What Nigeria’s next leaders must accept! (2)

WE hear big talks with no discussion of the “how” to the promises being made. Our next leaders must accept that promises that will not show the “how”, is making a highly audacious move to insult the intelligence of the people. In critical and pressurised times such as this, our leaders and aspiring leaders need to know that the people are tired of mere talk…we need the science to these promises…the how!

  Yet, from a wider spectrum, the shallow thinking of most of our elites and change agents is disturbing. Politicians are only able to display such affront of making promises without a communication of the “how”, only because they know it’s enough for the head and hearts of the people. Conscious minds everywhere must demand that the “hows” should come with each promise on the manifestos. It is a noble demand. No candidate, whether of PDP or APC or SDP, UPN or any other, should actually allow any voter demand for the hows. It is the moral duty of the candidate and the moral right of the people to know the hows to every promise. It is actually service and justice to all. It is an insult for any candidate to expect any Nigerian to cast a vote based on zero-talk about the hows. Change is a science not a wish. It is methodical. The hows of the promises are as critical as the change! No conscious Nigerian should understand why he or she should use purchasing power to buy what is not understood. We should rather not buy. We should know all the brands (14 Political Parties) that the market (INEC) has made available, know the brand that can deliver the best customer experience and invest our purchasing power (votes) in that direction. 

  We should and must only vote according to our conscience not through sentiments or uninformed bias. It is common sense; and anything outside this is no longer the conscience. Conscience cannot communicate truth and meaning without understanding. The pride of a conscious soul is to say that candidates on all sides must lead the conversations about the hows if there is a serious interest in our votes. This resolve is one of the proofs of our education. Our conscience cannot make a well informed choice without first hearing out all the candidates, assessing them based on the standards of promises and hows, and then voting based on who can lead us in the manner that will deliver the value. Change is only experienced when conscious and large-hearted souls accept the responsibility, burden and contribution to leadership. Our vote should be a formidable contribution. 

  It comes back to our soulical contents. Our next leaders must know that they must be bold and be proud to think, behave, relate, or initiate unusually—-the original way—-with clear impact on policy formulation and legislation. Our next leaders must find the empathetic sense, humility, strength and courage to drive this. Against all odds, by the force of nature, seasons go, seasons come, and the content of history is determined by the choices of mortals who accept responsibility for the outcomes they prefer. This spirit of change will inevitably sweep across most parts of Nigeria, ushering a new school of leaders. The process will prove slow but it will be inevitable. Business as usual is dead…don’t be the last to know. Rather, accept that the glorious office of those who changed Nigeria is still vacant and available for today’s people to work to occupy. The future is waiting to put the names of such uncommon leaders in the annals of history as the change agents and the new fathers and mothers of the great nation Nigeria. The leaders who can lead this change are the ones with the character to embrace their sense of mission above the pettiness their personal interest can define. The future is waiting. Nigeria’s next leaders must know these. And the responsibility also lies on the rest of us to demand that they know these things and do them for the betterment of our nation and continent.

•Soriyan is a consultant, 

pts@olakunlesoriyan.com 

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