Fr. Richard OMOLADE

The march to 2027 has begun and the locomotive train has left the station and people are jumping on board. If you know trains well, you will know that they have different cabins, ordinary, special and luxury. The essential thing is that everyone will get to their destination with varying degree of comfort. It is however imperative to know when to come on board and when to disembark. Politicians usually do not know anything of these precise details. They are often cajoled to join the train and often when the going gets tough, they are easily pushed off the train.

This seems to be what we are witnessing all around today. The train that is meant to carry everyone is now exclusively for the government in power, anyone attempting to walk on board, or jump on board will meet the same fate – unexplainable accident.  This isn’t development, but politics of bitterness.

Politics is for the people and people are for politics because politics affects life, our common life and our life in the state. Hence, abstaining from politics is not an option even when many would rather keep off. To do so is to relinquish the direction of our life to charlatans and businessmen whose only plan in politics is personal enrichment at the expense of the masses. Nigerians have not been blessed with State’s men and women, but with despoilers. Yes, occasionally we witness some indices of growth and development but factor in the cost and things no longer make sense. The present dispensation is said to be redressing decades of malaise, but the hardship on the people has become too much. How are we to correct this misnomer when our justice system is essentially built on graft and power - have power to torment your foes and competitors and justice will come your way. Otherwise, know when to ask the pertinent question.” “My Lord, where should I drop the money bag?”, and judgement will be yours. No wonders, minnows are quickly swallowed up in Nigeria politics and replaced by the kingmakers. How can this people represent the masses when they did not have the mandate of the masses in the first instance?  How would such politicians represent the people when someone else holds the key to their life and relevance? Yet, we cannot remain silent or resigned to fate. We must do something! When every option is difficult and there seems to be no way, people left with no option must dig deep into the well of their existence, where relevance and life  are found and come up with the only option left – fight for life.

Yes, life is worth fighting for and every effort opposed to life must be revealed to be anti-life, and anti-people. If the masses are unable to choose those who will represent them and this is now left to party antics and gimmicks, then the masses must make them uncomfortable in office till they do the will of the masses.  The masses must make them feel unwelcomed even in their constituency until they make the good of the constituency the primary focus of their political life. This is a dangerous task to embark upon especially at this time when society is filled with anarchists and traitors. Yet, the people are not clueless, they know most politicians are fraud and have no love for the people. They know that many will get into office not because the people voted them in, but only because power of incumbency is enormous and visible.

In the same vein, our voice of concern must become visible and loud. Evil needs to be shown for what it is. If many people will engage in this task of registering their grievances and holding the politicians accountable, they will begin to do things differently. Truth be told, Nigeria is a special case, and we cannot expect full compliance, but whatever little we can do, each of us must do it. Neighbourhoods must put up political pressures on their leaders to get their attention. Community must keep records of failed promises and publish them when the time is right. This will serve as a powerful tool to discredit ineffective politicians. Structural decays in politicians’ community must be documented and published for the world to see, this will serve to show them in real light before the world, especially their colleagues in government. Religious people cannot continue to hide under religion and leave behind their political obligations.

Good Christians are also good citizens. If we are bad citizens or disinterested citizens, then we are delinquent in our obligation to build a better world. Hence, Christians must become good examples for the rest of society – establishing a better society is our task and we must hold everyone accountable. Anyone unwilling to cooperate or be accountable has no place in leadership and should not be allowed to walk along the corridor of power.

Through social media and community engagement, we must interact with our prospective leaders and let them know what our communities will not tolerate.  If we don’t wise up now, we will return to slave status once they seize power, then it would be too late to play politics.