The level of unhealthy sycophancy in Kogi State is alarming. Especially now that we are heading to the state gubernatorial election, every Kogites needs to worry about this trend.
One of the theories that has been advanced to explain the sycophancy syndrome is that some people have grown up to understand society as a collection of fiefdoms of big men to whom lesser persons depend for their survival and upkeep. The risk of ‘Big man’ sycophancy typically return considerable material gain to a few in the short term, but that comes in a package of perpetual dependency and uncertainty. A passionate defense fogs followers at the expense of their moral decency as leaders swim in a sea of an unhealthy dose of sycophantic fishbowls.
What feeds sycophancy? How can we identify Sycophants and hopefully develop ways to deal with what we generally consider being the greatest threat to democracy?
Feelings of Insecurity
The root cause of Sycophancy lies the deepest sense of insecurities. These people battle feelings of inadequacy. They do not have any single accomplishments that they are proud of, not because there is none but more so because they are focused on what everyone else is doing thereby robbing themselves the opportunity to celebrate their own achievements.
Some sycophants are people who hope to one day be leaders. But because they lack an agenda for their people, they know that the only way to ascend to the seat of power is through boot-licking. They must sing the song of the demigod so that they are able to compensate their lack of agenda. Their sense of self-esteem is so fragile though it is not altogether missing, that they will give anything including their dignity just to be associated by the demigod.
Reason-phobia
Sycophants fear any platform that would require them to expend their brain cells. They hate it with a passion because when they are called upon to reason out things that they don’t agree with, they simply have no capacity to do that. That’s why they will always hide behind a keyboard and attack people who do something with their lives. Their comments will always be void of any coherent reason. Their attack will most likely be personal and their Facebook posts will most often than not be laced with obnoxious comments that are devoid of any reason.
These people struggle with personal inadequacies. They long for the day when they will compensate for their own shortcomings by bringing others down.
But we must realize that we are all called to achieve different purposes. There is something unique about each and every one of us. While I might write, there are many other gazillion things that I can’t do. But I will not feel bad or try to bring them down those who can do other things that I can’t. While there are people I have disagreed with in principle over many issues, I don’t have a personal vendetta against anyone. Sycophants abhor reason because they are deeply insecure.
Idol Worship
Sycophants admire and follow one man to the latter. Leadership is an influence as noted by John Maxwell. But great leadership is about influencing people to rise up and live the potential that is within them. They trade the possibility of living their potential and surrender to blindly following a demigod. They put these people on pedestals that are not even sustainable. Their words are law. If the Idol says that this thing is wrong, without even verifying the contents of the claims, they will take it as the gospel truth.
We must stop blind following anyone who claims to be a leader. Within us lies a capacity to dig out information and make informed decisions. If we can research business venture, travelling options, job vacancy, how much more should we verify issues that touch on the well-being of our State?
Let us hold every leader accountable to every word they speak and every action they take.
For Kogi to be on the path to prosperity, we must groom ourselves into political maturity which is one of the pillars of the crystal vision we envisage.
I end this piece with the following quotes:
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn” – Alvin Toffler.
“I would rather a thousand times be a free soul in jail than to be a sycophant and coward in the streets.”- Eugene V. Debs
Thank you all for your time. God bless Kogi State.
– Habib Rabbiu.
