Humpty Dumpty: Lee's Way.

I first heard of Lee Kuan Yew a few months ago as the campaigns in Nigeria kicked into gear. I had never heard of him before the jingle that compared President Jonathan to him. In that jingle, President Jonathan was also compared with Martin Luther King and Barack Obama and that immediately told me what type of leader Mr Yew was (and was not). It wasn't hard to deduce from the association.

I had never heard of him but I had heard of his country, Singapore. I had heard great things about the country but I never really tried to find out how the country evolved to become one of the most beautiful and prosperous nations in the world.

The Central Library at Imperial College London is a massive edifice. Six floors of wild and unfettered knowledge that will make you cringe especially if you were 'educated' at the University of Port Harcourt like me. My brother joked that at Imperial Library, the higher you went, the hotter you were. The folks on the last floor were supposedly in the realm of spirits in terms of their I.Q. My own simple explanation was that the proximity to God and Heaven, being the highest floor, probably accounted for their genius. So I thought it would be interesting to 'visit' those top floors.

The striking thing about the library, and the entire university as I would come to realise, is the number of Asian students enrolled there. Every where I turned I saw Asians. To me, anybody who looks like Jet Li or Jackie Chan is Chinese. Pardon my simple generalisation but I couldn't understand how anyone could differentiate given the striking resemblance. As I would later find out, a sizable number of the Asians in Imperial College are Singaporean. Many on scholarships from their Federal government and others from Singaporean-based companies like Singapore Airlines. The students are sent to London and other choice educational institutions around the world to learn and return promptly afterwards to their home country. 

Staying back after the degree doesn't cross their minds. It was never even an option. Their country has more millionaires per capita than any country in the world. They are not trying to get post-study visa or any of the schemes my countrymen seek to remain in the United Kingdom. At home, life expectancy in 2014 was 81 years for men and 87 years for women. At home, unemployment rate in 2012 was 2%. If na you too, you no go go house?

The next time I heard about Singapore was during a lecture some months ago. Interestingly, the same lecturer mentioned Nigeria when he was discussing 'potential'. As a matter of fact, he mentioned Nigeria over and over when he spoke of market opportunities. He attributed Singapore's success to the quality of the civil service there. The best brains worked for the civil service and their remuneration rivaled the biggest multinationals to ensure talent-retention was optimal. If you were smart and not working in the civil service then it was certainly not because you were looking for better pay. Alas, you get to appreciate why the country has state-of-the-art infrastructure and strong economic policies. Tax rates are low, good security and a well-run social welfare system for the elderly. Again you understand the reason for the high life expectancy. If na you nko? You go gree die?

I have taken time to describe this country because earlier today, she lost probably the most important man in her history. Lee Kwan Yew. His exploits are glaring for all to see and I can imagine the sadness that must have engulfed the land. He is testament to the extent of what one man with a vision can achieve. To build your country up from literally nothing to one that is now reckoned with globally. Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum also proves this in the United Arab Emirates. A man who knows where he is going doesn't talk. He acts.

He died today at Singapore General Hospital. Not some fancy hospital abroad. Of course, this would not have been possible if he had not addressed his country's healthcare system. Nelson Mandela died in South Africa also. As I suspect the King of Dubai will, whenever his God calls him. These leaders believe strongly that whatever is good enough for the average citizen should suffice for them also. Service.


Singapore didn't get to where she is today without some harshness from Lee Kwan Yew. You can't chew gum in public in the country. He was deemed too autocratic in some quarters but it didn't deter him because he understood how the human mind works. You won't achieve any semblance of order and progress by 'anyhowness'. Sometimes, you need some caning like Mr Yew did his citizens to get some sense into people's heads. 

In 2007, when people complained about his style of leadership, his response was ''You know, the cure for all this talk is really a good dose of incompetent government. You get that alternative and you'll never put Singapore together again: Humpty Dumpty cannot be put together again...my asset values will disappear, my apartments will be worth a fraction of what they were, my ministers' jobs will be in peril, their security will be at risk and their women will become maids in other people's countries, foreign workers. I cannot have that!''

If you're sighing and shaking your head, I assume his response strikes close home in your mind. It sounds all too familiar. Successive incompetent governments and we're on our way to restoring status quo in a few days time. He was a visionary. He saw Nigeria through the eyes of Singapore. Perhaps, Humpty Dumpty will actually never be put together again.


The lesson is clear for all of us to see. We can keep trying to explain who qualifies to be a goat and why the yam is free game. We can also decide to start whipping goats till they are allergic to yams. The choice is ours.


A true legend has passed on. His countrymen will never forget him. His story will be told to generations. They'll study him to understand living a life of purpose. A life of service. 

Those who compared President Jonathan to him have quite a sense of humor though. You have to give them that.

Sun re o Lee Kwan Yew (16/09/1923 - 23/03/2015).

We here can only dream of men like you....