PROTESTING STUDENTS, SENATOR ABIOLA AJIMOBI AND THE QUALITY OF OUR LEADERS.

A video emerged on internet few hours ago. As captured in the short clip, the sitting governor of Oyo state during a session with organised students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology who had taken to the street to protest the continued closure of their school. Senator Abiola Ajimobi, number one citizen of Oyo state, was filmed in the heat of the moment as he engaged in a manner demeaning to the people he’s elected to serve.

If you are yet to view the said clip, here’s a link (watch )

Please permit me as I write that any person or individual who on one hand see the Governor’s attitude as one that is wrong, condemnable, and inappropriate, but on the other hand feels unmoved or anywhere close to being surprised. 

Trust me you’re not alone and your feeling is not compromised. You’re just being a Nigerian.

The writer of this piece, as he appears to be in same boat, has seen more of such “I don’t give a damn” action(s) from leaders across board. This is not new.

We’ve over the years watched elected officials handled socio-political matters poorly.

In this part of the world, political office holders as it would seem are biodesigned to be uncompassionate and insensitive. Many of them continue to undermine or abuse the functionality and responsibilities required of the office which they man.

Not forgetting soon, I remembered the infamous video from Edo where the immediate past governor of the state had treated a market woman in a manner that is dehumanising and inhumane.

The current political structure in many countries in Africa, especially sub-Saharan region of the continent, has largely been ineffective due to absence of forcible ‘check and balance mechanism’.

In more advanced democracies, top office holders in the face of concrete evidence of wrongdoings are thoroughly scrutinized and if need be forced to relinquish the position which they hold. And where the legislative body is required to play its role, it is handicapped and at that material time, unresponsive to the rule of party supremacy or colourations. In such political clime, the constitution is said to be bigger than persons either highly placed or not, and no political parties can stand in the way of justice.

The same certainly cannot be said of countries with sugar-coated democracy such as Nigeria. Elected chairmen, governors, president immediately upon assumption of office feel invincible as they work to collapse the independent powers of various law enforcement apparatus.

As public office holders become power drunk –abuse of office, accountability more often than not then become cause for concern.

There are no perfect beings. It has been said that human beings are perfectly imperfect, and no one is indisposed to shortcomings. This, in the same vein, leaves good leaders vulnerable. But in the face of temptation, we all are put to check by rules that govern our daily lives. An official who has sworn to uphold the rules of the constitution s/he is elected to protect, is self-reminded of the rule of law and if ever found wanting as s/he discharges its duties, they’re liable for prosecution.

Whilst it is true that the quality of our leaders reflect the quality of our higher education: Same is better used for the electorates, who in every electoral cycle elected leaders based on sentiments and financial inducement. Many are ill-informed which in most cases result to their choice of candidate(s).

It is often a tough call for men and women of integrity and prowess to emerge from an electoral process where those who are saddled with the responsibility of choosing their leaders live on less than two dollars per day.

Politicians over the years have learnt to annex the vulnerabilities of the people to their advantage. They’ve device various tactics, tricks of capturing the poor and needy for their electoral fortunes.

Stomach infrastructure is one of such unfortunate trend as we’ve seen over the years surfacing during general and by-elections.

Sharing of kitchen equipments, grains, food ingredients etc is fast becoming prerequisite for electoral victories in Nigeria. Well, some would argue that we have never had a country where electorates unanimously voted in representatives based on their pedigrees and prowess.

As seen in many publications, past and present. Prominent voices across the country have called for a complete restructuring of the political and electoral architecture of Nigeria.

It is only natural for leaders, who during electoral exercise bought their way to emerge winners, to feel unaccountable to the populace. The sanctity of the office is not respected and matters pertaining to the people are handled with kid-gloves.

The age-long perception that elected officials are untouchable until the next electoral cycle is without doubt the root of various anti-social behaviours from public office holders.

In this regard, all arms of government must live up to billing, to perform its constitutional role of ‘check and balance’.

There is an urgent need for electoral reform.

And as regards voter education: We need to ensure that electorates are well-informed and can effectively exercise their voting rights and express their political will on Election Day. 

Non-governmental organisations, cooperate bodies, all have roles to play.

Boluwatife Adekunle

@boluzzz