Power for Power sake

There is no doubt that many of those presently parading themselves as Nigerian leaders did not see power as a means to an end, rather they see it as an end on its own. And they often go about acquiring power by every means possible, even if such means will spell doom for our beloved Country.

There are many situations that ably represent this "power for power sake" mentality of Nigerian leaders.

At the Federal level, Nigeria legislative arm comprises of 109 Senate members and 360 house of representative members.
While at the State level, there are, on average, 720 legislators in the whole 36 States combined.
Therefore, we have 989 legislators governing Nigeria.

Whereas, Texas is slightly less than Nigeria interms of land mass,
but it have just 181 legislators governing it. With 50,500 dollars annual budget. While Nigerian own stood over millions of dollars per month, in a Country where 63% of its population live in abject poverty.
It should also be noted that all 989 Nigerian legislators have Special Assistant and Senior Special Assistants, Special Advisers and Senior special Advisers.

Yet, at the ongoing National Confab, the delegates are on the verge of ratifying a bicameral legislature at the State level.
Meaning each Nigerian State will now have another legislative house to be called "House of Chiefs" .

Late last year, Nigerian Federal legislators sough to increase their salaries and allowances. Even though they earn in seven digits every month apart from their bonuses and allowances, and apart from the Constituency allowance paid to them every quarter of the year.
Senator Bukola Saraki granted an interview during that time. And when he was asked about the proposed increase in Legislators seven digits salary, in a Country where paying 18,000naira minimum wage was rejected by the government saying it will cause inflation.
Senator Bukola Saraki simply said the increase in Legislators salary is necessary for government operations.
What 'operation' ? He did not say. Whose 'operation' ? He refuse to explain.

On the other hand, President Barack Obama earn the same amount Teachers in the US earn every month. Yet, himself and his Cabinet members took a pay cut in 2013.

President Joyce Banda also took a pay cut together with her Cabinet members. Yet, she sold off the only Presidential Jet in Malawi, so she could raise fund to develop her Country.
Whereas in Nigeria, we have about 10 Presidential Jets, and the money used in maintaining these fleet anually will build more Hospitals, Schools, and create Jobs for thousands of jobless Nigerian youths.

All this abhorent situations all point to one single truth : Power is only sought for Power sake in Nigeria. Power is only sought by average Nigerian politician because of the immense benefits that comes from it.

Thus, the concerned Nigerian youths at EOC hoped that oneday such mentality will change.
We hope that oneday we will beging to see power as a means to an end of achieving common goal of the Society, and not seen as an end on its own.

As Nelson Mandela (of blessed memory) explained in his Memoir "Long walk to Freedom" : with power comes responsibility.

We therefore hope that oneday our political envirönment will no longer be a field where one becomes a billionaire overnight, rather it will be a field of service, honour and sacrifice.
A field of responsible leaders who will willingly take pay cut just to see our unemployment rate reduced, our poverty alleviated, availability of Clean water etc etc.

EOC however, does not merely hope for these uneasy changes to occur. We are assiduously working to see that it becomes a reality.

Nice write-up.

UchihaMadara: Nice write-up.

thank u

We wish our Mods here wil be kind enough to move it to front page