Political Common Sense
Political Common Sense
You know the truth. But you choose to live in lies. You know that tribalism and religion are the two problems of Nigeria, but you support these two. You know that Nigeria is down because incompetent people are appointed to oversee strategic positions because of their tribe or religion. You know this is our problem.
But you don’t want to talk about it, yet you want Nigeria to progress. How? If someone is sick, instead of making the right drug prescription, you deliberately give them wrong prescription. What do expect of the person? Of course, death!
Many of you want Nigeria to “die”. That’s why you are not campaigning against religion and tribalism as basis for appointing people into positions of public service. You want to elect people because they are from your tribe or belong to your religion. You refuse competent people because they are not from your tribe or belong to your religion. Check your head! Something is wrong! Ask yourself this simple questions?
Does tribe fly you in an aircraft or competence? Does your religion treat you in the hospital when you’re sick or a competent physician? Is it your tribe that builds roads and bridges or competent engineers?
Your so-called leaders travel to America, Dubai, London, Paris, France. They see great things. They enjoy good Medicare. Is it religion and tribe that built those places or vision supported by competent professionals and artisans? What is wrong with you? Who has blindfolded you? Why are you so blind to see, deaf to hear and dumb to speak out?
In case you don’t get it. Nigeria is going down because of one thing: incompetence. Incompetent people holding public offices at different levels of government. This is the problem. Two things promote incompetence in our system: religion and tribalism.
Incompetence is the reason the system is not working for you and for majority of the citizens. Appointments and election of people into public offices is not based on competence of the candidate, but on their religion or tribe. This is the reason we have millions of our young people and children out of jobs and out of school. This is the reason the insecurity in the country is at high scale. This is the reason for high level of social disharmony.
Are you not tired? You know the solution to your problem: elect competent people to serve in Government. Support competent people to serve in your community. Speak out against the use of tribalism and religion as basis for appointing people into public offices or being elected into public offices.
Only competent people can promote justice, equity and fairness in society. Only competent leaders can secure your nation and community. Only competent, visionary leaders can take Nigeria out of the pit. As the 2023 general elections come, you’re the ones to bring competent people to office: at the national, state, or local government. Don’t be intimidated by those who will play the age-old trick of religion, tribe and region. Say no to them.
How do you Assess competence?
Find out what the person has done in the past. How did they do it? On whose interest did they act when they had opportunity to serve in the public – for themselves and their associates or for the general interest of the people they were meant to serve?
Do they feel entitled to be in office or do they seek to serve only if you permit them? Do they have the soundness of mind and body to withstand the rigours of public office? Do they appeal to you based on their verifiable track record or based on the sentiments of religion, ethnicity and region?
If you fall into the trap of religion, ethnicity and region to elect incompetent leaders, you and your children’s children will suffer it, while the incompetent leaders you elect will serve themselves and their cronies. Unfortunately, you won’t be among the cronies to benefit from the incompetent leaders you elect.
Your Nigeria deserves the best of candidates to lead her. You must give your country the best of candidates to the lead her. The law of life says that it is only those who have been faithful in small things that should be given responsibility for higher things. If you break this law, you will suffer the inevitable negative consequences.
I have told you the truth. But you can choose to live in lies. My conscience is clear.
I have only made political Common Sense. It’s now up to you.
Joseph Ibekwe
