A-candid-advice-to-state-governors-and-the-president-mind-the-crop-of-those-you-surround-yourself-with
September 7, 2020 | News
A CANDID ADVICE TO STATE GOVERNORS AND THE PRESIDENT – MIND THE CROP OF THOSE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH
It is no news that whenever we think and talk about our country Nigeria, it is often laden with tales and pictures of years of bad governance, inefficiencies and inadequacies of the various Governments. It is also surprising that most of our Nigerian Political leaders at the State and Federal Government level, most of them despite being well-traveled to see how other Governments function in developed societies, yet they never seem to think of replicating or bringing into their States and the country, some of the things done by their counterparts in other developed societies in the US, UK and Europe. The simple reason we can come up with to explain this is; it is either these Nigerian Political leaders have surrounded themselves with sing-praisers, sycophants and bad advisers who always tell them what they want to hear and not the raw truth, or they are simply not interested in genuinely bringing ‘good governance’ into their State and the country – thereby leaving good legacies behind. We believe the latter is often the case with most Nigerian Political leaders.
This kind of people are usually many, and they are known to flock around Political leaders at the Executive front, especially when one is at the verge of success in acquiring political power or already in power. They are evident in both the public and private sector. They usually come around like ants when they see sugar – and they will keep on eating and eating the sugar until there is nothing left. Then they will await the next (culprit) round of sugar to continue their parasitic tendencies. I believe there is need for those in power to be very mindful of this reality, and avoid the mistakes made by their predecessors and past administrations, especially in this area of those who they listen to and surround themselves with.
This was the same advice re-emphasized in a short video online by Honourable Julius Melama of South-Africa, in his address in the Parliament while welcoming the South-African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, just after he took over the reins of power. In his words: “President, we congratulate you. And we hope that you will be a corrupt-free President. And that you will not subject yourself to the views of factionalism. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THRIVE THROUGH PATRONIZING PRESIDENTS. THEY TELL YOU ALL YOU WANT TO HEAR, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BECAUSE YOU SURROUNDED YOURSELF WITH PRAISE SINGERS, AND “YES” MEN AND “YES” WOMEN.
“I have seen young men and women from the benches of the ANC, maybe it is time to consider them. So that they can come to you with fresh ideas, with new ideas. And if they don’t like positions, they will be able to be honest with you. You need someone who’s going to be honest with you. THE POSITION YOU OCCUPY NEEDS SOMEONE WHO’S GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE THOSE WHO FAILED, WERE TOLD MANY A TIME THAT THEY ARE RIGHT, EVEN WHEN THEY WERE WRONG. EVEN WHEN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SAID TO THEM YOU’RE WRONG; EVEN WHEN THE PUBLIC SAID TO THEM YOU’RE WRONG - THOSE AROUND THEM KEPT ON TELLING THEM THEY ARE RIGHT, AND THAT’S WHERE THEY GOT IT WRONG. You must never ever listen to those who say you’re right against the court of South Africa; against chapter 9 institutions of South-Africa. Those are the institutions which are meant to defend our democracy. And they will forever guide us. So, president, there are people who served long in the cabinet from Mandela’s time. I have nothing against them. But I don’t know why they don’t make your ideas work easy by coming to you and say “we’re not available. So that they give room to new ideas….. Listen to the collective wisdom of people you were elected with, not white Monopoly Capital. It will not be here to defend you, once you listen to white Monopoly Capital, you must know that you’re likely not to finish your tenure.”
Great words of advice from someone who evidently wants to see his country’s President to succeed in Office. We have always known and reported the sort of courage, boldness, and fearlessness often exhibited by Honourable Julius Melama in his country’s Parliament. Something that we greatly wish our Nigerian lawmakers at the National Assembly would emulate from and demonstrate. However, the truth is that, asking or demanding that our Nigerian lawmakers to exhibit such bravery and boldness in the floors of their Chambers, will be like ‘asking the kettle to keep calling the pot black.’ This is hinged on the fact that “those seeking equity must do equity”, and “those who come to equity must come with clean hands.” Our Nigerian lawmakers, both at the State Assemblies and the National Assembly, have demonstrated nothing but ‘dishounrable’ acts and tendencies which questions their integrity and character. And that is why we are bit skeptical in expecting them to exhibit such bravery, boldness and courage in challenging our public looters. There are countless examples, even in recent times to justify this fact.
So, they cannot really tell the Executive Governments, be it at the State or Federal levels, the raw truth when they have missed it because their own hands are also not clean. It is only someone that has nothing to hide, that often times has that boldness to tell you the truth and to hell with everything and everyone else. The major problem here is that our Nigerian political leaders’ appears to enjoy the praise-singers and “yes-men” and “yes-women” around them, who do nothing but always tell them what they want to hear, and not necessarily what they need to hear. They come in all forms, shapes and sizes. From their Personal Aides, Personal Assistants, Special Advisers on this and that, Supportive Staff, and so on and so forth. It is therefore imperative for every Executive public office of the day, to be very weary of those they surround themselves with, and those who only tell them what they want to hear because they want to remain in their good books and guarantee their pockets. They should be reminded that it is usually those who tell them the truth, even when it is not sweet, that are doing so to see them succeed.
Zik Gbemre.
July 15, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
It is no news that whenever we think and talk about our country Nigeria, it is often laden with tales and pictures of years of bad governance, inefficiencies and inadequacies of the various Governments. It is also surprising that most of our Nigerian Political leaders at the State and Federal Government level, most of them despite being well-traveled to see how other Governments function in developed societies, yet they never seem to think of replicating or bringing into their States and the country, some of the things done by their counterparts in other developed societies in the US, UK and Europe. The simple reason we can come up with to explain this is; it is either these Nigerian Political leaders have surrounded themselves with sing-praisers, sycophants and bad advisers who always tell them what they want to hear and not the raw truth, or they are simply not interested in genuinely bringing ‘good governance’ into their State and the country – thereby leaving good legacies behind. We believe the latter is often the case with most Nigerian Political leaders.
This kind of people are usually many, and they are known to flock around Political leaders at the Executive front, especially when one is at the verge of success in acquiring political power or already in power. They are evident in both the public and private sector. They usually come around like ants when they see sugar – and they will keep on eating and eating the sugar until there is nothing left. Then they will await the next (culprit) round of sugar to continue their parasitic tendencies. I believe there is need for those in power to be very mindful of this reality, and avoid the mistakes made by their predecessors and past administrations, especially in this area of those who they listen to and surround themselves with.
This was the same advice re-emphasized in a short video online by Honourable Julius Melama of South-Africa, in his address in the Parliament while welcoming the South-African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, just after he took over the reins of power. In his words: “President, we congratulate you. And we hope that you will be a corrupt-free President. And that you will not subject yourself to the views of factionalism. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THRIVE THROUGH PATRONIZING PRESIDENTS. THEY TELL YOU ALL YOU WANT TO HEAR, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BECAUSE YOU SURROUNDED YOURSELF WITH PRAISE SINGERS, AND “YES” MEN AND “YES” WOMEN.
“I have seen young men and women from the benches of the ANC, maybe it is time to consider them. So that they can come to you with fresh ideas, with new ideas. And if they don’t like positions, they will be able to be honest with you. You need someone who’s going to be honest with you. THE POSITION YOU OCCUPY NEEDS SOMEONE WHO’S GOING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE THOSE WHO FAILED, WERE TOLD MANY A TIME THAT THEY ARE RIGHT, EVEN WHEN THEY WERE WRONG. EVEN WHEN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SAID TO THEM YOU’RE WRONG; EVEN WHEN THE PUBLIC SAID TO THEM YOU’RE WRONG - THOSE AROUND THEM KEPT ON TELLING THEM THEY ARE RIGHT, AND THAT’S WHERE THEY GOT IT WRONG. You must never ever listen to those who say you’re right against the court of South Africa; against chapter 9 institutions of South-Africa. Those are the institutions which are meant to defend our democracy. And they will forever guide us. So, president, there are people who served long in the cabinet from Mandela’s time. I have nothing against them. But I don’t know why they don’t make your ideas work easy by coming to you and say “we’re not available. So that they give room to new ideas….. Listen to the collective wisdom of people you were elected with, not white Monopoly Capital. It will not be here to defend you, once you listen to white Monopoly Capital, you must know that you’re likely not to finish your tenure.”
Great words of advice from someone who evidently wants to see his country’s President to succeed in Office. We have always known and reported the sort of courage, boldness, and fearlessness often exhibited by Honourable Julius Melama in his country’s Parliament. Something that we greatly wish our Nigerian lawmakers at the National Assembly would emulate from and demonstrate. However, the truth is that, asking or demanding that our Nigerian lawmakers to exhibit such bravery and boldness in the floors of their Chambers, will be like ‘asking the kettle to keep calling the pot black.’ This is hinged on the fact that “those seeking equity must do equity”, and “those who come to equity must come with clean hands.” Our Nigerian lawmakers, both at the State Assemblies and the National Assembly, have demonstrated nothing but ‘dishounrable’ acts and tendencies which questions their integrity and character. And that is why we are bit skeptical in expecting them to exhibit such bravery, boldness and courage in challenging our public looters. There are countless examples, even in recent times to justify this fact.
So, they cannot really tell the Executive Governments, be it at the State or Federal levels, the raw truth when they have missed it because their own hands are also not clean. It is only someone that has nothing to hide, that often times has that boldness to tell you the truth and to hell with everything and everyone else. The major problem here is that our Nigerian political leaders’ appears to enjoy the praise-singers and “yes-men” and “yes-women” around them, who do nothing but always tell them what they want to hear, and not necessarily what they need to hear. They come in all forms, shapes and sizes. From their Personal Aides, Personal Assistants, Special Advisers on this and that, Supportive Staff, and so on and so forth. It is therefore imperative for every Executive public office of the day, to be very weary of those they surround themselves with, and those who only tell them what they want to hear because they want to remain in their good books and guarantee their pockets. They should be reminded that it is usually those who tell them the truth, even when it is not sweet, that are doing so to see them succeed.
Zik Gbemre.
July 15, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes