Ayn Rand once said, “When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming self-sacrifice, you may know that your society is doomed.” It would not amount to gross exaggeration to say that politicians have taken over our economy.
When you look at our society, we will all agree that the rate at which our politicians have turned themselves to God cannot be explained. Taking the banking, manufacturing, insurance and agricultural sectors, among others, as examples, they are all there. Most of them are chairmen of most of the existing companies. You begin to wonder how and where they got the money. The simple answer is: they got their money from you. Yes, you! How? Have you forgotten that time when you go to them for your house rent? Have you forgotten that time when you could not afford to pay your school fees? Have you forgotten that time when what to eat is a problem? Do you remember that token amount they always give you weekly and monthly? Anyway, there is nothing wrong with being nice and kind, but the question is, ‘how real are they?’
It may shock you to know that most of these politicians are just negotiating our future with the tokens being given to us. They are the gatekeeper of most communities, societies, clubs and associations, groups, religious and otherwise. Any investments or projects coming to the community will pass through their table. Millions of naira will be collected on your behalf. Your name will be used in exchange for the money, just to show how influential they are. The next day, when you greet them, they will answer you with that fake smile and fake affection. You begin to let that fake smile take a special place in your heart throughout the day, telling your friends how the politicians care about you and your community.
Now, you are through with your schooling which they are privileged to be the financier. That time has come for you to secure a good job, they will tell you to be working in their company which they established with your money. The monthly salary given to you is a stipend which they know would not be enough for you to have a good life befitting of a graduate. That fake affection given to you would not reflect in their character.
Their sons and daughters are back from the overseas where they attended the best of the best schools to take over the leadership role of their fathers’ company. This time, they are appointed as the Chief Executive Officer whom you have to report to. They only come to the office once in a week and whenever they like. But for you, the reverse is the case: A minute late to work is deducted from your monthly salary. Throughout your working career, you have proved that transparency and accountability are key essentials.
Your country needs people like you. It is time to serve them as senator: you approached your adopted daddy for support. What they told you is that you don’t have money to spend on electioneering campaigns, but they will support you financially on the condition that you will be loyal to them and their investments. Since you are desperate to serve your country, you quickly accept the terms and conditions they offered. But now that you are a senator, you have come to understand that governance goes beyond what you expected. You have plans to bring dividends of democracy to your constituents; the time has come to facilitate a good educational policy that will avail your people an opportunity to access quality education. But your godfather tells you that you dare not try it. Why? Because doing such will liberate the people from the shackles and manacles of the oppressors and this can impact negatively on his influence in the community.
Even the contract for the construction of a block of the classroom which you managed to award to the company owned by your godfather was not executed. Rather, a mysterious snake or monkey had swallowed the money earmarked for the contract.
This time, you would now get to know that it is the usual habit of your godfather. You will realise rather too late that you and your people have been enslaved mentally. All that your respected politicians have been showing and giving you and your people are nothing but fake affection that will make you to be perpetually loyal to their cause.
It is high time you told them that they should keep their fake affection to themselves.
Our people need to be liberated without any string attached.
Olawoyin, an associate member, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), writes via [email protected]
and then