By Chris Curtis
Opening
They say a crown rests on the head,
But what if that head is hollow?
What if the weight of gold sits upon a shell,
Empty of vision, swollen with vanity?
Nigeria,
A land bursting with potential,
Yet too often ruled by men and women
Who seek the throne,
Not for service…
But for survival.
Not for purpose…
But for profit.
This, my friends,
Is the anatomy of a hollow crown.
Philosophical Pause
You see, the hollow leader is not an accident.
He is a design—
An echo chamber of his own illusions.
He speaks of justice while silencing dissent.
He quotes scripture, but cannot spell integrity.
He wears tradition like regalia,
But tradition without truth is theatre.
Psychological Insight
Psychologically, he’s complex—
A fragile ego wrapped in roaring pride.
He is addicted to praise.
He fears criticism like plague.
The more he is wrong, the louder he shouts.
The more he is empty,
The more he postures.
Truth becomes his enemy—
Not because it is false,
But because it pierces through his costume.
And in that mirror of truth,
He sees not a king,
But a coward.
Theological Reflection
And what of God?
He invokes God’s name in campaigns,
Quotes holy verses at swearing-ins.
But when he governs,
God is left at the gates of power.
He builds cathedrals with stolen funds,
And kneels in mosques while justice dies in courtrooms.
He wants the robe of a priest,
But not the discipline of a disciple.
He forgets:
God is not mocked—
Leadership is stewardship,
And every steward gives an account.
Pragmatic Truth
Now let us be practical:
A self-serving leader cannot build a self-sustaining nation.
He builds roads that lead to nowhere.
Hospitals that treat nobody.
Policies that exist only on paper.
He borrows in billions
But invests in nothing.
He talks about vision,
But sees only himself.
Even his successes are smokescreens—
Shiny projects that serve no one
Except those already seated at the table.
Physiological Analogy
He is a parasite.
Like a biological parasite,
He cannot live without a host.
He drains—
Feeds on the people,
The economy, the youth, the hope.
And when the host grows weak,
He blames the host
For not feeding him better.
This is not leadership.
This is slow cannibalism
Disguised as governance.
Sociological Dimension
Sociologically,
He thrives because we enable him.
We celebrate strongmen instead of wise men.
We vote for tribe, not truth.
We follow noise, not character.
And so, the crowd becomes part of the crown
Singing praises,
Dancing at campaigns,
Blind to the shackles being clasped upon their ankles.
He has mastered the art of social manipulation.
We, the people, have forgotten the strength of collective conscience.
Scientific Note
Even science agrees—
Power reshapes the brain.
Unchecked power shrinks empathy.
It silences the moral compass.
It rewards impulsivity over reflection.
When leadership becomes ego-driven,
It becomes chemically toxic—
To both leader…
And nation.
Emotional Anchor
And emotionally…
Oh, how tragic it is.
To watch a nation cry
While her leaders laugh.
To watch bright young minds
Flee the land their fathers died for.
To see dreams die quietly in traffic,
While convoys rush past,
Choking the air with sirens and indifference.
The hollow crown looks majestic from afar—
But up close, it is a rusted relic.
An empty headpiece,
Worn by empty hearts.
The Final Question
So I ask again—
What type of leader are you?
Because the future of Nigeria
Will not be determined
By the next election,
But by the next reflection.
The reflection in the mirror.
The reflection in our hearts.
Conclusion
We must raise leaders who kneel to truth,
Who fasten the crown not to ego,
But to empathy.
Leaders whose words match their walk,
Whose legacy is not a monument…
But a movement.
Nigeria is not poor—
She is plundered.
She is not broken—
She is betrayed.
But we can heal her.
Only if we stop clapping for empty crowns.
Only if we begin to crown integrity—
Not title.
The anatomy of a hollow crown… is a cautionary tale.
Let it not be the story of our time.
Written by Chris Curtis
Email: chriscurtiswrites@gmail.com
