3 hours ago
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A close friend of mine was with me when I was scribing this week’s piece, and I guess that he peeped through to read the caption. Suddenly, he shook his head as he exclaimed, “DSM, you can’t be serious, and how can you qualify our leaders in such a caption? Are you not the Head of Media for our LGA’s political Chairman Campaign Council? I couldn’t believe that DSM of all people could be part of any political party affiliations in Nigeria presently, having known you as one of the country’s bad governance criticism nightmares. It’s baffling and …”
“Nduka, point of correction.” I interrupted him, as I faced him with my right hand in the air. I relaxed, and calmly responded, “Nduka, I am not a party supporter or sycophant, rather an individualist supporter. I am not a typical politician like most of you. Before I support any candidate, I must conduct a thorough assessment of whosoever that I want to align with, and such assessment must be based on the character, competency, capacity, integrity, honesty and moral values of such an individual. I don’t submit my loyalty to any party, especially with the compositions of most political parties right now. A situation where people’s loyalty is not based on ideologies and principles, but on stomach infrastructure and societal status. Taking a cue from what’s happening with most prominent political parties, you can’t make any meaning of the internal intrigues, where allegation is becoming very worrisome that the biggest party with an enormous amount of money is trying to destabilise other parties. The intrigue is to create a near one party state in Nigeria. This destabilisation plot is all about 2027, where the biggest party won’t tolerate any party to challenge the maradonic JAGABAN. Sadly, this money bag powered party is using the internal saboteurs of a few influential parties to do the hacker’s job. Is that the kind of political party affiliations that one can belong to? We have not grown up to delete any ugly emotional sentiments when choosing our leaders. We are so engulfed with tribal bigotry, hatred and bitterness. Religion has taken over our right doings, and every day, we are deteriorating as if we are citizens of different countries.
I supported Peter Obi and Alex Otti, not necessarily because of tribal, religious or political imprint, but because of their respective ideologies and characters. I have always supported great characters, and I did that to the late President Yar’Adua. If late Pa Lateef Jakande, Mallam Aminu Kano, and Alex Ekwueme were still alive today and contested in any party, I will support them 100%. They’re my mentors, and I have no regrets. The main problem of Nigeria presently is the blind support of a party, instead of individuality, especially those with impeccable characters. Unfortunately, we are not learning any lessons, and hence our past supports have ended up as the worst disaster in terms of democracy dividend yield.
Today in America, most Americans are not talking about Republicans or Democrats, but Trump and Karmal. The debate is not about the party, but the two individuals, their characters and their ideologies that are based on how to create a new America. That should be our focal point, and sadly, party structures have somehow destroyed our democracy, as a party in power tends to manipulate the electoral laws, processes, security agencies, INEC, judiciary; and with state instruments, steals to bribe the hungry Nigerians. This is the dreaded lacuna coil that has pervaded our democracy since the return of the fourth Republic in 1999.
Maybe you are not aware, I am an ardent supporter of Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Ondo State Gubernatorial candidate. Is he from my state, or am I in agreement with the wicked policies of APC? The answer is obvious, and I need not tell you. Lucky Aiyedatiwa is a straightforward person with a strong analytical mind. We drank from the same spiritual realm and he knows the importance of a selfless leadership style. He’s a man that the whole world may be under his command, and he will not shift his gaze from God Almighty. He’s a man of integrity, whose hands can hold the destinies of men, and the people of Ondo State are indeed lucky to have such a lucky person as their governor.
My support for the governor of Bornu State, Prof Zulum, was purely for his humility and care for anyone residing in the State, irrespective of tribal or religious beliefs.” I paused, expecting Nduka to interject.
He didn’t disappoint me as blurted. “Look DSM, you can’t convince me with all your long grammar, and I don’t want you to deviate from my inquest, and that is, why are you supporting, in fact, agree to head the Media outreach of a local government chairmanship campaign council? We have discussed severally, and even when you had opportunities in the national service delivery, you have been reluctant to take such appointments. When Charles informed me that you accepted this local government stuff, I didn’t believe it until I saw the memo.”
I smiled, looked at my friend’s inquisitive face, and was wondering if I could answer him or not. Suddenly, I realised that my friend won’t understand if I didn’t explain. So, I started.
“I have always believed that a man must sometimes remember his ancestral home, and especially, after many years of experience in other parts of the country or even abroad. If you could help in developing such areas, what stops you from coming home to add value to your community? A man without a root must be ruthless, and I have lived in the village for a few months now. I have realised that, running away from your ancestral land is an act of cowardice. All those myths of diabolism are all self invented. I believe that a man who has worked, retired and attained a certain age bracket, should come back home and use the few years of his remaining life to help his community.” I paused and was expecting a response, and Nduka was in a hurry as he asked.
“Leave those stories and tell why this particular appointment as the Head of Media is very important to you.”
I laughed loudly, and slowly, I began the lesson that triggered this article.
“Now, let me tell you the main reasons that I am on the Campaign Council train of Honourable Chinedu Ekeke and Honourable Ifenayi Njoko. One of their greatest attributes are their simplicity and humility. I saw a pair who are independent minded fellows. They’re young and zealous, and seem to have the same leadership qualities that can replicate Dr. Alex Otti’s enviable work executions in Abia State. That’s my first impression before I accepte to serve, and I hope that they won’t fail me in the future.
Secondly, the chairmanship aspirant, Chinedu Ekeke is an embodiment of energy, excitement, nationalism, patriotism and with a pinch of local inherited knowledge of the terrains about Isuikwuato and Uturu.
Thirdly, Chinedu Ekeke’s campaign agenda is not only appealing, but very importantly, it’s holistic, achievable and realistic.
Fourthly, apart from their simplicity, their well packaged developmental agenda for the people of Isuikwuato and their characters that are impeccable, they represent the new generation of leaders that I have been advocating for many years ago.
Fifthly, and the most intriguing aspect of my support stems from the fact that, those who are in the entourage and members of the Chinedu Ekeke LGA Campaign Council were men and women of proven INTEGRITY. A combination of technocrats, civil rights activists, businessmen and experienced politicians. Meeting such crops of great sons and daughters of Isuikwuato are committed with exemplary lifestyles.
Sixthly, your constant reminder that, my national criticism of any bad governance system in Nigeria can only be changed when people like me are involved in politics. If I could recall, just last week, you said that, if we can’t change our national ugliness from the top, maybe, we should try from the foundation of our governance system. It means that, the local government areas should be the foundation of our national ideology change, hence, I have decided to follow your suggestion. If we can get it right from the local government areas, by fixing certain basic infrastructures, maybe, the mass migration of our people from rural areas to urban cities will be curtailed. As they say, charity begins at home, and the best way to show appreciation to humanity is through the thread of service rendered in one’s ancestral land. Let me try your suggestion….” I concluded, and we both laughed as he affirmed by nodding his head.
Some of us, who have trivialised the local government governance structure should start to assume the responsibility for the failures of the local governance system. In fact, I am advocating that technocrats, both serving and retired in the cities, should come home and use their wealth of knowledge, skills and experiences to add value to their localities. If we could pay less attention to the federal government, and concentrate on the stewardship scorecards of our State and Local Government through a knowledge based analytical leadership enthronement, maybe, Nigerians in the rural areas could have their economic well-being, improved. Critically, security of lives and properties must be sacrosanct. Agriculture, Small and Medium Scale Industrial hubs could be initiated and developed, and in this case, local farming could be mechanised, and the overall results will be self- sufficiency in food stuffs, rural development and e-commerce/technology advancements.
Nigeria is blessed with human and natural resources, domiciled in the rural areas, and unfortunately, the mono economy dependence on crude oil has rendered the Local Government administration as a low level of service delivery to the people. A very critical scenario, where every youth wants to live in the cities due to the availability of Infrastructural Facilities and white collar job opportunities. Meanwhile, if the local government areas are well governed with the right persons with impeccable characters, there may not be any need for the mass migration of the youths from the rural areas to the cities. The local government areas should be the highest employer of labour, and unfortunately, the federal government is more inclined to assume that all government policies should start and end at the centre. A new policy guideline on rural development should be initiated, and thank God for the new Supreme Court judgement on local government federation fund allocation and independence.The federal government should not only fold its hands, and believe that only the monthly federation fund allocation is enough. The federal government must ensure that certain funds are directly allocated to the local government areas, and such funds include, ecological funds, Industrialisation funds etc.
The federal government should try and establish at least an industry in each of the 774 LGAs, especially cottage industries that will make use of the economic comparative advantage of each rural area.
The federal government should ensure that the rural electrification projects are not just laying electricity poles and wires, but the actuality that the electricity supply chain management is functional. I have been in Isuikwuato for the past few months, and all through this period, we have not had a power supply for more than 4 days. It’s very easy to see the EEDC personnel running around everyday, especially at the end of every month, chasing the rural dwellers to pay for their electricity bills that they never consumed, and in most cases, with threats of cutting off their light permanently. Electricity power supply should be core to local government industrial development, and unfortunately, we have the poles and wires, but no power supply.
Apart from economic development policies, the federal government should not concentrate on the establishment of medical hospitals on the State Capitals. Every Senatorial District should have a functional healthcare policy enactment, and this will complement the rural healthcare services of the local government areas.
Finally, although not exhaustively, the federal government should treat the Local Government Area as the third tier of the federation, and not as an appendage to the State Government. Certain correspondence should be directed straight to the LGAs, and vice versa.
In my conclusion, although, I didn’t publish the intended article titled: ‘Certified Criminals and Qualified Rogues As Symbols Of Our Leadership Authority,’ due to my friend’s intention to blackmail my decision to join my locality in order to add value from the grassroots. We must understand that, Nigeria is a blessed country. In fact, the most blessed country in the world. The day we get it right on the choice of leaders we choose, I bet you, in less than four years (as Abians are witnessing right now), Nigeria and Nigerians will appreciate God Almighty for such a leadership choice.
It’s not about the Federal, State, Local or Party indictments, but the bulk of our problems are the characteristics of the President, Governor, Chairman and Electoral Process that we have deliberately orchestrated as the best trajectories in our national and local government’s enthronement. And even as I come in PEACE, I believe that gradually, those 419ners that have hijacked the Nigerian leadership coven since 1999 are going to be phased out, and a new set of youths with nationalistic passion and impeccable characters just like CHINEDU EKEKE will take over, and then, just then, will a new Nigeria emerge.
This becomes the prelude to the next week article titled: ‘Certified Criminals and Qualified Rogues As Symbols Of Our Leadership Authority.’ That was cleverly punctuated by Nduka, my friend, and his action has given me a new understanding to describe the dynamism of mankind….never to be static….
Dr. Sunny Oby Maduka (DSM), is an Author, Resource Personality, Management Consultant/Trainer, Chartered/Certified -Auditor/Accountant, Financial Compliance Expert, Economic/Political Analyst Strategist, Marine Expert and Motivationist)
