By Engr James Owan
They say leaders are born, not made. Sometimes, you do not need a political appointment, an elective office or a traditional title to prove leadership. Time, influence and the confidence of the people can reveal a leader more powerfully than any position ever could.
This is where the life and influence of High Chief Higgins Peters, the Natural Leader of the North and the Uni Ukpere Ebekwarra, become instructive.
Governor Bassey Otu’s three-day working visit to Cross River North was significant for many reasons. But perhaps nothing was more politically symbolic than the homage he paid to High Chief Higgins Peters at his serene and magnificent home in the ancient salt city of Okpoma.
For those who understand politics beyond the noise of social media, such gestures are rarely meaningless.
Following the exit of great political leaders such as Dr Offoboche, I. I. Murphy, Dr Wayas, Prof. Damachi, Senator Kanu Agabi and others from the political affairs of Cross River State, Northern Cross River has, in many respects, been left almost naked; like a sheep without a shepherd.
We have had politicians. We have had office holders. We have had men and women occupying important positions.
But leadership is different.
Hardly will anyone look towards Cross River North today and find a figure who commands the kind of respect, influence and cross-cutting recognition that makes an entire state pause when he speaks.
That is what makes the Higgins Peters phenomenon worth examining.
High Chief Higgins Peters has been around since democracy returned in 1999. Yet, unlike many who have spent decades desperately pursuing political relevance, he has largely remained in the background; quietly observing, building relationships, supporting people and influencing outcomes.
He has played the role of a kingmaker who has never been desperate to become king.
And perhaps that is precisely why his influence has endured.
Leadership is not always acquired through elections. Sometimes, it is earned through years of consistency, loyalty, sacrifice, generosity, wisdom and the ability to remain relevant through changing political seasons.
Through patience, dedication, hard work and loyalty, High Chief Higgins Peters has strategically arrived at a point where his influence can no longer be ignored.
He has become, almost organically, the Natural Leader of Cross River North.
And here is the question we must ask:
Governor Otu spent three days in Cross River North and, among the many homes and personalities in the region, chose to pay homage to High Chief Higgins Peters in his home in Okpoma.
Doesn’t that tell us something?
Doesn’t it suggest that even those who occupy the highest political offices recognise the importance of those who command influence beyond the walls of government offices?
Doesn’t it tell us that the future of Cross River North may be resting on the shoulders of men whose influence is not necessarily defined by the political positions they currently occupy?
High Chief Higgins Peters is not the Natural Leader of the North because he has held a particular political or traditional office. Neither is it because he is positioning himself for one.
His leadership emanates from something deeper; the role that Mother Nature herself appears to have positioned him to play in the socio-economic and political life of the people of Cross River North.
And perhaps that is the kind of leadership Northern Cross River needs at this critical moment.
A leader who listens. A leader who builds bridges. A leader who brings people together.
A leader who understands that influence is more powerful when it is used to lift others rather than to elevate oneself. A leader who does not need to shout to be heard. A leader who does not need an office to command respect.
What Cross River State is looking for is, in many respects, what High Chief Higgins Peters has been looking for. Cross River State needs him more than he needs the state.
And that is why I believe we must begin to look beyond the conventional definition of leadership.
High Chief Higgins Peters is the present and, potentially, the future of Cross River North.
You may disagree with him. You may criticise him. You may even hate him.
But you will need him.
Because political seasons will come and go. Governments will change. Office holders will leave.
But men who have built enduring influence, relationships and goodwill among their people will remain relevant.
And, God willing, High Chief Higgins Peters will be around for a very long time.
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