My father, Eririogu John Anozie, might not have had the opportunity to go to school but he succeeded in life as a farmer, contractor and businessman before he retired and later died in April 2016 at the ripe age of 97. Notwithstanding the fact of his low literacy level, he remained vast in the knowledge of current affairs and politics because right from his youth he saw listening to radio as a religion which he engaged in, well, religiously. Never missed any opportunity to tune in and listen to the current affairs programmes. Even some people who were well educated often sought him out to know more about some the things happening in the political space. And he took time to educate them.

Despite not being learned as such, he knew by conscience and gut feeling that it was wrong for the average Nigerian voter to sell his vote for any amount whatsoever, and thereby helping thieves to get into power.

It is very clear to discerning individuals that the campaign and jostle for elective offices in 2023 has started even though the year is still almost three years away. Political heavyweights have started showing interest in vying for the office of president. This is the time for the people to wake up and stop selling their conscience during elections by not compromising to sell their votes.

And so long as the members of the electorate continue to sell their votes, then they would have thieves in power who will continue to embezzle public funds and loot the treasury. These political thieves will never produce policies and programmes that would be beneficial to the populace. They cannot meet the needs of the people who foolishly sold their votes to them. If we the people had been voting for the right and best leaders, provision of social security for the unemployed citizens would have commenced long ago and part of the insecurity, such as kidnapping for ransom, which is bedeviling the country now would not have started.

The big question is: how can we get it right for our generation and the successive generations? The key part of this is for us to resolutely resolve not to sell our votes and support people with good reputation during the elections. We should stop selling our votes to corrupt and selfish politicians who at the

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end of the day use us and dump us. They use our common resources to train their children in the best universities in the world and lay aside enormous wealth for their second and even third generations. They will get the best quality of healthcare abroad when they are sick. The humongous amounts of money in foreign exchange that have been recovered from the late General Sani Abacha is just a tip of the iceberg.

So when the same children come back to take over from their parents, do not complain, after you have sold your votes without thinking about the implications. Can’t you refuse selling your votes like my father did when some greedy politicians tried to bribe him into selling his vote in his life time? Not that he was rich, he just refused to refuse sell his vote but his conscience would not allow him do such a wrong thing. He chose to vote for the right candidate for the job. How many of you are ready to be like my father who refused to sell his conscience?  In closing, corruption is still the major reason Nigeria has remained underdeveloped and stunted with selfish people in power. They give themselves pay and life pension. These are evidences of self leadership, which is against the welfare of the masses. Help the country to move forward, stop selling your votes. If not you will remain as an accomplice to the worsening state of corruption in our polity!

 

• Comrade Emeka Anozie, an entrepreneur and farmer, human rights activist, wrote from Lagos.