THOUGHTS ON MOUNTAIN OF GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS,

BY HONOR ONYEBUCHUKWU

I will like to begin this discourse by defining Government and politics in a very straight forward manner.

Government connotes and represents all the processes of governing at all levels, be it at the ward, local, state, federal or national. It is the body vested with the supreme power of the affairs of citizens of a state.

The supreme power of a state lies in the hands of the government thereby giving it the authority to make and enforce laws and implement policies as well. Also, the Merriam Webster Dictionary defines government as the group of people who control and make decisions for a country, state, etc. It is the particular system used for controlling a country, state, etc.

Broadly, government is made up of three organs to wit, the executive, legislature, and the judiciary. The functions of government includes but it is not limited to; law making, military defense of the country, maintenance of law and order; promotion of economic growth and development; protection of lives and properties and the general wellbeing of its citizenry etc.

Politics on the other hand, refers to the process through which individuals and groups reach agreement on a course of common or collective action even when they disagree on the intended goals of that action. Politics is associated with making decisions and everything that relates to power. It is how power, resources and status are shared. To Harold Lasswell politics is ‘who gets what, when and how’. Politics could also be seen as the activities that directly or indirectly pertain to the emergence, consolidation and the use of state power. Thomas Dye and Brigid Harrison opine that politics is the study of power.
Whichever definition we may be tempted to adopt as apposite and appropriate we must however bear in mind that all power belongs to God .We must not lose grip of Jesus declaration as it relates to power. It is even said that next to God is politics.
Politics and governance or government is not theoretical but practical. And this is the angle upon which this discourse shall be examined. For me, governance in its ramification is service and selflessness. See Isaiah 11:6 in the good Book.

Unarguably, government and politics controls all other aspects of human endeavours; be it education, family, economy, religion etc. The government in power distributes, appoints who should be where and makes decisions and policies that touches on every sphere of human existence.

INGREDIENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN POLITICS
For one to reach stardom in the arena of politics and government, the following essential and core ingredients must be keenly observed; Passion, Preparation, People and Participation. The Four ‘Pees’.
Passion connotes strong and barely controllable emotion. Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. It represents determination. Passion for what is good and commitment towards its realization is fundamental in the attainment of such a goal. No one can succeed in any endeavour without an undying passion for such an endeavor. Likewise, to come to lime light in the field of politics, passion is required to surmount all the daunting and unpredictable challenges and obstacles that one is bound face. Passion for a course is the force that keeps one going in the face of seeming insurmountable challenges or obstacles. It is passion that will make a man to contest for an election again and again after defeat.

The role and import of passion as a cardinal ingredient for participation in politics cannot be exhausted.
Preparation represents the action or process of preparing or being prepared for use or consideration. Aside passion, there is the need for adequate preparation for any venture one wants to undertake. And for politics the earlier one starts preparing the better.

Preparation is infinitive. It is doing all that one needs to do to achieve ones’ dream. It entails living responsibly, acquiring the requisite qualifications, skills, knowledge, networking, attending trainings, conferences, joining platform that can better the chances of achieving ones dream, having mentors etc. No one can attain a goal or dream not prepared for. Therefore, for any political office one desire to vie for, adequate preparation need to be done.

People politics is about power. And the people decide who holds power at every given time. So you need people to bring your aspiration and desires to manifestation. In politics and government, no man is an Island as relationship is the currency here. If you have all the money and you do not have people to assist you in achieving your passion and dream, it will not work. You need people who believe in your capacity, competence, and character who are willing to stand with you to succeed in politics. Power resides in the people, so you must be the peoples’ person for them to give you their mandate.

Participation there is need for everyone to be involved in politics and government whether directly or indirectly. To achieve that, one must start from the unit and community where one lives. It is sad, unfathomable and unbelievable to know that persons live in areas where nobody know them neither do they themselves know their neighbor also. To correct such anomaly, it is important to be part of the Residents Association in the neighbourhood where you reside and to pay your dues if any because communal living enhances political participation.

There is undoubtedly no better and appropriate time to be involved in the national politics and overall interest than now. This is against the backdrop of the colossal level political apathy in our society. A large chunk of the citizens both literates illiterates show cold feet towards politics yet wants or envisage good government or governance which is impossible when the right people are not elected. Others demonize and see politics as ‘a dirty game’ which do not require their input, ignoring the fact that the government in power has a significant impact and bearing in their lives.

In Nigeria presently, you have to join a political party and register right in your ward. Attend meetings and contribute your quota. If however God lays it in your heart to vie for any political post, then go ahead. Also, you need to be thoroughly abreast with the current affairs and knowledgeable of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, as well as that of the Political Party you belong to. And you must bear in mind that political posts are limited. The rest of the other positions are by appointments. There are also party executive positions which are also contested for from the ward, local government, state and national level. Your participation at the local level is a decisive factor. Politics is local.

Therefore to be relevant in the political space, there is need for visibility. This can be as a result of active participation, who you know, who you have worked with or what you have done in time past and lots more. It is profitable to add that the import of visibility within the political arena can never be undermined as politics is a game of numbers. It therefore follows that the more visible and popular one is in the political arena the better.

It is instructive to note that in politics, challenges abound.
Challenges
Politics is extremely time consuming, energy sapping, risky and financially demanding. It involves and demands series of long and sleepless night meetings for planning, strategy, dialogue and many more. You cannot determine what you want to do and when you want to do it.
Lack of internal democracy and injustices that steers one on the face cannot be ruled out in the arena of politics. Most individuals within the same political parties are highly egocentric and self-seeking. In view of the above, it is not uncommon to find rivalry, chaos, intrigues, schemes and divide within most political struggle in our society. The resultant effect of this is that the worst of us are selected to represent the rest of us. As we can see today, the challenges of politics are innumerable, complex and convoluted.
Manipulation of the system and intolerable height of pride is another challenge bedeviling our political space. Some political office holders see themselves as demigods, thereby manipulating the system to favour them at the same time living the ‘larger than life style’, which is not in any way beneficial to our society.

The issue of money politics is another challenge which has eaten into the fabric of the system. A vast spectrum of the general populace think and hold the view that once you are in politics, you are a rogue or you have acquired money legally or illegally. Their belief is that money is being shared in politics or women in politics “follow men”. Sincerely, there is no limit to the obnoxious views which they hold about politics and politicians.
Grace for Overcoming the Challenges
Personally, my three anchor principles as I ventured into politics were and remain:
It must be God. Make sure you have God’s leading.
I will not sell any property to vie for elective post.
It is not a ‘do or die’ game.
It is worthy of note to state that service and humility work together. The mountain of governance and politics is to be taken by humility and spiritual authority. You must know who you are in God and stand by it. The very standard of God must be upheld.

Funding is another factor to consider before venturing into politics. Adequate preparation must be made as regards funding. Before venturing into politics, it is advisable to set aside some funds right from the onset and also to have persons of goodwill who can commit their resources to support your political aspiration.

Flowing from the above, the under listed are amongst the inexhaustible prerequisites, qualities/virtues that a Christian that wants to venture into politics must possess to excel in the political space:
An encounter with our Lord and Saviour Jesus;
Ability to lead in love;
Humility; as exemplified by Our Lord Jesus, Moses and other biblical examples;
Patience; in an immeasurable measure;
Wisdom/spirit of discernment; must be desired and coveted;
Courage/vocal/outspokenness; you cannot be timid and be in politics;
Understanding of the word justice in all its ramifications/pursuit to uphold same;
Ability to close ears to side talk and distractors;

Absolute focus etc;
I therefore conclude this discourse in the words of Plato. “If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools”.

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