The popular saying “good name is better than riches” is evidently true as it is the only criteria for anybody’s name to be justifiably documented in the Book of Chronicles which literally means “the book where productive events and applaudable deeds of people towards societal development are recorded for future references.”
But in recent time, this saying is seems to be questioned as some socio-political captains are only delighted in their selfish interest; forsaking the interest of the masses.
Due to the physical and psychological proximity between the rule and the ruled, the need to always keep in-touch with every members of the society most especially the grassroots populace becomes important as it is the only way for the government to relay her policies to the people and in-turn the government will know the socio-economic and political feelings of the people; and also the people’s reactions towards government’s activities, for the sake of adequate planning and effective execution for all-round development.
This therefore necessitated the establishment of the third tier of government known as Local Government which is the closest government to the people that is saddled with the responsibility of grassroots administration and for delivering services to the people at the various local levels as well as creating a relationship with the local people through which the government can be responsive to the people’s needs and demands.
Since 1976 that the ideology of Local Government was reformed in Nigeria for effective governance, its autonomy and practical activities in order to help develop the socio-economic and political affairs of the grassroots dwellers has always been a culture and an obligation that should be fulfilled by states governments among all odds and not to be abused for any reasons.
Sadly in recent times, it has been observed that the dignity and voice of the grassroots dwellers have been hijacked by some political bulldozers by appointing some political loyalists to oversee the activities of the grassroots dwellers; depriving the grassroots dwellers their inalienable rights to practice true democracy by freely electing their Local Government representatives by themselves.
This undemocratic act in states whose citizens are victims of this unruly behaviour from those political bulldozers has led the grassroots dwellers to political and economic bankruptcy which never benefited the dwellers but only exposed them to uncertainties that has negatively affected their standard of living.
However, recently in Kogi state, the gods seems to have mercifully belched on the grassroots dwellers as the incumbent governor has demonstrated his readiness through the constitution of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to conduct elections for the grassroots dwellers; thereby allowing the dwellers to elect their various Local Government representatives ranging from Councillorship to Chairmanship positions, so that the directives given by the National Assembly on Local Government autonomy can be made manifest.
Base on these directives, different political parties with their various candidates in all the 21 local government of the state have started eyeing members of their localities with glittering political manifestoes and material baits as a strategy of registering their individual interest in the heart of the people so that they (the people) can see them as the right candidates that should be elected; as some has even been endorsed through political grace.
Soja go, soja come, barrack remains the same; a wise man once said that the only time the masses are being visited and considered relevant is when political leaders want to be elected or reelected.
The boiling thoughts arising from the grassroots populace who have over the years witnessed different socio-economic and political drought due to some sugarcoated but unproductive manifestoes and unruly behaviours of some past political leaders towards the members of the society have made the grassroots dwellers to be asking the different forth coming political candidates both the endorsed and unendorsed in all the 21 local government of the state that “whose interest will they represent?”
This boiling question of interest becomes important to ask because many past sugarcoated and glittering political slogans like Change the Change, 4+4, Let’s Do More and several others that directly emanated from the mouths of different political candidates never moved the society to any length of development but has only sucked the people’s dignity and clothed them with pain and agony.
For examples, due to political recklessness and mismanagement, many grassroots dwellers have lost their lives while others were exposed to economic uncertainties which some people has not recovered from till date.
Nevertheless, the storm has seems to cease as the grassroots dwellers in Kogi state have been allowed to democratically elect their local government representatives by themselves.
In relations to this, considering the African proverb that says “after a foolish deeds comes remorse”, the grassroots dwellers should be very mindful in making the right decisions and never be carried away by sentiments or materialism but unanimously come together to elect the right candidate so that affliction will not arise the second time.
On the part of the various candidates, they should be reminded that since 1991 that Kogi state was created, the people especially local government workers have never enjoyed the dividends of true democracy, so whoever emerges as winner of any local government should consider his or her victory as a privilege to serve the people’s interest and not a platform to abuse the people’s rights.
Finally, the prospective local government leaders should always remember that good name is better than riches and as such, they should endeavour to trend on the qualitative leadership footsteps of some past political leaders like Hon. Moses Ado Okino, Late Senator AT Ahmed, Late Prince Abubakar Audu and several others whose leadership role has benefited the masses and has made their names to be written in the book of Societal Chronicles.
– Ozovehe Moses writes from Okene, Kogi State.
