LEADERS AND NOT RULERS

Sometimes I wonder if we actually appoint people to be our leaders and serve us or to rule over the citizens like master to slaves. Because from the trend of politics in Nigeria for several years it’s obvious our politicians only understood and practice ruling not leading. I wonder if we are in some kind of rural community that one person just colonize people as slaves. A typical way of looking at this is what we refer to as ruling party where some bunch of heartless human beings put themselves together to oppress the citizens,people who are desperate for power at all cost after ruling for 16 years.

Nigeria is been under the cabal of some Godfathers for many years. People who dictate what happens in the country and sad enough, can even dictate to the so called President. I sometimes wonder if we appoint some figurehead individuals into the presidency, I mean people who can’t use their heads to make their own decisions; so pathetic.. Oops!

In my understanding, leaders are meant to serve the people and not rule like they are some kind of gods. Often times the needs of their people should be more important to them than their personal needs, they would rather not eat until everyone around them has been fed. I don’t know if I'm the only one grieved about the style of political leaders in Nigeria because you just sometimes wonder if some of them got their own hearts from another superior being and not the same God we all know.

How do you stay comfortably at your hilltop mansion, built with billions of Naira from the Nigeria’s resources that should have been used for the well-being of every citizens? How can a politician be happy to watch thousands of homeless lives without food in the same territory where they are? Seriously God needs to wipe out some people just like he wiped out some terrible rulers of the old who had forgotten that there is a God who rules in the affairs of men. What pleasure is there that you drive the most expensive cars that no one else can? In my opinion; I call it illiteracy to feel it’s only you that should or can possess the most expensive things or that you are in some kind of class some people can’t be, this is not just pride in my view.

Someone should correct me, how are these so called political leaders better than average citizens? Do they have two heads that others don’t? Is it that they are more educated than average citizens? In fact some of these people are stack illiterates and I must confess it’s that same illiteracy that is affecting their sense of reasoning. In Dubai where I lived for some years, no leader is sad that one subordinate or average citizen can walk into automobile dealer shop and drive out a brand new Range Sport for instance, rather they take delight in building a society of world class people unlike our so called giant of Africa where Tokunbo (used) cars is what you mostly see on the streets.

Take a look at this two scenarios for God sake: I was driving through Palm Jumeriah in Dubai one evening with a friend, then we sighted His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of Dubai on the street having conversation with a taxi driver. We observe that it was only one Police vehicle that was with him. We slowed down, waived him and greeted “As-Salaam-Alaikum”, he looked at us and responded “Wa-Alaikum-Salaam" and we drove on. It is the contrast of this as I came back to Nigeria where many times on the street of Abuja and the highways, road will be closed and thousands of vehicles been held down just because our able President is driving to the airport with his huge entourage and the whole world has to be on standstill. Oh God!

I remember one of the days I didn’t drive to work, as I alighted from the cab at the junction to my house on the Abuja airport road and I sighted some military men on the road chasing pedestrians into the bush with guns in their hands. At first I thought there must have been a security alert and they want to clear people of the street, only to hear that President Goodluck Jonathan was returning from the airport, oops! So sad. Where is our honour and dignity in this country, our so called political leaders? This just confirms how they classified themselves as some gods. I couldn't even count the number of vehicles in the Presidential entourage that day and I wonder if the man have to sit in more than one vehicle or their evil work hunt after them that they can’t move alone? What a waste!

Good news is that I see Nigerians waking up now to say no to corrupt leaders who are just power drunk and will want to get back to political office at any cost. It’s so sad that this isn't just in Nigeria but so common among African Countries, no wonder the whites tends to give us all sort of names. Take for instance the current situation in Burundi where the serving President is desperate for a 3^rd time even when it’s obvious the citizens want him out. Where is the honour in imposing yourself on people who don’t want you? Is it not honourable to just step aside, let the people have their choice and have things done differently for everyone to be happy.

I therefore crave the indulgence of Nigerians, let us continue to remind ourselves that no leaders should take us for granted anymore. We appoint them to serve us and not to rule on us by just enriching themselves both monetarily and materially with our resources. Enough of lazy leaders who can’t even invest and make wealth in any other enterprises than to run back to governance and politics anytime they are broke. This is sad but true, just like some other ones just crave for power to oppress the average citizen. Henceforth, if they can’t deliver on their promises, it’s our right to vote them out and let them not use ethnicity, tribe or religion to becloud our judgement please.

Finally, I plead with every Nigerian and African leaders to promote the spirit of true democracy and good governance. Let us serve the nation and those who put their trust in us to appoint us leaders. Become an individual with integrity and honour, serve with the fear of God in your hearts because if you fear God you will have compassion for the suffering masses. Enough of the western world turning our societies into dumping ground where all sort of used materials are found. We can as well donate to the less privileged in the western communities and not them turning us to beggars all the time in the name of grants and aids.

We need true leaders and not rulers, and before you think of any political ambition please think of the act of kindness first, because a kind heart will never allow the masses to suffer in any way.

Note: This write up was composed 5 months ago, and my hope is that the current leadership in power will be different. So I plead with all Nigerians to patiently follow through with the change in the air.

God bless Nigeria!

Steve Kay