Politics is a dirty game, this is what everyone believes including me but the question is "Who are the people who created the dirty games, and who are the people playing the dirty games?". These are the questions I ask anybody who talks about politics, some believe they can do better than the present leaders that's why they decided to go into politics but on getting into power, they realize they can't even do half of what those there before them are doing or did.
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Someone might say, you never can tell until you try, oh yes! Trying will give you the knowledge you need to know whether you can do it or not. Politics I believe was started on a clean sheet to look after the interest of the citizens but unfortunately, it's no longer the case today. Politics has become so confusing that the so-called leaders don't know how to go about it anymore, every one of them is just after his or her interest, and after satisfying their desires, they leave it for another set of selfish individuals and the trend continues. Some even turned it into a family business, the grandfather will rule and continue the power to his fourth generation.
Once upon a time in my state, a man ruled as a governor for eight years and then passed it to his son who also ruled for eight years before there was a change in power. And yet there is no change because the foundation had been destroyed and it will take more than twenty years to fix what had been destroyed for more than thirty years. Each newly elected leader went into the office to reform what had been destroyed but at the end of the day, he or she ended up causing more damage. Everyone who has tasted power always wants more, they don't want to leave and this is the beginning of corruption that is eating up every nation in the world today.
HAVE I EVER ENGAGED IN POLITICS?
No, I have never engaged in politics because I always say to myself that I can't play the dirty games nor pay the price to reach the seat of power. It is so obvious that there is always a price to pay if you want to be in politics, which in the process, one can lose his or her life. I have always wished to be an agent of change wherever I find myself but not at the expense of my life or any of my loved ones.
WOULD I PURSUE A CAREER AS A POLITICIAN?
This is a huge question that I can't answer yet because I am still confused about whether yes or no. I want a change yes, but am I ready to pay the price, my answer is no, which makes me not a good candidate for politics. I would have loved to go into politics even though I know it will take more than myself to change what had been destroyed but I would love to contribute my quota. I know quite right that this is a difficult task to embark on but just as a proverb in my culture that says "eni ti ko ni iya kin de igbo eyin" which means that someone who doesn't have a mother doesn't go into the wilderness but which real meaning is "you don't embark on a journey you know you won't return".
I have to be mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially ready to pay the price before I can journey into the wilderness of politics because anything can happen in the process of trying to be an agent of reformation and change. I guess when I am ready in all these aspects, I would consider pursuing a career as a politician.
WHAT ILLS OF POLITICS WOULD I WANT CHANGED?
There are many ills that I would want changed, they are numerous but to mention few.
First, is the law of giving politicians different kinds of irrelevant and unnecessary allowances. This is the number one means of swindling. It is so ridiculous that politicians now turn politics into business which they are entitled to several allowances because they are leading numerous numbers of helpless citizens who don't have what it takes to fight back. Aside from the unnecessary money they dish out, there are also gifts of different kinds. You see politicians importing different kinds of exotic cars whose money is enough to do one or two great projects in different local governments where they are heading.
Secondly, is to reform some laws which give politicians some immunity over other citizens. I haven't seen any politician charged with different kinds of offenses in this country go to jail. You will see them going to court but you will never know the judgment which was being passed over all the offenses he or she was charged for. I do ask myself "Why" because they are rich and influential? No, it shouldn't be so because if it happens to be a less-privileged citizen, he or she will be jailed for whatever offense he or she committed. We have lots of innocent prisoners today serving a jail term for something they know nothing about.
So why can't politicians go to prison when they are guilty of the offenses charged against them? If I have the opportunity to be in a seat of power, I will overrule that immunity so that any politician who misbehaves will dance to the tunes he or she created. This will help every one of them to sit right and act accordingly because they will know the consequences that come with their actions.
Thirdly canceling the idea of turning politics into a family business, because a father is a politician doesn't qualify the son or daughter to be a politician. If you don't have what it takes to go into politics, you will be ruled out. It's so heartbreaking that a minister can not sing the national anthem of the country he or she wants to lead. We have many politicians in our nation today that doesn't know the history of where the country is coming from and how it got to where it was. All they want is to also eat out of the national cake and once they are done, they leave and pass the baton to their children. All these acts must stop to have a peaceful country where the voices of the citizens are heard.
Thanks for your time and your comments will be appreciated.