Let me put this straight on record: I do not have any issue with
politicians or anyone involved in politics yet when a Nigerian youth is
asked, “What do you do for a living?” and he replies, “I am a
politician” something admittedly is fundamentally wrong. For goodness
sake, how can politics be a career?
Politics only give you the opportunity to serve. You should be doing something other than politics before you are called upon to serve.
Cletus Joseph has now become my friend for a number of years. We were discussing the other day and he told me of a certain man who was very prominent in Governor Victor Attah’s tenure but who today now walks on the streets of Uyo and jumps from one Keke to the other.
So I asked Cletus, “What was he doing before he got into the Government?” Cletus said he did not know exactly. But he said that when the new Government of Godswill Akpabio came into power and did not favour him, he took some of the money he had gotten and ventured into business. His fingers, however, got burnt.
“Yeah they would get burnt because he didn’t know anything about business, and secondly, the money he invested in the business was ill-gotten and so Life rejected that investment”, I said.
I am known as someone who is involved in capacity building and human development from my present base in Uyo. Some time ago, a group of young people came to my office to inform me about an entrepreneurial conference they were putting up. It seemed to me like a brilliant idea. But then I looked at the list of their major invitees and resource persons and noticed that they were all politicians and political appointees! So I asked, “Abeg, what does a Politician know about business?”
Was it the money from these politicians that these young men were looking for? Of course it seemed that way. Or had they so considered these politicians as role models whose wisdom on business everyone had to hear?
I had to decline my involvement.
The challenge is that the only successful models most Nigerian youths see are politicians. They are the ones constantly in the news and the media. They are the ones that build the best houses in the area, drive the sleekest of cars, and put together the most lavish weddings and celebrations; they are the ones who sit in the front seat in our modern churches. Now there is supposed to be nothing wrong with that. Or is there? Problem is that most of the extravagant display of wealth is gotten from public funds embezzlement and diversion. Most of the money is stolen funds.
The level of corruption in Nigeria is crazy. In fact, you are considered a fool if as a politically elected person or political appointee, you don’t build a palatial home, buy a choice car, and ‘settle’ your people. Most politicians go into public office for their personal gain and self-aggrandizement.
Look at the recent case of the suspended Executive Secretary/Director General of The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak, who paid herself N60 Million every month. When I read through the story I almost went nuts.
Our national values orientation is, whether we admit or not, distorted. The current Administration’s strategy to fight corruption may amount to little or nothing. Throwing people in jail will not stop corruption, blocking the leaks by strengthening the institutions will. Devising tactics and using computer technology will block the leakages and fight corruption more than the witch-hunting done by the Buhari led Government. People should not have access to funds the way they do now. The Treasury Single Account(TSA) is perhaps one of the right steps in the right direction.
To get our values to change, the media should begin to show us better models. Not politicians with their ill-gotten wealth, but entrepreneurs who we all know work hard to build their businesses.
Thank God for what people like Tony Elumelu is doing. He is a model young people should emulate. Haven built a multi-billion Naira bank, he has now delved into financially empowering youths in Africa. In the last two years, he has given more than 1000 African entrepreneurs $100 Million to begin their businesses. Look at Linda Ikeji the multimillionaire blogger. Through her I WILL RATHER BE SELF MADE initiative, she is giving out millions to empower young women who have laudable business plans to start their business and become financially independent. Hundreds of young ladies have benefited from this scheme. People like this should be celebrated more. These are the real role models.
This is also a clarion call to entrepreneurs out there who are doing great to show up. To save this Nation from this rut we are experiencing, you have to shine more. Our youths need to realize that there is a better and cleaner way, that hard, creative work pays.
And if you are a politician reading this, abeg no vex, tidy up the mess associated with Nigerian politics and transition from just being a politician to being a statesman
Written by George Essien
www.facebook.com/george.essien
www.georgeessien.com
Politics only give you the opportunity to serve. You should be doing something other than politics before you are called upon to serve.
Cletus Joseph has now become my friend for a number of years. We were discussing the other day and he told me of a certain man who was very prominent in Governor Victor Attah’s tenure but who today now walks on the streets of Uyo and jumps from one Keke to the other.
So I asked Cletus, “What was he doing before he got into the Government?” Cletus said he did not know exactly. But he said that when the new Government of Godswill Akpabio came into power and did not favour him, he took some of the money he had gotten and ventured into business. His fingers, however, got burnt.
“Yeah they would get burnt because he didn’t know anything about business, and secondly, the money he invested in the business was ill-gotten and so Life rejected that investment”, I said.
I am known as someone who is involved in capacity building and human development from my present base in Uyo. Some time ago, a group of young people came to my office to inform me about an entrepreneurial conference they were putting up. It seemed to me like a brilliant idea. But then I looked at the list of their major invitees and resource persons and noticed that they were all politicians and political appointees! So I asked, “Abeg, what does a Politician know about business?”
Was it the money from these politicians that these young men were looking for? Of course it seemed that way. Or had they so considered these politicians as role models whose wisdom on business everyone had to hear?
I had to decline my involvement.
The challenge is that the only successful models most Nigerian youths see are politicians. They are the ones constantly in the news and the media. They are the ones that build the best houses in the area, drive the sleekest of cars, and put together the most lavish weddings and celebrations; they are the ones who sit in the front seat in our modern churches. Now there is supposed to be nothing wrong with that. Or is there? Problem is that most of the extravagant display of wealth is gotten from public funds embezzlement and diversion. Most of the money is stolen funds.
The level of corruption in Nigeria is crazy. In fact, you are considered a fool if as a politically elected person or political appointee, you don’t build a palatial home, buy a choice car, and ‘settle’ your people. Most politicians go into public office for their personal gain and self-aggrandizement.
Look at the recent case of the suspended Executive Secretary/Director General of The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Nellie Mayshak, who paid herself N60 Million every month. When I read through the story I almost went nuts.
Our national values orientation is, whether we admit or not, distorted. The current Administration’s strategy to fight corruption may amount to little or nothing. Throwing people in jail will not stop corruption, blocking the leaks by strengthening the institutions will. Devising tactics and using computer technology will block the leakages and fight corruption more than the witch-hunting done by the Buhari led Government. People should not have access to funds the way they do now. The Treasury Single Account(TSA) is perhaps one of the right steps in the right direction.
To get our values to change, the media should begin to show us better models. Not politicians with their ill-gotten wealth, but entrepreneurs who we all know work hard to build their businesses.
Thank God for what people like Tony Elumelu is doing. He is a model young people should emulate. Haven built a multi-billion Naira bank, he has now delved into financially empowering youths in Africa. In the last two years, he has given more than 1000 African entrepreneurs $100 Million to begin their businesses. Look at Linda Ikeji the multimillionaire blogger. Through her I WILL RATHER BE SELF MADE initiative, she is giving out millions to empower young women who have laudable business plans to start their business and become financially independent. Hundreds of young ladies have benefited from this scheme. People like this should be celebrated more. These are the real role models.
This is also a clarion call to entrepreneurs out there who are doing great to show up. To save this Nation from this rut we are experiencing, you have to shine more. Our youths need to realize that there is a better and cleaner way, that hard, creative work pays.
And if you are a politician reading this, abeg no vex, tidy up the mess associated with Nigerian politics and transition from just being a politician to being a statesman
Written by George Essien
www.facebook.com/george.essien
www.georgeessien.com
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