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 3rd 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
