BEING AN ONLINE LECTURE DELIVERED IN COMMEMORATION OF 17TH ONLINE PRESENTATION AND DIALOGUE OF TODAY'S LEADER FORUM (2018) OF MOMENT LIKE THIS, SITUATION LIKE THIS, IN A COUNTRY LIKE ON "POLITICS ; PASSION OR PROFESSION"- COMR. JOHNCLAUDE PETER O.

BEING AN ONLINE LECTURE DELIVERED IN COMMEMORATION OF 17TH ONLINE PRESENTATION AND DIALOGUE OF TODAY'S LEADER FORUM (2018)

TOPIC :POLITICS ; PASSION OR PROFESSION.

SPEAKER ; COMR. JOHNCLAUDE PETER O.

Politics; Profession or Passion.
Politics:
Politics is the process of making decisions that apply to members of a group. It refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance—organized control over a human community, particularly a state. ... Politics is a multifaceted word.

Profession:
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain.

Passion:
Passion is a feeling of intense enthusiasm towards or compelling desire for someone or something. Passion can range from eager interest in or admiration for an idea, proposal, or cause; to enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; to strong attraction, excitement, or emotion towards a person.

Therefore;
There is a state in Africa where politicians receive a large sum of money when they retire. This is done for two reasons. First, for the contribution they have made to the country, second to no longer intervene in politics and to leave space for new initiatives. In this case we could think that those politicians truly committed themselves to the welfare of the country and no longer have any reason to do continue doing their work now that their future has been secured.

Even though it is difficult to find an example in which a political action in Nigeria has been undertaken solely for the public welfare, in theory it’s not impossible. Such cases would be when a political action, voluntarily, damages the capability of politicians to win the elections or to keep in power. In Nigeria such a thing doesn’t happen.

A considerable part of the Nigerians have gotten used to thinking or hoping that political participation is motivated by civic duty, but it seems that, different from our hopes, that participation starts with pleasure – the pleasure to be known up to the pleasure that is derived from so-called power, which brings it in the most different ways. Many politicians can earn more when they enter politics, and have less troubles in the private sector. The majority of Nigerian politicians are businessmen who, when they enter politics, multiply their enterprises. For those last one politics is most certainly a hobby, a profitable hobby that costs the Nigerians dearly.

In some cases, as during the election campaign, the main aim of politicians is to be elected or reelected. That being said, we find here an explanation for many political behaviors, such as changing positions in relation to certain questions, without explanation to the citizens. Also the greatest “condescension” that politicians make to citizens during the election campaigns makes as think that more than the welfare of the citizens, they are interested in finding “a comfortable solution” for themselves for the next four years. During their entire mandate, the majority of them doesn’t bother being politically active, except when some scandal emerges, which never lasts longer than two days.

Based on these few ideas, we can say that in Nigeria politics is not a genuine profession, but a passion to pass some free time, only available to those who are powerful or know how to play in the arena of Nigerian politics.

MOMENT LIKE THIS, SITUATION LIKE THIS, IN A COUNTRY LIKE THIS, politics should be a passion and not profession.

Thanks for reading.