• Sat. Nov 2nd, 2024

LEADING WITH INTEGRITY: AN OPEN LETTER TO COUNCIL CHAIRMEN AND COUNCILLORS!

Sep 9, 2024
OKOJERE

LEADING WITH INTEGRITY: AN OPEN LETTER TO COUNCIL CHAIRMEN AND COUNCILLORS!

My revered Compatriots, I offer my warmest and most heartfelt congratulations (though fairly belated) to you on your ascension and inauguration into your respective offices as the Honourable Ogas in our dear Local Government Councils.

Standing before the mirror of introspection, you would behold an inherently incomplete reflection, a puzzling amalgam of traits and characteristics that depict the human experience. You may stand tall, yet not without limitations; or perhaps, you’re of modest height, with your unique strengths. Your complexion may be vibrant and dark, or fair and shiny, but never fully embodies both. Intelligence may glow within you, yet with boundaries that define its scope. This existential reality underscores the incontestable truth: no one has all the gifts embedded in him! With this humility in mind, and acknowledging that out there is a plethora of individuals who may surpass your abilities if given the chance you have today, I urge you to humbly consider yourself fortunate to be allowed to serve the people, and you should strive to exceed expectations, lest you falter in the eyes of the people whose mandate you aspired to protect.

Failing to caution you about the hypocrisy of people, particularly those who have suddenly transmogrified into bootlickers and flatterers because of your new status, would be tantamount to sabotaging your success. You must exercise mother-wit when confronted with inimical and disparaging narratives about others. Beware of sycophants who peddle tantalizing tales, gratifying you with made-up tales of your political rivals’ stratagems and the people’s ostensible admiration for your styles of leadership, even when reality belies these claims. They may fake unwavering loyalty, professing to have withstood ferocious blows from the opposing factions on your behalf, when in truth, no such confrontations occurred. All these they do for their bellies! Yet, behind closed doors, especially if they’re yet to get the favour they seek, these same individuals will vilify you, cast aspersions on your character, and level baseless accusations at you. Beware of their honeyed words of insincere flattery as they are as slippery as the tiles smeared with grease that can easily send even the strongest of feet sliding into a fall.

If there must be good governance, the duty     of speaking truth to power is a hallowed obligation that no one should shirk. Myles Munroe, a Bahamian evangelist, once said; “Truth is the only thing that can make a leader great. Without truth, leadership is a house built on sand.”

As the Oga “Kpata-kpatas” at the top of the Commonwealth of the People at the local government level, you bear a solemn obligation to serve them diligently, and failure is an unacceptable option. Please, accept my counsel with an open heart, as it swaddles noble intent, not criticism.

With utmost respect, I’m pretty sure you’re not in a state of blissful ignorance to discern that the State electoral umpire’s recent shenanigans, called the “Local Government Council Polls” have left many people utterly flabbergasted like a fish suddenly finding themselves flopping around on the deck of a canoe, wondering what on earth just happened to their cosy little aquatic surroundings! The seemingly democratic process of selecting local government chairmen and councillors in this country, particularly in Delta state, has fallen woefully short of expectations. The people are very angry and that is one of the reasons the recent local council polls in the state were marred by sweeping voter apathy, a stark contrast to the fervent interest and vocal engagement exhibited by these same people during the 2023 general elections. This disparity in enthusiasm is perplexing and tragic, as the performance of local government chairmen and councillors has a more direct impact on the lives of the citizenry.

The people complain that the local government elections in the state have become eerily a monotonous charade, with the ruling party consistently emerging victorious in every electoral cycle. They contend that this routine outcome has rendered the reputation between a “democratically elected” chairman and an imposed sole administrator virtually synonymous, worrying that the council polls have faded into a mere ceremony, akin to a rigged referendum, rather than a genuine and competitive exercise to select capable and dependable leaders.

Imagine the face-palm moment where some political parties secure a significant majority of votes in certain areas in the general elections, but still manage to come up empty-handed in a ward within their strongholds in the council polls like a chef who wins the neighbourhood bake-off but can’t even get a seat at their own dinner tables. This anomaly raises profound questions about the legitimacy and integrity of the council polls. Without seeming to sound immodest, I’m pretty sure you’re not completely in the dark about the weirdness to which I’m alluding.

Furthermore, the people allege that the mind-boggling, soul-crushing, and nostril-flaring corruption perpetrated in the local government councils has reached a sourish peak, oozing a stench so horrible that even Lucifer himself is forced to don a gas mask to avoid being suffocated by the foul-smelling whiff. They allege that many council staff are as elusive as a stray lover, only deigning to appear at the office with alarming infrequency when there’s something to share.

Besides, they say that politicians use select council staff as undercover conduits to siphon local government funds meant for the public good into private coffers. This, according to the people, is accomplished through the contrivance of spurious contracts with astronomical costs higher than the NECOM building in Lagos, which are later retired and shared among the pilfering politicians and their local government staff co-conspirators.

Consider the two-faced schemes employed by those tasked with the collection of revenues from unsuspecting individuals, including property developers, traders, and business owners in our society, who are oftentimes issued counterfeit receipts, thereby defrauding the government of vital funds preordained for impactful projects.

Howbeit, let this serve as a piece of advice: don’t let the people’s chill vibe delude you into believing that they’re sheepishly clueless about the shady ruse allegedly going down in the councils. The people, like hawks, are watching! Their seeming passivity in calling out their leaders to account for their stewardship isn’t a sign of cowardice! Like a browser refreshing for the perfect moment to hit “send” on that sarcastic tweet, the people are just reloading. When the time is ripe, they’ll rise up and demand justice, leaving leaders who have soiled their hands floundering and peeing on their bodies like a moronic child, whining like, “Oh no, we didn’t see this coming!”

Do you know that to curb corruption, many individuals are suggesting that public officeholders, upon taking the oath of office, be made to swear on the people’s ancestral deities, rather than the Holy Bible or Koran? The Proponents of this view argue that the imposition of these foreign religions by colonial masters was a deliberate ploy to subjugate and exploit the native populace, thereby facilitating the plunder of their resources. Furthermore, they posit that a crafty character with a kleptomaniac magpie mindset would stick their filthy fingers into the communal soup pot, brazenly swipe the choicest chunks, consume them with impunity, clean their mouths, and then, with unbridled audacity, place the Holy Bible or Koran on their chests, swear on their honour that they are as innocent as a lamb and invoke the spirit of the deities to strike them down if they had even laid eyes on the pot, let alone devoured its contents. They argue that corrupt individuals appear to view the oath sworn on the Holy Scriptures as a carte blanche to engage in fraudulent activities, whereas they get cold feet to invoke the spirit of the ancestral deities, suggesting a disparate level of reverence and fear for the consequences of committing perjury before these entities.

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Let it be clear that I’m not suggesting a moratorium on building homes or acquiring vehicles if you haven’t already done so, or that providing financial aid to those in need is verboten. Not at all! However, as you do these, it is essential to conduct yourself with fiscal prudence, living within your means and eschewing the temptation to defraud the council and your people to curry favour with preferred individuals. More so, you must not succumb to pressure into acquiescing to commitments that are beyond your capacity simply because you’re too bashful to utter a polite, “No!”

Remember, politicians are like the ultimate proverbial greedy hunters – only gleefully echoing “fair share” when they’re the ones voraciously devouring the entire haul, leaving only a few morsels for the rest of the people! But when the snack table gets too far from their grasp, they squawk, scream, cry, throw tantrums, and make hubbub like a toddler who lost the only piece of yam his mother gave to him to a goat!

Nonetheless, with the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments, you are now empowered to assume a leadership mantle, spearheading a transformative era of fiscal prudence, transparency, and accountability. The onus is upon you to harness this autonomy, unleashing a cascade of innovative initiatives and developmental projects that will tangibly impact the lives of the masses.

Even though it’s spoken only in hushed whispers, let’s not overlook the simmering vexation among the masses, who are outraged by the brazen power play by some political power brokers introducing age barriers for aspirants to some political offices, effectively disenfranchising many people and stifling the potential for dynamic leadership and progress. These party bigwigs according to the people, generally behave like they’re casting a reality TV show, handpicking their minions as the people’s representatives like they’re selecting contestants for Mr. Frank Edoho’s “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” program?

Such a paradigm is antithetical to the principles of participatory democracy, and inherently flawed, as it perpetuates a system where “he who pays the piper calls the tune” unless some people want to claim that political offices are their personal fiefdom, where they and their yes-men alone get to be crowned as kings and queens of the castle, while the rest of the people are all just their never-ending mega-fans. Otherwise, the contests for political offices should be a free-for-all, where the most exceptional candidate emerges victorious, for when the best among the people lead, the entire community benefits!

Imagine a young, spry councillor, barely out of their twenties, handpicked by their political godfathers, trying to stand up to oppose a chairman who may have been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth, or a Council chairman, quaking in their trousers, facing their godfathers – the string pullers – ordering them to sign a contract that’s more bogus than the “MMM” Ponzi scheme, and they’re like, “Ehm, yeah, no problem” because they’re terrified to the teeth to say, “Hey, wait a minute, this contract is fishy than a seafood restaurant!”

I’m not delusional, I swear! But I’m hoping against hope that this time, you’ll surprise the people with a government that’s more representative than a Nollywood movie cast; a government where the people’s needs come first before who rocks the most gorgeous agbada or who cruises in the latest metal beasts; a government where the greater good is more important than the selfish desires of the backroom bosses; and a government that has more Jollof for the masses than for “the boys!”

I urge you to embrace a democratic participatory approach, fostering a culture of unity, integrity, prudence, and responsiveness; leveraging technology to enhance service delivery, accountability, and probity. Prioritize sustainable development projects – investing in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment programs that have the potential to uplift the lives of everyone, irrespective of party affiliations. Be accessible, empathetic, and fair, addressing grievances promptly and ensuring equitable distribution of resources. Collaborate with stakeholders, including traditional leaders, civil society organizations, and the private sector to harness collective wisdom and resources for the benefit of all.

Finally, may your tenure be a glorious rebellion against the wicked and retrogressive forces of political godfatherism! May you wield the mighty sword of sagacity, courage, and wisdom to subdue the dark realms of corruption and shady dealings in our councils. And, may your commitment to the people be so epic that it becomes the stuff of legend, earning you a permanent throne in the History Hall of Fame, where the snacks are so divine and great that you’ll cry tears of joy, and the accolades stretching far and wide into infinity.

Once again, from the depths of my humble heart, congratulations to the Council Chairmen!