There are some wisdom keys to investing in a political future here.
Some time ago, I visited a friend; a key stalwart in the government of the day, perhaps #1 ear to the governor, a powerful 3rd player to the government [not wife, not Speaker, not Deputy-Governor, not CJ]. I presented him some of my proposals to transmit to the newly sworn-in HE [His Excellency]. Enclosed therein were how to choose a winning high-performing [HP] team and inner circle, how to maximize the leadership potentials of the team-to-be-chosen, handle critical areas in the state that have been castrated that require emergency and suggestions to stand out as a governor.
He asked me to see HE. “Just book an appointment with his protocol department in the government house, he would like to meet a techno like you”, he said. I told him that there’s nobody I cannot see if I want but I want him [my friend] to receive the credit as one who introduced me to the governor and as I impress the governor in my assignment and our state, he [my] friend will be the same person the governor will thank for introducing me to him, and that I will be loyal to his now and future political ambitions. Again, the governor cannot turn his recommendation down…knowing the heroic role he played in the election. He accepted the respect I gave him, but gave me “the lecture of a lifetime”, I call that lecture POL 901 [Political Science 901, PhD #1 course]. Please follow me!
The lecture was a reply to my next request to him which was to “tell the governor to make me head one of the commissions or boards.” He echoed, “WHO ARE YOU?”, “WHAT’S YOUR FATHER’S NAME?” and “WHO IS YOUR FATHER?” Indeed, it is some wisdom keys to investing in a political future here.
My friend knew me long ago, what I do, where I work, and my father’s name. I use the word friend strictly to what it is from etymology. For me to call someone a friend, you should know he has so many things in common with me – he THINKS VERSATILE, READS VORACIOUSLY, and SPEAKS COURAGEOUSLY, ACT INTELLIGENTLY, WRITE INTELLECTUALLY, etc. He had read my Leadership books and even encouraged me to pick a form for NASS [national assembly] when I was supporting his governorship aspiration in another party, in the same election that produced his friend as HE. When that aspiration was lost, we followed him to the new party that eventually won. So, he and I knew that what he asked wasn’t literal, but was figurative.
At his 3 questions, part of my body deflated…and dilated. You must have been in such a situation. On;
“WHO ARE YOU?”
He said appointments into juicy portfolios as CoS, SSG/SFG, and Ministers/Commissioners are given primarily to people who can answer ‘WHO ARE YOU’ without stuttering or thinking. Now, you are thinking, because you’re nobody in the making of the party’s winning. I pinch myself!
The juicy appointments are reserved for people who sponsored the election campaign to the tune of 40%, 30%, 20%, 15%, 10%, etc. He re-echoed, “How much did you bring?” My digestive, reproductive and nervous systems flattened. I discover I’m an idiot in asking ambitiously.
He asked me did I had picked the gubernatorial Expression of Intent Form, and talked less about getting a ticket for any party in the state. He said, “What of Senate, House of Rep?”. “No, no”, I manly answered. “Dead na dead, today na today,” I said inside me. Did you deliver your senatorial zone or LG? No! I began to know that a juicy appointment will [not may] elude me. My sensory system dilated, in that if you touch or pass by me, I wouldn’t notice it.
He said those who contributed to the above-mentioned have been settled or are on the way to be. It begins on me that politicians are on top of their game, sorry, their business. I kept nodding my head as if “I get sense”. On;
“WHAT’S YOUR FATHER’S NAME? & WHO’S YOUR FATHER?”
He said that appointments are reserved for children/’boys-gals’ of party juggernauts, stalwarts, political ‘agafes’, political ‘ama nke n’eme’, timbers & calibre and respectable elder statesmen of the state’s origin. He gave me the WASC Objective question of Who Is Your Father and supplied me with 6 names to choose from. I said none is my father. He said in politics, slots are reserved for such candidates because their fathers or mothers determine the crowd that gives the party winning. The appointment is their investment. This is politics. Politics is an investment. I said hmmmmm! I wonder whether the Political Science course content has this aspect.
Still not showing anger, after all, he wasn’t the cause of my problem, he told me to make an effort on Tuesday [the day HE sees outsiders] to see the governor, and if need be, tell him I endorse you. He said HE meanwhile is reading earlier proposals. HE is receptive to technocrats like you who can help the state. On technocrats, he said;
“TECHNOCRATS”
Technocrats are the last segment in consideration for an official appointment because they are non-contributors to winning the election, but for knowledge-capital intensity jobs they can do that, party members, election sponsors, and stalwarts children cannot provide. So, my learned friend lectured me. These are some wisdom keys to investing in a political future here…but I didn’t know.
IMPLICATIONS TO OUR POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
This brings me to what I coined WISDOM KEYS TO INVESTING IN POLITICAL FUTURE HERE. They are;
– I now understand my parent’s good investment in me is for a career/working future based on merit, not a political future
– I now noticed investment in being a juggernaut, noise-making, ballot-box snatching, etc yields more than stocks, estate, etc.
– I now imagine the slimness and hopelessness of our growth and development going by how leaders emerge.
– I now blame myself for not picking presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, NASS or SHA expression of intent form no matter the millions, knowing that people don’t pick the forms because they’ll campaign, contest and win, but to invest in political relationships and endorsement, employment opportunity via juicy appointment, and contract
– I now observe that picking a form is immunity for me from graft agencies not arresting me for all mismanaged monies by me under my purvey.
– I now know that picking an expression of interest form can be unofficial immunity should our party win, of course, the elected president/governor as my co-aspirant will write it off.
– I now know that the media will be addressing me as a former presidential/gubernatorial, senatorial, NASS, SHA hopeful, aspirant or candidate, even if I can’t win a councillorship election or not, the main thing is “I picked a form.”
– I mustn’t rig an election, but picking a form can make my claim that I delivered my constituency, brought a crowd or rigged the election, hence as a member of the Association Of Primary Election Contestants [AoPEC] will be carried along/compensated by the winner.
THE NEW EVIL PARADIGM
In life, Football is a small game compared to Politics. Politicians are smart! Politics is a great wisdom centre. The whole thing they teach you in Investment Theory in the Finance & Banking Departments and also in Career Planning in the Human Resources Management Department in the universities seems outdated when you juxtapose it with the schemes/wisdom of politicians. The new paradigm shift is that many [not all] despot;
– invest, invest in future looting with the present loot. When a new leader emerges, they submit their expenses from an expression of intent, to cost of travelling the whole states they didn’t travel up to 2, to campaign offices they had only one in their respective villages, to expenses they didn’t incur, and paddy-paddy their way, they will give them one national treasury to ‘ima nu’ loot.
– to be employed in the next dispensation, plan their job/career now by sharing platforms and meeting with the president-to-be or governor-to-be, pretending as if they’re popular, have followership and will win an election. It is more modern packaging than writing a 50-page CV, staying in Nicon Nuga, Sheraton or the biggest hotel in your state, or shuttling from hotel to state or government house seeking an appointment.
Note, expression of intent form, political sponsorship and playing political juggernaut is not as expensive as what some people exchange hands with to get an appointment.
I did know this…now I know it…but where are the values and morality in politics? Who pays for the ROI of this extravaganza? What thinkest thou? Let talk. Post your comments.
