To-those-vying-for-political-leadership-why-do-you-really-want-to-lead
September 7, 2020 | News
TO THOSE VYING FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP – WHY DO YOU REALLY WANT TO LEAD?
When we consider the ‘do-or-die’ kind of politicking that is evident in Nigeria, be it before, during and after general elections, we would then realize that the ‘motives’ of most Nigerian politicians who have made up their minds to become political leaders; is never about ‘service’, neither is it about bringing any ground vision of rapid development of one’s community and country to square up with its counterpart anywhere in the world. If it were; and if the ‘motives’ were right, Nigeria would have undergone tremendous transformation in about 18 years of its kind of democracy. That is why the subject question is asked. And it is something that our current political leadership, as well as those aspiring to be politicians; should sit back and ‘honestly’ ask themselves – “Why do I want to be in politics and aspire for a public office?” Is it to amass public wealth and turn my economic status around overnight? Or is to selflessly serve the people, holistically develop our society and leave an impressive legacy behind for posterity sake?
These questions have become imperative because all we have witnessed in Nigerian politics as far as we can remember, is nothing but political leaders who have made themselves ‘Public Masters’ rather than ‘Public Servants’. We have learned to judge Nigerian politicians by “what they do” and not by “what they say” – this is because often times, what comes out from the mouth of most Nigerian politicians never commensurate with what they eventually do in terms of actions and initiated/enacted policies. As it is in Nigeria, so it is in the whole of Africa, hence, we have remained a country/continent that is underdeveloped, stricken with poverty and lack, and always needing aides from developed societies. And this deplorable status of Nigeria and Africa, is caused by political leaders whose primary aim of being in politics is become rich overnight.
This was the exact picture that was described by Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba of Kenya, recently in Ghana when he noted that: “Some of you may be aspiring for political leadership in the political arena, but the question is Why Do You Want To Lead? In Africa, the shortest route to ill-gotten wealth is Political Leadership. If you want to get wealth without working for it at all, join African Politics. That is the truth everywhere in Africa except for very few places. The only place that stands out now in that regard is Tanzania with President John Pombe Magufuli. The rest in Africa… They hunt and gather buildings, and cars, and money, and that is why African leadership does not attract her best men and women. And African Electorates also responds to money… The African Electorates also expects to be bribed so that they can vote. And until the day we are able to exercise the ghost of ethnicity amongst other things and the ghost of corruption in Africa, AFRICA WILL NEVER GET GOOD LEADERS.”
Nigeria, as an independent nation, is currently 57 years plus, but all we see around us as Nigerians, is the rising hunger, hardship and poverty, high-profile corruption at all levels with reckless abandon and impunity; gross nepotism and injustice, increasing insecurity flamed by our political leaders and threatening the unity of the nation; every sector replete with dysfunctional attributes that make them serve only the interest of the political class to the detriment of the common man, and the list is endless. Though, Nigeria has had its fair share of very few admirably-good political leaders in sensitive public office positions, but the number of those who are the ‘bad eggs’, far outweigh that of the good. Which is why we are wishing, if only our Nigerian political leaders at all levels of Government and the Legislature, are like the Tanzanian President, John Pombe Magufuli, we are very certain that the Nigeria of today, would be the Dubai Of Africa in all ramifications. Those interested in knowing more about the Tanzanian President, they should Google his name and learn from him.
The taste for political power and all that it brings, has become the driving force for most of our political leaders in being in politics and not necessarily to serve the Nigerian people. These Nigerian politicians, have become more like ‘drunken sailors’ who are ready and willing to do anything to grab that political power, regardless of the cost or what anyone thinks. That is why ‘Political party defectors’ (i.e those who cross-carpet from one political party to the other), are best described as “political prostitutes” who are without political principle, morality, conscience and lacking in political ideology to champion the cause of good leadership for the well-being of the society and political development of the country. That a man defects from the PDP and teams up with the APC or vice-vicar, does not make him a saint overnight. In fact, if people find it easy to cross carpet from one political party to another in our political system, it only means there are no clear-cut and defined ideologies and this makes them all the same.
In Nigeria, if a politician does not get what he/she wants in terms of grabbing a political portfolio, he/she defects to a more popular party where he/she perceives the chances of winning an election is more. Although, we still have some small number of Nigerian politicians who stay stuck to their party irrespective of what is going on in the polity. The described trend in Nigeria’s political landscape shows the despicable “chameleon character of Nigeria politicians” and their struggle for political relevance without any conscience and political ideologies as a driving force while they are in politics. This again justifies the fact that they are in politics for all the wrong reasons.
As we noted in past articles, it is “lack of patriotism” that makes public officials steal and loot the nations resources and it is this stealing and looting that have stricken us with poverty. Lack of Patriotism cuts across tribe, religion, age, and status, and that is the reason we see some obviously ignorant people and society elites queue behind, defend and support a recognized “national thief” simply because that person is from their tribe, or religion or of the same political affiliation. This problem of patriotism and the lack thereof amongst Nigeria’s political leaders, is far more devastating and damaging at that level since they are the supposed custodians of the nation’s resources. However, it is not only with the political leaders, but the followers as well. Patriotic followers can check the excesses of unpatriotic political leaders, but in the Nigerian situation, the followers also lack patriotism as much the political leaders too.
Let it be known that this situation has remained because we, as a people and the general masses, have allowed and encouraged it to continue. However, the Nigerian masses should resist from being used as “willing tools” in the hands of dubious and mischievous Politicians at every election in the country. Some might justify the fact that the reason why they are always accepting to be used as ‘willing tools’ to ruin their future and that of their future generation, is because of poverty. But we believe that alone, and the hardship in the country, should be more than enough for these set of masses to wise up and start resisting these crooked Politicians, who only deceive them to build castles in the air.
It is high time for the Nigerian "follow-follow followers" to wise up and start chasing these bunch of 'irresponsible political leaders' at all levels, out of public offices they have been desecrating. Enough of this stupidity, hypocrisy and cowardice act by the Nigerian masses.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
When we consider the ‘do-or-die’ kind of politicking that is evident in Nigeria, be it before, during and after general elections, we would then realize that the ‘motives’ of most Nigerian politicians who have made up their minds to become political leaders; is never about ‘service’, neither is it about bringing any ground vision of rapid development of one’s community and country to square up with its counterpart anywhere in the world. If it were; and if the ‘motives’ were right, Nigeria would have undergone tremendous transformation in about 18 years of its kind of democracy. That is why the subject question is asked. And it is something that our current political leadership, as well as those aspiring to be politicians; should sit back and ‘honestly’ ask themselves – “Why do I want to be in politics and aspire for a public office?” Is it to amass public wealth and turn my economic status around overnight? Or is to selflessly serve the people, holistically develop our society and leave an impressive legacy behind for posterity sake?
These questions have become imperative because all we have witnessed in Nigerian politics as far as we can remember, is nothing but political leaders who have made themselves ‘Public Masters’ rather than ‘Public Servants’. We have learned to judge Nigerian politicians by “what they do” and not by “what they say” – this is because often times, what comes out from the mouth of most Nigerian politicians never commensurate with what they eventually do in terms of actions and initiated/enacted policies. As it is in Nigeria, so it is in the whole of Africa, hence, we have remained a country/continent that is underdeveloped, stricken with poverty and lack, and always needing aides from developed societies. And this deplorable status of Nigeria and Africa, is caused by political leaders whose primary aim of being in politics is become rich overnight.
This was the exact picture that was described by Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba of Kenya, recently in Ghana when he noted that: “Some of you may be aspiring for political leadership in the political arena, but the question is Why Do You Want To Lead? In Africa, the shortest route to ill-gotten wealth is Political Leadership. If you want to get wealth without working for it at all, join African Politics. That is the truth everywhere in Africa except for very few places. The only place that stands out now in that regard is Tanzania with President John Pombe Magufuli. The rest in Africa… They hunt and gather buildings, and cars, and money, and that is why African leadership does not attract her best men and women. And African Electorates also responds to money… The African Electorates also expects to be bribed so that they can vote. And until the day we are able to exercise the ghost of ethnicity amongst other things and the ghost of corruption in Africa, AFRICA WILL NEVER GET GOOD LEADERS.”
Nigeria, as an independent nation, is currently 57 years plus, but all we see around us as Nigerians, is the rising hunger, hardship and poverty, high-profile corruption at all levels with reckless abandon and impunity; gross nepotism and injustice, increasing insecurity flamed by our political leaders and threatening the unity of the nation; every sector replete with dysfunctional attributes that make them serve only the interest of the political class to the detriment of the common man, and the list is endless. Though, Nigeria has had its fair share of very few admirably-good political leaders in sensitive public office positions, but the number of those who are the ‘bad eggs’, far outweigh that of the good. Which is why we are wishing, if only our Nigerian political leaders at all levels of Government and the Legislature, are like the Tanzanian President, John Pombe Magufuli, we are very certain that the Nigeria of today, would be the Dubai Of Africa in all ramifications. Those interested in knowing more about the Tanzanian President, they should Google his name and learn from him.
The taste for political power and all that it brings, has become the driving force for most of our political leaders in being in politics and not necessarily to serve the Nigerian people. These Nigerian politicians, have become more like ‘drunken sailors’ who are ready and willing to do anything to grab that political power, regardless of the cost or what anyone thinks. That is why ‘Political party defectors’ (i.e those who cross-carpet from one political party to the other), are best described as “political prostitutes” who are without political principle, morality, conscience and lacking in political ideology to champion the cause of good leadership for the well-being of the society and political development of the country. That a man defects from the PDP and teams up with the APC or vice-vicar, does not make him a saint overnight. In fact, if people find it easy to cross carpet from one political party to another in our political system, it only means there are no clear-cut and defined ideologies and this makes them all the same.
In Nigeria, if a politician does not get what he/she wants in terms of grabbing a political portfolio, he/she defects to a more popular party where he/she perceives the chances of winning an election is more. Although, we still have some small number of Nigerian politicians who stay stuck to their party irrespective of what is going on in the polity. The described trend in Nigeria’s political landscape shows the despicable “chameleon character of Nigeria politicians” and their struggle for political relevance without any conscience and political ideologies as a driving force while they are in politics. This again justifies the fact that they are in politics for all the wrong reasons.
As we noted in past articles, it is “lack of patriotism” that makes public officials steal and loot the nations resources and it is this stealing and looting that have stricken us with poverty. Lack of Patriotism cuts across tribe, religion, age, and status, and that is the reason we see some obviously ignorant people and society elites queue behind, defend and support a recognized “national thief” simply because that person is from their tribe, or religion or of the same political affiliation. This problem of patriotism and the lack thereof amongst Nigeria’s political leaders, is far more devastating and damaging at that level since they are the supposed custodians of the nation’s resources. However, it is not only with the political leaders, but the followers as well. Patriotic followers can check the excesses of unpatriotic political leaders, but in the Nigerian situation, the followers also lack patriotism as much the political leaders too.
Let it be known that this situation has remained because we, as a people and the general masses, have allowed and encouraged it to continue. However, the Nigerian masses should resist from being used as “willing tools” in the hands of dubious and mischievous Politicians at every election in the country. Some might justify the fact that the reason why they are always accepting to be used as ‘willing tools’ to ruin their future and that of their future generation, is because of poverty. But we believe that alone, and the hardship in the country, should be more than enough for these set of masses to wise up and start resisting these crooked Politicians, who only deceive them to build castles in the air.
It is high time for the Nigerian "follow-follow followers" to wise up and start chasing these bunch of 'irresponsible political leaders' at all levels, out of public offices they have been desecrating. Enough of this stupidity, hypocrisy and cowardice act by the Nigerian masses.
Zik Gbemre, JP.