Last week, we hinted that focus shall shift to politics today. Having lived in a country where everything has a touch of politics, the 50-year-old Nigerian is quite learned politically speaking. It is what you get when you spend nearly four decades in political consciousness. More than its no good second -religion- politics in Nigeria is ubiquitous and full-time, nationwide.
Politics is so prevalent, it is present where it shouldn’t be. It walks on all fours in schools, in hospitals, in families, in places of worship, in leadership, in governance, in the judiciary, in nation building. In Nigeria, politics is everywhere. Everyone plays it.
And, with everything. Plus including in no-go areas and untouchable classes like women, children, the sick, the weak, the poor. The system is so entrenched you cannot change it. Or, you get sacrificed, you get insulted, you get messed up.
Nothing adds up, politically, in my country. You could have a political appointment but not be in government. You may not have any such appointment but are right in the bedroom of power. That’s Political Golden Lesson Number One.
In case you missed the point embedded in the foregoing, here you are: never accept just any political appointment. Some can become a prison. You soon see the frustration of not being able to go forward or backwards. If the person to appoint doesn’t know you, don’t take personal appointments as they have a way of reducing your ‘bride price.’
Forget the fear of people calling you names. Ignore both the fear and the people. They cannot love you more than you love yourself. But, once in, weather it out except something threatens your life.
Number two, political party is a lie. Your helper might not share party with you. Your killer might even be your party agent. Another way to say that is: always keep an open mind.
Don’t forget yourself because you think you are with your party members. They may be your main and indeed only opponents. On the other hand, don’t be too conscious and suspicious when with the opposition. They may be the angels to deliver you on election day.
Number three, nothing is cast in concrete. The saying that no condition is permanent is especially true in politics (Nigeriana). Make sure to never give up on yourself. If you are high up there, make sure to never forget it’s all tenured.
Anyone sane enough to accept these realities has already solved a greater chunk of own life puzzles. Such a one would not spend the future in regret nor in loneliness nor in lack. There’s no guarantee that the people you do stuff for would show up for you once you leave office but take solace in the fact that the memory of -and the satisfaction you draw from- doing good shall last you a lifetime and ever after. Therefore, make sure to never stop doing good, come what may.
Furthermore, understand that another name for politics is hypocrisy. Quarrel less and less with more and more of the idiosyncrasies of most politicians. Simply learn that nothing is good that doesn’t favour politipocrites, just as nothing is bad as long as it favours them. Be on the safer side always: be counted among the few good ones.
However, make sure to not condemn or shame any of them -at least not publicly. You never know who you yourself would become or need in the course of time. Which brings us to Lesson Number Five. Nobody is more pugnacious than a politician but as well nobody is more forgiving; so, fight with everything when it’s time to fight and forgive like a fool thereafter.
A politician Nigeriana is an enigma, a puzzle. You can neither predict nor decode him. He laughs when he should cry, and weeps when all he should do is smile. He’s permanently on the move, permanently attending meetings, permanently plotting; permanently looking for greener pastures and can go to even abominable heights or depths to achieve his interest or ambition.
The Nigerian who lives and dies without having tasted politics either did not live, or clearly died in vain. Politics Nigeriana is not rocket science: no, it is not that difficult. Politics Nigeriana is rocket art: yes, it is that impossible. This is one tough golden lesson you should never forget.
Next, at 50, life or -rather- politics has taught me that importance or influence or money or power or such other attractive excellence is -like beauty- only in the eyes of the beholder. No matter how important or influential or wealthy or powerful or attractive or excellent or everything good you are, it needs another person to see that, accept it and deploy you accordingly. The derivative lesson here is that most often than not (in fact, always) that other person only sees and appreciates this quality when they need to use it! Forgerrrit, life na scam!
No matter who you are, no matter what you have, another person will only come to you, another person will only call you when they need you, when they need what you have. There’s no time for details on this series but let’s break that rule and chip in an example at this juncture. Take President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria or Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, for instance. Over six years since both men took office, you know there exist Nigerians or Akwaibomights, respectively, who have not bothered to seek to reach them because they yet have no need of anything from the presidency or government house.
So, be careful: keep your self-importance or expectations of others below the bar. If familiarity breeds contempt ordinarily, politics rubs it in a la see-finish. Stay away from this kitchen, if you hate heat. In politics Nigeriana, you cannot have your cake you cannot eat it.
What these two, three lessons mean is yet another lesson on which we shall round off this entry. Politics makes man’s prayer points unlimited. You pray to be excellent, you pray for others to see or want you for that excellence, and still, you pray for your excellence to satisfy those who sought it and for long enough. Crazy, crazy, crazy world!
(To be continued next Monday)
The three football teams I fan
This serves to congratulate my darling Akwa United Football Club of Uyo on winning the 2020/2021 season of Nigeria Professional Football League. Being a first, it came as a beautiful reward for all those years. Many thanks to Gov. Udom Emmanuel, Deputy Gov. Moses Ekpo, MFR; Youth and Sport Commissioner Monday Ebong Uko, his permanent secretary and entire staff as well as club chairman, Elder Paul Bassey, management, the coach, his crew and of course the players.
One prays for a glorious outing, continentally. Also, for our Super Eagles to follow the footsteps of Akwa United. Nigerians deserve to celebrate football gold.
Finally, someone who knows Arsenal Football Club of London should warn them. Let management spend on quality, let Arteta stop tinkering every time with team formation and selection and let players play with some hunger. Enough of these kindergarten output and results!