Regrettably, Most Nigerian Politicians Are Ungrateful To God And Man

BY DOMINIC KIDZU

All through the blemished history of Nigerian politics most of the major players have disclosed a temperament for greed, avarice, gluttony and conspicuous consumption. Once they achieve success at the ballot the position will thereafter become theirs as a right, for which no one else could aspire to, or attempt to attain, as if they themselves ascended the position by monarchical right of succession. Some neither make hay while the sun shines, nor understand when their time is up, until they are almost physically dragged out of the place in shameful spectacle.

That is why I was taken aback, early today when I read a post by Hon. Chima E. Obieze, a three-time member of Enugu House of Assembly. Let me quote what he wrote:

“Having served for a record three terms as a member of Enugu State House of Assembly, it is my solid decision not to run for that same office again. God has been gracious to me and I am proud of how I made use of His Gift. In the next year it will be time to aim higher, pay more attention to my personal business and to look out for other opportunities. Before the expiration of my current term, I shall hold a thanksgiving to thank both God and my constituents for the support so far. I congratulate Mrs Adanma Ukwueze Ode who is to be, by the grace of God my successor in office, and all those who are favoured at this time, as I have been favoured in the past. Make good use of the office when you are finally elected in the general elections….. “

I am yet to see one politician who will write such a fantastic epithet at the sunset of their tenure, expressing gratefulness to the Almighty and his constituents, in my state. What we see is a grand wrestling contest, sometimes against their own legs, bad blood, enemity and grandstanding, even when it has become crystal clear that their people prefer someone else at this time. Clearly, nobody can embody the general corpus of a community’s politics without necessarily paying the summary price in terms of commitment of man hours, years of grueling work and expenditure for and on behalf of the people and expect to continue to be re-elected.

No big-man legislator is truly qualified to be elected again and again, no matter how highly they think of themselves. It is even worse when they are by their very nature, obtuse to the general temperament of leadership. Because they are closeted with the little they have and self- celebrating in their general comportment. No man who is mean-spirited, incommunicable and unresponsive ever got re-elected all the time because such aristocratic behaviour does not conduce to the tempo of a beggarly multitude of voters who are forever looking for a shoulder to hold unto. Such attitude alienates the people. There is no social securiy system that takes care of the needy in Nigeria. The legislator is therefore expected to be the bag-man with nickles and pennies to throw about, along the road of power, or at least have the time to explain to his constituents that the bag has become empty.

I wish all those who may not be successful at the three senatorial conclaves of the APC for all elective positions in Cross River State will learn something from the humility and thankfulness of Rt. Hon Chima Obieze. There is no reason to fight the very system that made you because someone else has been preferred ahead of you this time, even after you have already been preferred ahead of others,two,three or four times in the past..The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins remorse from power.