Leadership is often associated with the People and its two way channel, upward and downward concentration, even as it swings like a pendulum.
Politics, as a process of attaining leadership could not be discussed without the people irrespective of race, society and area it applies.
Because it involves the people, the end product of it is expected to be positively on the part of the people.
Any process expected to be positive must first be pure, sincere and of course bears integrity in its entirety in order to pave way for a formidable, trusted, reliable leadership to emerge. Remember, it is often said that, “when the righteous rules, the people rejoice”.
If this is correct, it then behooves on the process that will usher in such leadership to be blameless in all respects and in anyway you look at it.
In Nigeria, as the quest for leadership becomes ill motivated, for personal or group interest, the essence of leadership seems defeated, giving birth to a mockery and unreliable process, politics. Politics, as a process of acquiring leadership, is sick, selfish, deteriorated and speedily goes down to nothing irrespective of the concerted efforts to put it right.
Politics in Nigeria is practiced based on sentiments rather than the aim of providing quality leadership for the people. In most cases, the syndrome of “the winner takes it all”, applies irrespective of the effect on the society.
Rather than being a level playground for all to participate, politics has become solely engagement of the wealthy ones, using the populace to achieve their selfish motives.
Bitterness and disrespect have therefore become the instance of Nigeria politicians, where the rich and those in power play it without recourse to the ideal and fundamentals of the game, as handed down by the foremost politicians, like late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Aminu Kano, Obafemi Awolowo, to mention but a few.
From the military era to date, leadership in Nigeria has been the centre of bitterness, where a general plots and dethrones sitting heads of state without tangible reason with much noise to do better; which in most cases is a ruse?
Same military blood has crept into the era of democracy where numerous litigations are pending in the court of law, because of bitterness, not just because of justice or vision to do better.
Today, amongst the political class, favouritism, tribalism and what have you, are reigning supreme because power has intoxicated our leaders. Bitterness and disrespect are publicly displayed and carried out in a manner that Nigeria is no longer in the good books of the international community.
In Nigeria, a lesser percentage-below average-of beneficiaries of certain government have labeled their superiors as infallible masters or governors, who never wish to accept mistakes and go for the better options.
Quest for power therefore has increasingly portrayed Nigerians, its polity and drivers of these systems into bitterness, disrespect, and an aggression that seems difficult to control or quit.
A child of about fifteen (15) could no longer be seen as a baby. If Nigeria and her leadership are to forge-ahead, now is a better time for the politics and polity to be dusted for fresher system.
As the country’s democracy hits 15 years judging from 1998, we urge that the power brokers, leadership at various government levels, political parties, etc, should consider the interest of the people first and desist from the politics of bitterness, selfishness and disrespect, for the development of the country.
We are optimistic that if our leadership upholds the fundamentals of political rulership, Nigeria would be a better place for all us. ###
