A Clarion Call This is not a first attempt at this topic nor will this ink be the last to be spilled on it. To have a perfect society is illusory, thus, there will always be courageous men who will carry the herculean cross of seeking and inducing changes on the areas that call for them in our overly imperfect society. Nigeria as a country is a blessed land with cursed leaders. And a land where mediocrity and ineptitude are glorified and celebrated, such cannot thrive among nations. To start with, Leaders are classified into two: the Politicians and the Statesmen. There is a clear difference between these two classes. The ability of a people to establish their inherent intricacies, have a long way to go in their collective survival. In the simplest of terms, Politicians are those engaged in politics, elected or appointed. However, in this context, they are what Samuel M. Crothers referred to as Politicasters looking for small opportunities -- for small pickings and stealings as a careless public may leave for those of his kind, they employ desperation and manipulation in the advancement of their personal and public cause. They are solely concerned with electoral processes and public wealth. That is, their major interest is to win elections, neutralize their opponents, manipulate the desires of the people, dominate and perpetuate themselves in offices. They only want to be in charge of public wealth as a means to unilaterally determine who get what, when and how. The Politician barely have no such thing as public interest nor hopes of the common men at heart and rarely seek their peoples collective glory. On the other hand, Statesmen are the courageous and honorable leaders who are staunchly willing to advance, at what ever cost, the hopes and aspirations of their people. They are the knights, bannerets, freedom fighters, and true nobles. Statesmen think less of the next election and more on the next generation. Whether election is won or lost occupies the least position in their hearts, paramount to them is to see smiles on the the faces of the common men. They are such leaders who will cut down their salaries, beat down their allowances to generate funds for the services of their people. Statesmen have but one reason to live for: fulfillment of public interests. Sadly however, in this part of the world, a statesman is ...one who lives on a landed estate acquired through years of pilfering from the public coffer. Thus, it is instructive and of utmost importance that the people of a society recognize the traits of a politician and a statesman among those who parade themselves as their leaders. On the second note, we have two classes of Citizens: The responsible and irresponsible citizens. The irresponsible citizens are those citizens that have no time for public discourse, debate, or interactions, they are only driven by personal desires, and they could go trading their Countrys goals for selfish gains. They will come out and ignorantly declare that they hate politics, unknown to them that Politics is not all about joining PDP, APC or HIV, rather its all about taking legal and reasonable steps in determining those that will be in charge of their destiny and the destiny of the unborn. The irresponsible citizens will come out during elections to trade their votes, their right, their conscience to sincerely choose those that will drive the vehicle of our collective destiny. Worst still, the irresponsible citizens are found grumbling, abusing, and criticizing the Government without doing anything within their capacities to help the society. On the other hand, responsible citizens are polar opposite of the ignoble characteristics of the irresponsible citizens. In addition, responsible citizens will never do things to favour their own family alone, but rather the whole society, and generations unborn. Responsible persons have but one purpose to live: to derive personal joy by way of public or communal fulfillment. And if both interest come into conflict, they ensure the prevalence of collective over their personal/selfish interests. In the life of every Nation, there exist these categories of leaders and citizens alike but worthy of understanding is that no leadership without the citizens - at least in a democratic state. We like it or not we all wallow in the pool of irresponsibility dragging our nation to her feet because we form the premise on which the country stands - its like a system! The only time we can vacate that pool is start believing that we can conquer. How do we conquer? By taking up our respective responsibilities as citizens and leaders. As a citizen we must believe that change is not elusive and that by fight we can reach out desired destination; where politics is no more all about money, where ethnicism will become a thing of history, where quality education and health service will remain not a pipe-dream. Finally, always remember that God will never do for men what men ought to do by/for themselves. Small efforts precipitates big changes. Never give up on the Nigerian dream. A new Nigeria is possible, it begins with you!
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 09:49:41 +0000
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