In developed and enlightened climes, every vital information about political aspirants are made available, not only on demand, but readily accessible by any one who has need of it. This, to a large extent helps the electorates to evaluate those intending to govern them.
As if this is not enough, other societies ensure that the intellectual capacities of these persons are assessed by way of media debate. This affords the electorates the platform to hear their intended leaders speak on myriads of issues affecting the people, and suggest ways they would use to tackle such issues if given the mandate to lead the people. It also helps the electorates to know how sound they are in terms of thinking and decision making. It equally helps intending leaders to be prepared for leadership physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and otherwise.
To this end, leaders in such societies rarely perform below expectation.
However, in our society, intending leaders are not put through such necessary and intellectual processes. Some are not even allowed to attempt to address the people or grant interview to the media. They have paid spokespersons and Public relations officers who are there to cover their intellectual nakedness. No wonder most of them never moved a motion or sponsored/presented a bill, in the case of lawmakers, either at the state or Federal level. Some had never made any sound contribution to the society since they were elected into office. All they are interested in is the credit alert they received at the end of the month. This, to say the least is very embarrassing.
It is high time this error was corrected. We must ensure that the political stage is set for posterity yet unborn if we must pass a stable political system to our children.
This means that electorates should necessarily place a demand on whoever wants to lead them to make their details available, particularly their academic details.
I have observed with dismay that people in this part of the world don’t know that there is a great difference in capacity and performance between leaders who are intellectually sound in terms of knowledge acquisition, and those who are semi-literates. It is high time electorates took this into consideration in the choice of those who should lead them.
I call on all aspirants as a matter of necessity to make sure their biodata and other vital information about them are made available on the public domain.
Political parties and electoral commissions should also collate data and qualifications of aspirants/candidates and make them available to the electorates.
This move will not only equip the electorates with details of who are to represent them, but will also guide the electorates to make sound and informed decisions.
Again, this will also push the aspirants to be prepared for leadership. It is a well known fact that some aspirants are only pushed to contest in elections because of their wealth, and not in their capacity to lead. That is why we have been experiencing poor performances in some cases.
As the 2019 general election is drawing closer, let all and sundry not support any aspirant blindly, or based on some selfish interests. Let your conscience guide you to do the right thing for the sake of the future.
Let every aspirant, or public office holder that is yet to make his details known to the public, do so to enhance accountability and transparency. This, indeed is a political necessity.
By Reverend Richard Peter
