WHEN THE WEAK HAVE OPTIONS

In any contest, in any relationship, in any hook up between conscious beings, the weak normally has no option but to surrender and allow the strong lead.
Partly this is because there must always be a leader since it is always difficult for two captains to be in charge of one ship at the same time.
So what happens when external development apply some stress to the relationship? Incidentally that is when unity is needed the most and the weak can not at that moment begin to exercise any options.
In the end, the imposed stress gets distributed by the leader and naturally only rare leaders heap more of this on themselves especially when it  is economic in nature and tastes and expectations have to be adjusted.
In the case of Nigeria, since the dawn of the Buhari administration, we not only have a leader who is preoccupied with blaming the past for today but also by a government also not too prepared to absorb some of the economic stress.
Government must have money to pay salaries, foot its pet dreams and reward political friends for their support and sacrifice (investment?) during the campaign.
So corporate organisations must pay punitive levies without care for ability to pay and the likely impact of such payment on continued financial health. So the people must pay more taxes as well and of course the looters must be made to repay their loot.
Nothing wrong with any of these except that the leader must be seen to absorb some of the stress; the corporate organisations must not only be able to pay, the wrong signal should not go therefrom to investors at large and whatever additional load or burden imposed on the people must not only be sold to them before being introduced they must also be reasonable and come with clear objectives.
If not, soon enough we must get to the point where the weak, decoded the led, begin to exercise options. At that point it becomes increasingly difficult to steer the ship of state aright without distractions.
It looks like less than 10 months into the Buhari administration Nigeria has arrived at this point already.
For example, different corporate organisations are not only contesting imposed fines, forex sale by banks as published show clearly that many international institutional investors have been exercising their option to opt out of Nigeria.
Now labour leaders are also warming up to protest some increased charges but more importantly look set to demand for N48,000 minimum wage.
Then many newspapers published recently the call by a consumer advocacy group for March 1 2016 to be no banking day for all bank customers. They are asking that none should patronise banks on that day in protest against charges for use of deposit and transfer form; ATM withdrawal on third withdrawal; debit card issuance and withdrawal; online transfer; annual debit card maintenance; stamp duty and 1% charge as current maintenance fees.
Now these are expressions of the weak or led trying to tell their leaders we have options and may have to exercise them.
Other examples are calls for self determination; increase in criminal acts against the perceived rich; and  deadly clashes between people of different economic interests; political leanings and cultural background.
When the weak begin to exercise options; no matter how wrong they may be in doing that; the onus lies on the strong to not only lead by example; but also ensure its qualification for leadership is faultless and that its visions and actions engender more, not less trust in its leadership qualities, style and dreams.