Eugene Upah|25 July 2016|8:10AM
Governing people is likened to doing extraordinary multiple tasks. Just as people bear different names and have different looks and intentions, so do their reasoning and personal capabilities differ. Different people have different priorities, likewise different approach to tackling issues, especially during their challenging moments.
One holding a public office (for instance, the office of Governor or President) is one thing, the ability to be able to handle or pilot others with such an office is another challenge. The Nigerian political terrain is very cumbersome and comes with an uphill task that requires a leader to have special ‘shock absorbers’, very sound team followership, vibrant Special Advisers/Assistants, ability to twist and adjust at any times at all, politically inclined manner of using one’s TKO (Technical Knockout) against the opposition and above all, the fear of the Almighty God to be able to succeed.
Political office holders in Nigeria are the most criticized in the world. Criticism itself isn’t a bad thing, but whether it is being done constructively or just to distract the government is what we ought to be bothered about. Criticism is meant to make the government seat up. Imagine that over one hundred and fifty million people criticizing the President with their different intentions and fabrications. The President makes a decision, some stand in support of his decision because they foresee they can be beneficiaries, while others stay against it based on their own interests. Mind you, the decision maybe the right decision but simply because it doesn’t favor some people, they become bureaucrats and stand against it.
We ought to understand the President himself is human like us. Sometimes he does not even have a better background knowledge of the person he is appointing into a position, because it is not possible that he alone knows everything about the people he leads simply because he is President. He acts based on the information given to him by his aides whom in most cases suggests to him, what he should do.
We all can be good counsellors, advisers and team leaders in our own little way. Check critically, the reason most times we castigate our leaders is borne out of jealousy, envy and personal interests. If we all love ourselves like Christ Jesus taught us, we would understand that leadership is ‘turn by turn’, what makes it even better is the fact that when it gets to you, nobody can stop you not minding how far you might have been delayed in the process. Our leaders needs our support. They need us to pray for them, they need us to avail them with proper information. We should always remember that they act according to information given to them, if they fail, it’s all our fault, but if they succeed, we all take the glory. Let’s stop unnecessary criticism and path the way of honor.
Eugene Upah
Writes form Calabar.
