“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” _¯ Mahatma Gandhi
The much-awaited year 2015 is just unfurling with the month of March, the third in the year, nearly getting to its middle. Among individuals, especially the occupants of exalted positions in the corridors of power, the way last year ends might vary but we can only hope and pray for the best in 2015. As private persons or as public personalities, how far have we gone in meeting set goals; for self and society? Those in power and who are about to contest the coming elections should not become victims of excuses, even though there is never enough time to do all we set out to achieve; we should strive to be nothing but conqueror of objectives: And by objectives, this column mean those deeds that could stand the test of time and benefit humanity.
Time is of essence in life. It is what keeps everything from happening at once. Every living being has own time or better put-magic moment. As the March/April elections are approaching, individuals in power have their time in their hands; how best have they deployed it. Is it used for egocentric purposes or for more enduring ventures? Whether you are president, governor, minister, commissioner, local government chairman or directing mind in an organisation among other powerful positions, by the turn of May, 2015, your days in office would come to an end, except for re-elected first term politicians in office. The crowd of people you see around you today would not be there forever. They throng around your position, not your person. When another person occupies the seat tomorrow, you automatically become history and what you live on subsequently is your good deeds-or better put legacy. Have you, despite your present position, ever given this inescapable looming reality any deep thought in the midst of privileged reverence that you are daily accorded by virtue of your position? Let us all remember in whatever grandeur it might currently please God to place us as another tenure beckons that there comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is our own hearts- the ultimate judge of human conducts. The earlier we learn the sound of our hearts, the better so that we can correctly decipher what it is saying and follow it. The problem with powerful men is that they have avoidably failed to be loyal to their conscience and have failed to discern inevitable change and challenge when about to occur. The saddest words that could ever come out of the mouths of once-upon-powerful-fellows are: ‘It might have been.’ As these elections get closer, you still have the power to shape you today and the future. Whatever part you deliberately chose, whether of self-perdition or sentence to irreverent oblivion should not be subsequently called mistakes?
Remember, as the elections are about to commence that there have been tyrants and slayers, and for some time, they can seem insuperable, but in the end, they always fall. Remember that it is your actions, not the fruits of your actions that would count against or for you on judgement day, which is why you must endeavour to always do what is importantly right. Let your action not be informed by personal gains or malice because that may not be in your power to decide. God in His infinite mercy might decide to let your actions or inactions benefit humanity and not even you can stop that? But you would be remembered, long after you have gone as the harbinger of that good action, and would be duly celebrated one day. But that doesn’t mean you should stop doing the right thing because there may not be immediate personal gains. You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result to celebrate in the world.
As elections are about to unravel, remember that yesterday is but today’s memory, and tomorrow is today’s dream. What dreams do you have as a leader- for the country as her directing mind and the world at large so that there can be a peaceful global village for all to co-habit? Do not be deceived by the false friends or deterred by true enemies that success usually attract. Just make sure you put in your best in all you do in whatever position you might presently be privileged to occupy.
Having gone this far, it is pertinent to remind our privileged men of power on the need to engage in pertinent self re-examination. The president, governors and other political appointees by now would be buying time in power. The president and most of the governors would have become lame duck in their positions since fresh elections have been rescheduled for March/April, 2015 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Political parties have nominated candidates that would stand for elections into these exalted positions and the likely candidates that would take-over power would be seeking the hands of the people. That has been the tradition of CHANGE of baton in the political firmament. But those that did well by the end of March/April would be filled with certain sense of fulfilment.
How would our current crop of elected and appointed public officers want to be remembered? What future have they built for their families through their handiwork while in government? Is it one that will invite opprobrium or acclaim from members of the public? Is it not probably too late for them to remedy their avoidable pitfalls of the past now that the elections are just weeks away? And for Nigerians: Are they ready to tolerate the misfits in government that continue to rigmarole them with bad governance? Are Nigerians going to over look any failure whatsoever from the presidency, from governors and even INEC in the imminent 2015 general elections?
We should continue to fervently pray for God’s special grace in Nigeria so that the coming 2015 general elections would not be the last to be held under this dispensation because of insinuations of violence/rigging that rents the air. This column believes in such prayers and would continue to do everything to seek divine protection and blessings for the country. But above all, the ruling class must stop its destructive do-or-die politics with which our polity has been replete with in the about 16 years of democratic rule. In conclusion, this column is in prayerfully mood for a peaceful country post May, 2015. Let us all do things in this political season with moderation and more importantly, love our neighbour as we love ourselves. We must respect and allow the people’s votes to count in the coming general elections.
NATION
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