Normalized Failure
When incompetence has no social consequence, excellence disappears.

A system that praises regardless of performance will inevitably produce leaders who govern without urgency.

The National Cost

The impact is visible everywhere:

• institutionalized corruption
• collapsing infrastructure
• declining public trust
• youth disillusionment
• mass emigration of talent

Nigeria is not poor in resources or ideas. It is poor in leadership accountability.

And glorification is helping sustain the crisis.

Respect Must Be Earned — Not Automated

In strong democracies, leaders are respected for delivery, not decorated with empty praise.

Respect follows:

✔ measurable progress
✔ transparency
✔ service to citizens
✔ ethical conduct

Not convoys.
Not microphones.
Not ceremonial titles.

A Cultural Reset Is Urgent

Imagine a Nigeria where:

• politicians are introduced by achievements, not honorifics
• failure invites consequences, not applause
• leadership is performance-based

Such a shift alone would revolutionize governance.

Nigeria will not rise on exaggerated titles.
It will rise on responsibility, competence, and accountability.

Until praise stops replacing pressure, and titles stop replacing results, the nation will continue recycling leadership failure.

Nations are not built on honorifics — they are built on service.

Author Bio

Dr. Michael O. Omoruyi is a technologist, author, publisher, and public affairs analyst. He is the founder of iNewsAfrica, a digital media platform focused on African development, governance, and diaspora engagement. Dr. Omoruyi is also the author of From Grit to Grace: A Memoir of Roots, Resilience, and Reinvention, where he explores leadership, transformation, and societal change through personal experience and broader African realities.

He regularly writes on governance, economic development, youth empowerment, and Africa’s future in a globalized world.