THE POLITICAL INTRIGUES AND PROSPECTS FOR CONSOLIDATING LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA
THE POLITICAL INTRIGUES AND PROSPECTS FOR CONSOLIDATING LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA
By:
Nurudeen Dauda
nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
nurudeendauda.blogspog.com
To begin with, let us consider the literal meanings of some concepts in our topic of discussion; such as: politics, intrigue, prospect, and leadership thus: Politics relates to the way power is achieved and used in a country or society. Intrigue refers to a complicated or clandestine plot or scheme intended to effect some purpose by secret artifice; conspiracy; and or stratagem etc. Prospect refers to the potential things that may come to pass, often favorable. Leadership refers to the capacity of someone to lead others well.
It is sad to note that in a multi-ethnic cum religious society like ours instead of using our diversity as a source of strength our politicians from all political divides often use it as a weapon against one another. More so, instead of emphasizing on our common origin, humanity, nationality, and state of origin they use divisive "words" as their major campaign "talking" or "selling" points. All manners of sentiments are deliberately being deployed by our politicains in order to gain political power. It is a very dangerous political path which we must avoid for us to attain our full potentials.
If one gains political power through deception, it is important to note that the same deception cannot be used to run government effectively. The attainment of good governance requires unity of purpose, social stability, social justice, inclusion, equity, and fairness etc. Our politicains must accept the fact that it is easier to govern a united political setting than a polarized political setting.
We are not the only multi ethnic cum religious society in the world.India has more diversity in terms of ethnic groups and religious persuasions than us. It has more than one thousand indigenous spoken languages. Ethnic or religious homogeneity is not a guarantee that any nation will work as the experiences of Somalia shows.There is no evidence that diversity slows development. Some of the world's richest and most peaceful countries are historically multi-ethnic; such as: Switzerland, Canada and Belgium etc.
Our ethnic and religious diversity is not our problem. Our problems are our unpatriotic cum incompetent politicains who use religious and ethnic entrepreneurs among us for their political capital. At birth no one chooses to be born as Igala or Ibira or Yoruba or Okun etc.
The electorates must get enlightened by well meaning Nigerians that regardless of our ethnic groups, religion persuasions and whatever identity we must as a people and as a country acknowledge the fact that we have common socio-economic problems to deal with. The poor masses irrespective of their ethnic groups or religious persuasions lack some basic things for their daily survivals. Our poverty, unemployment, and insecurity situations in the country neither have religion nor ethnic group.We are all united these problems.
We need leaders with the genuine ideas on how to create jobs, reduce poverty, tackle the problems of insecurity and put food on our various tables not leaders from our ethnic groups or religious persuasions who lack what it takes to solve our numerous challenges.