Sir: Gradually, election drums are resounding. Just like it’s done before anticipated festive seasons, preparations are at top gear especially by benefactors. It’s like a groom who can’t wait to break the hymen much talked about by his shy bride. He tells all who care to hear about his numerous escapades but this one seems too special to push for more.
Unlike this groom, Nigeria is not as excited. Every shy looking bride becomes a familiar stranger at her unveiling. Not bothered, he has spent decades remarrying every four years – aside years of forceful martial divorce – to keep an ancestral oath of ‘democratic election’.
A deciding election that will set in motion more to come till the next conjugal oath ceremony in 2019 is the Anambra November election. So, new-old marriages are about to take place and familiar bride strangers are at it again.
It’s important to know that the relationship between elected leaders and a country can be said to be quite similar to the bond between the wife and husband (aside the “till death do you part”). The country chooses the leaders who serve in a servant-leader capacity to fulfil the role as a serviceman or servicewoman while maintaining a leadership position. Thereafter, the country protects its leaders when respect and diligence is duly earned to the admiration of all. At least, that is the way it is done in a pre-modern or monarchical era of Africans and that is how it’s done in most modern developed countries. Leaders are at the mercy (service) of the people.
Which brings to fore, the popular saying that behind a successful man is a woman – which equate the success of a country to the success and celebration of its leaders. The country comes before the leader and not the other way round. Else, we might want to debate the hen and the egg, which came first.
In the end, as a country, let’s push for more beyond the ravishing beauty of these new-known but shy wives but how well they would service our country and be productive in bringing forth incorruptible fruits
- Oluwatosin Akintola,
Lagos.