IMOLITES,
2019 IS FAST APPROACHING
The last time I checked from the revered Gregorian
calendar, 2019 was arguably fast approaching to the delight of all the
political juggernauts in Nigeria and Imo in particular, especially those who
belong to the opposition. Mind you; I stand to be corrected as regards
accuracy, thus you can as well check your own copy of the said calendar to see
things for yourself, or confirm the postulation.
A
novice by the corner might wish to ask, what about 2019? Yes, a novice or a
naïve person may come up with such question; that is, one who does not know
what the country’s political schedule entails. If such enquiry comes to my humble
desk, then I would say that 2019 is indeed a highly awaited year; a year that means
a lot to any political gladiator in the state and the country at large; a year
that is yet to be unfolded but currently speaks volumes.
The above analysis implies that the year in
question is very loaded. ‘Loaded’, in the sense that, it contains countless
things. And we all are not unaware that whatever that’s loaded is usually made
up of both the good and the bad. 2019 undoubtedly comprises both goodies and
monsters. This is why it remains a moment that has abruptly brought mixed
feelings among the teeming Imolites, both home and abroad, who truly
acknowledge where the year is actually coming from as well as where it is
headed for. Let’s ride on!
Away
from the suspense, I want to use this opportunity to inform those novices in
our midst that 2019 is a year that would usher in another interregnum in the
well-celebrated Nigerian political terrain. It is a year that would bring in
another set of leaders in the system. Needless to say that it is a year that
would definitely be waving farewell to most of the leaders whom are currently
in charge of the moving train.
This piece is mainly dedicated to the
Imo politicians and their followers, the electoral umpire, and Imolites in
general. It is necessitated by the compelling need to awaken the consciousness
of most of us who are yet to comprehend that as we eagerly await the aforesaid
year in a jittery mood, we are required to do so with absolute carefulness and
attention; among all, we must be filled with unalloyed spirit of patriotism so
that at the end, the result would be beneficial to the state at large.
First, our politicians need to
understand that it is no longer business as usual; hence, must jettison every
obnoxious pattern they are used to. Right now, an average Imolite has obviously
become politically aware that he/she would hardly be cajoled into believing in
non-existing ‘facts’. An informed citizen of the state is at the moment aware
that towards assessing any political aspirant, his/her antecedents cum
background mustn’t be taken for granted.
In view of this, I want to sincerely
appeal to our politicians to endeavour to go back to the drawing board with a
view to coming up with a different strategy or pattern, as against the one they
were formerly employing. They must do this for their own good because the
electorate now know their onions, thus wouldn’t be ready to tolerate stories
that were merely manufactured just to discredit others, or those at the
opposition. It is now about what you have been able to achieve as a person, and
not what your opponent had purportedly done wrongly in the past.
At the moment, every politician who is
aspiring for any position must be prepared to tender his comprehensive scorecard
before the electorate, and not wasting his time cooking up malicious stories or
propagandas. Acknowledging this fact early enough would enable them to know if
they really deserve to win the people’s support, or if they are qualified for
the anticipated post. It suffices to assert that it would instruct them whether
to drop the aspiration towards allowing only the qualified ones to continue
with the race, or not.
The electoral umpire, on their part,
need to acknowledge that the race begins now, thus the era of fire-brigade
approach has been thrown to the waste-bin where it rightly belongs. They must
equally note that anyone who intends to do otherwise might be endangering
his/her precious job, or even life. Every one as well as group has suddenly
become a watchdog, thus no one is willing to accept anything less than
credibility and fairness as keywords.
The teeming fans cum supporters of
these politicos must also understand that thuggery is no longer in vogue. They
must note that the best thing they can do for their political role-models is to
advise them to play by the rules; to concentrate on the needful; to reexamine
themselves to ensure if they truly deserve their supports come 2019. They ought
to comprehend that the children of most of the politicians are all in the
Diaspora, or resident abroad, thus they (the supporters) would be the ones to
suffer any blunder committed during the awaited period. Most importantly, we
must comprehend that the era of party-politics has gone for good; it is now
about the personalities involved, and not their respective political parties.
Above all, I want to unequivocally tell
us that not every one of us would be privileged to witness the aforementioned
year. It might sound weird and harsh, but that is the truth. Understanding this
fact would enable us to desist from any form of uncalled lifestyle without much
ado. In other words, we must begin now to work on our lives toward deleting
those attitudes that are out of place. So, it is no doubt a moment for sober reflection
as we all know that ‘an unexamined life is not worth living’.
I
may not be opportune to advise us again, so I expect us to absorb this candid
message squarely for the good of all concerned. Yes, 2019 is apparently fast
approaching, but it is not an era for do or die affair; rather, a time to do
only the needful so that we won’t regret our collective actions subsequently.
Think about it!
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