And now ladies and gentlemen make welcome the lady of the moment, the man we have all been waiting for…
These moments are very essential to them, the timber and calibers. As the litany of accolades are reeled out, like wine it intoxicates, the head begins to grow large and it feels like the rest are just a mere gathering of ants amongst this giant who is being called upon. The spotlight, a reward for empty promises kept. The recognition of the absolute…corrupts absolutely.
The room was filled to capacity; their uniforms “aso ebi” could identify various groups. It had to be that way so that the crowned king would see those who supported him and have them in mind when favoritism begins its journey. As always the case, those who worked hard to make sure this crown came to the king would be looked after more as against those who acted otherwise even if it was in all good conscience to stand on the truth.
Isn’t this our individual and collective stories?
It was the year of general election we had gone out to mobilize and sensitize the people to vote, to elect a decent and honest man/woman who would work for us, who will put the interest of the WE THE PEOPLE first. It was an experience I will not forget in a hurry. With so much hope and belief in the political system that as we pushed our candidate and sold him to the people as an honest decent man we were doing the right thing. Yes in theory we were doing the right thing but alas. it is not so!
He arrived at our rally and began to disrupt our gathering, not with violence but with mini bags of rice, clothing, envelops in fact the goodie bag was over flowing and shared at random. In no time our side of the foot ball field emptied out and in shock we watched our members scamper away and it was just a few of us standing with eyes and mouth wide open like fish out of water. Then came the big blow, our top officials each dropping our t -shirts and saying “sorry no be grammar I go chop, I have a family to feed” and shamelessly walked over to happening side, where milk and honey flowed. With that we were left to gaze into what was a once packed arena. I almost crossed over but a voice said then what’s the difference and indeed what’s the difference…
My take.
When we live without conviction all we get is an emptiness, which almost drowns us when the spot light is gone. We know deep down that what we have achieved and become are merely a camouflage of the failure that is locked within our souls. This story may seem to be peculiar to political pursuits, you could almost see clearly the process of our elections right? Where the stomach infrastructure is the key to vote and being voted for. Yes that’s part of the picture on the canvass. The other picture you probably did not see because that picture is looking at itself on the same canvass, that is you!
How much of your civic responsibility do you carry out as a citizen and as a member of a small community? How often do you engage with your fellow citizens to demand for good governance, which are rightfully yours and not a favor. How often do you stand up for justice insisting that things be done right even when your stand is very unpopular, when you are called over sabi? How often do you resist the temptation to jump a cue, to make that phone call to get you in quick and leave those you came after still struggling to get a glimpse? How often do you refuse to do your duty as in get that file moving, open the gate at your office and clean the toilets properly without waiting for your palm to be greased? How do you in good conscience discard expired goods, drugs, and resist the temptation of adulteration to make extra while you waste plenty of lives?
I am not your conscience as I too battle with doing right as well. What will it take for the citizens to do right, and harness the power they possess by virtue of that office? Office of the Citizen! By far the most powerful office in humanity. When can being patriotic be seen as a responsibility to self-first and a civic duty to country?
The assertion that leaders are a product of the choice of the people and ultimately they deserve the leaders they get is almost a truth history can’t even cover up. How very sad. There are those who want to do right, whose voices are silenced and sometimes life snuffed out of them simply because they dared to speak. Should we then watch helplessly as we collectively gradually grind our society to a halt because we refused to understand that we are all involved? I know that some day a change will come, even if God has to now raise stones to fight the injustice of today that weighs so heavy on our shoulders. Those those we have selected have failed us either way.
Soon it will be time again, so make up your mind either to stand and be counted when you step up to perform your civic duty or get lost in the cacophony of demonic drum beat, the sound only familiar to those who go to kill and usurp just to gather our common wealth. It is up to you for I am also caught up in the web of being a good ambassador of conscience not a prisoner of it.
Which are you?
Till I write again, I love you for reading.
Ada.
Adaobi O. Alex-Oni is an Honorary Ambassador and a recipient of the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award by the African Youth Parliament. A broadcaster and writer, she is the convener of the ROWEAD conference. A social and women’s rights activist, she is a promoter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For more information, visit her website www.rowead.org