Principles and politics have thematic contrast. Lawyers use instrumental arguments for their clients and politicians use instrumental propaganda for their selfish interest. Lawyers can cheat their way to justice and politicians can prefabricate political lies. Lawyers and the politicians are instrumental moralist and role occupants in society. Late Gani Fawehinmi was a people’s lawyer and politician. He was a public interest lawyer and the senior advocate of the masses (SAM). Francois Villion said “a good cause also need a good lawyer”. Gani Fawehinmi exemplified the good conscience of a lawyer and a politician. It is my humble wish that our senior advocates of corruption filing nuisance claims or injunctions in behalf of rogue politicians; will have the realization that they are mere instruments of their client interest. They are prisoners of their briefs.

Tellingly, political delinquents are misfits in leadership position. They are pretenders in power. And, they populate every strata of the leadership spectrum. They abuse the purpose of leadership and betray the collective destinies of a people. Our politicians lack role morality. Politics is a question. Democracy is more about justice than vote casting. Building a political society is not a mere wishful thinking. Anti-colonialism was the political principle that gave us independence in 1960. But our post independent leaders function with neo-colonialist tendencies.

Needfuly, there must be a way out of the recession we find ourselves. But, it will not be through the cheap talks of our National Assembly member; who are proving to be legislative foxes. The National Assembly is a cost center and the members should think of how to cut cost in their legislative duties. The legislative discuss on the recession is quixotic and nothing but a quiddity. They do not need a presidential address to the do the needful. They should freeze up legislative funds as part of their national sacrifice; and amend section 162 of the 1999 constitution to remove the share the money mentality therein.

A politician by calling should have a leadership mindset. Hit and run Christians in the political space cannot be true ambassadors of their faith. Every politician is expected to use the language of his or her faith to pursue their course. Our values and lives should be motivated by the truth we believe. The path to God must be directed by God himself. The Church is an environment for character development. Christianity is a behaviourial principle of life. Christian politicians should reflect these values. Politicians without principles are lost in their belief and faith. The Bible in James chapter 2 verses 19 tells us that; even the devil believes that there is only one God and he trembles. You can now understand why our politicians will rig election and make thanks giving in the church. The fear of God is not in them.

Readers must always understand an author from the perspective of his reasoning. C.S. Lewis said “All possible knowledge then depends on the validity of reasoning. If our politicians think right and do right our society would have been the better for it. But, rather, they have made the rest of us cheap commodities that can be purchased at elections. There is so much disorder in our society because our politicians want to be served. This is the conspiracy of the elite. Corruption had becomes a common value. Police services are provided for the dominant class, their wives and children. If politics is the master science, the rest of us are victims of politics. Private wrong doings of our political class; had revealed to us the principles of missing fundamentals. In truth we have missed the opportunities, political independence offered us on the first day of October 1960.

Unfortunately, we got our politics wrong from 1960 till date. The telling effect is underdevelopment and mindless fragmentation of the nation space. Politics is an indispensible foundation of nation building. But our politicians are not nation builders. Unprincipled politicians value their privileges over their principles. Humans are prone to succumb to the lures of power, fame, notoriety and the adulation of the masses. So they trade faith for fame, principles for power and morals for reputation. But those who fear change will be changed by their fears. Nation building is accomplished through character building.

In the worlds of Amy Carmichael “those who think too much of themselves don’t think enough”. I wish our politicians are learning form this axiomatic expression. Also, President Abraham Lincoln said “those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and under a just God, cannot retain it”. Those who are drunk with power should take a clue from this just as well. Unprincipled politicians are political chameleons. They are people with unstable character. They cannot keep their oath of office. They are traitors to their faith and constituents. The nations of the world do not lack people in leadership position. What they lack is genuine leadership.

Every decision we make add a sentence to our life story. Leaders with ethical defects lose the trust of their followers; because of betrayal, pains and anger generated. Leadership is a key to human preservation, growth and change. Unprincipled politicians end up as ethical deficient leaders. Politics most not be played as sweep stakes but as an invitation to serve. Leadership demands courage, character and capacity. Our politicians should represent our moral asset and stop the circle of self delusion and self congratulation.

There must be political correctness in our nation space. Change is the progressive political orthodoxy. The drivers of change must be the change that they want to see in the rest of us. It is time enough to innovate our politics. Let our leaders be truthful. Winston Churchill said “the truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is…” Journalism is an inexact science and the first draft of history.

In conclusion, the Ijaws of the Niger Delta should realize that politically exposed Ijaw politicians were not their political Robinhoods. They did not loot the treasury to better the socio-economic status of the Ijaw people. They stole to better their private pockets and that of their cronies. Only politically blind persons will engage in ethnic defense of rogue politicians. Delinquent politicians have no principle or integrity. Delinquent followers are tools for political mischief. It is axiomatic when Steve Biko founder of the black conscious movement in South Africa warned that “…the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”.

Happy 56th Independence Anniversary. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.