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In the past, we had leaders who were both responsible, responsive and patriotic. They spoke only when it was necessary and whenever they did, it was with decorum and decency. They were cautious in their public conduct just the way they were Honourable in their privacies. Their every action was guided. They acted in public interest. They were conscious and patriotic enough to understand that public office was a trust and not a vehicle of self service and personal promotion. They were not greedy and therefore never in a mad rush to acquire wealth. They worked hard to unite the people and did nothing to divide them. They were not after wealth and so, they did not turn into boxers or wrestlers whether in the Parliament or in their offices. They were leaders. They did not loot because they loved the people and feared God, they did not leave houses, cars and money. They didn’t leave billions for their families but they left them honour, integrity, respect and good names. May God forgive their wrongs.
Today times have changed, things have changed and leaders have changed. People seek office just for power and money. They have neither public interest nor national interest at heart. They have forgotten God, they hardly remember Him and therefore , fear Him not. For them, there is no morality in politics or in public life. How can a good leader behave worse than a gangster? Some leaders have become agents of doom and vehicles of national embarrassment. I wish to suggest that henceforth before any politician is allowed to contest election into any office, under any political platform, he or she must be subjected to three tests; First the NDLEA must carry out a test and issue clearance that such a person is free of drugs. Then psychiatrists must test to confirm that such a person has no history of psychosis. Then the last one, an integrity test must also be carried out. May be, I mean just may be, we shall save our nation some cruel national embarrassment, the type we are seeing these days.
To the led, a comprehensive insanity test to detect mental defect won’t be out of place because of the incredible incredulity of majority to the sly ways of the leaders. Impatience and greed have almost made many zombies though there is complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs such as food, clothing and shelter, poverty of the mind seems the most pervasive.
To be free from the antics of political entrepreneurs, there is need to resist their manipulations in order to see a better today and a future filled with hope for generations yet unborn.
– Aiyenigba Charles Olalekan
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