Defining the real politicians
In fact, any good politician should not perceive power in terms of his personal comfort alone. Personal economic security characterized by indifference to the distress of other less privileged citizens is the highest degree of selfishness by political leaders. As one wise man noted, wealth is like manure; it is better when it is spread. […]
In fact, any good politician should not perceive power in terms of his personal comfort alone. Personal economic security characterized by indifference to the distress of other less privileged citizens is the highest degree of selfishness by political leaders. As one wise man noted, wealth is like manure; it is better when it is spread. The paradox of Nigeria’s prosperity is that we have a situation of an Island of affluence, surrounded by a sea of grinding poverty.
Northern Nigeria has one of the most appalling pictures of poverty in Africa despite the seeming sea of wealth of its elites. In fact, many of the so-called rich men of the north are socially isolated; they never bother to identify with the people. It is, however, erroneous to lump all politicians together as inherently selfish. In this regard, therefore, one must acknowledge the active role of Mohammed Abacha, the former CPC gubernatorial aspirant in the practical alleviation of hardship facing the ordinary people.
His generosity is the secret behind his political popularity in Kano State. He is the most popular CPC gubernatorial contender in the recent elections. What many people didn’t know is that his common touch and identification with the ordinary people largely accounted for his massive grassroots appeal. After the elections are gone, many people would have thought that Mohammed’s love for the ordinary voters was over. If indeed there are people with such notion, the former CPC gubernatorial candidate has disproved that impression.
He has demonstrated in words and deeds that real politicians always stand by the people unlike opportunistic ones who come around only when elections are to be contested. The recent flood disaster in Kano State has opened the eyes of the people to distinguish real politicians from fake ones. According to reports, Mohammed Abacha had visited victims of the flood disasters in Fagge and Gwarzo and donated money and materials to those affected.
His public-spirited gesture has earned him more admiration and love of the ordinary people. Genuine compassion tends to have more lasting impressions on the hearts and minds of the people than artificial attachment to the voters. In fact, Mohammed Abacha’s commitment to philanthropy predated his active involvement with politics. During the Ramadan fasting period last year, he donated 10 thousand bags of rice and five thousand bags of sugar to the ordinary people to enable them overcome the economic burden of meeting these basic needs. The former CPC gubernatorial candidate is also on record as having donated state-of-the art equipment to public hospitals
Real politicians feel for the people not only in their hearts but also their pockets. Indeed, real politicians invest in the happiness of the people. While other politicians wallow in the celebration of vanity by buying multi-million naira limousines for personal comfort and artificial security, Mohammed Abacha devotes his time to bringing comfort to others in distress. As John F. Kennedy noted, “If you cannot protect the many that are poor, you cannot protect the few that are rich.” And Confucius, the Chinese famous philosopher, noted that in a nation well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. And in a nation badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of, he added.
Therefore, can any politician build a good reputation on the basis of selfishness and social isolation? Real politicians don’t wait for elections time before they identify with the people. When Mohammed Abacha defected from the PDP and joined the CPC, he came with a strong structure of his own. And his compassion for the people is mainly the source of his political strength. In no time, he became a formidable gubernatorial contender in the CPC. Despite the party’s efforts to undermine him, he overshadowed its officially endorsed candidate. This clearly shows that the greatest assets of any politician are the people. And therefore, investment in the happiness of the people is the beginning of wisdom.
While many defeated politicians have returned to their private businesses, Mohammed Abacha has remained with the people. The welfare of the people still remains his preoccupation and his donations to the flood victims in Kano state has reinforced the belief that he is a genuine politician who makes the people’s interest his priority. When he sought to be the governor of Kano State, he did so out of the genuine desire to serve the people. Lack of compassionate leaders is one of the downsides of our politics.
The tremendous political impact Mohammed Abacha was able to make within a relatively short space of time is a reflection of how he connects with the people. We don’t need politicians who seek to ride on the back of the people to attain power and forget them as soon as they are sworn in. Genuine leaders don’t have to wait until election time before they identify with the needs of the people. When politics is packed with opportunists, our democracy cannot make much impact.
As a young politician, Mohammed Abacha is a source of inspiration. Which politician should expect to win the hearts of the people with a reputation for parsimony? Should those who identify with the people only when they need votes call themselves leaders? That is why Mohammed Abacha has made himself an outstanding politician by consistently identifying with the people. God has been too kind to him and he therefore, doesn’t need politics to be comfortable. He perceives politics as a platform to offer genuine service. Opportunistic politicians, however, see power as a means of helping themselves while the people wallow in abject poverty.
Aliyu wrote from101, Katsina Road,Kaduna. lukmanbashar2003@yahoo