5th May, 2015
The bureaucratic storm rocking Adamawa state political catamaran is raising deep questions about the texture and ambition of our political figures and office holders.
Recent posts on social and electronic media are, no doubt, coercing keen observers of politics in Adamawa like me, into assuming that our political and leadership architecture in the ‘Land of Beauty’ are facing a crisis of confidence that has reached a dishonorable state.
While the All Progressive Congress (APC) is battling with verbal assaults as many jostle for positions in the new government, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is still buried in “politics of arrogance of power and levity for the masses”, a culture many political pundits say is chiefly responsible for the party’s woeful performance in the just concluded polls.
Analysts have been quick to report that the personality war in Adamawa PDP and the manner in which its gubernatorial candidate emerged is a development that favored APC who took time to build a solid foundation that has made it the party of the moment in the state. However, considering the number of ‘heavyweight’ politicians that have crossed over from PDP to APC, and those still deciding to do so after the phenomenal emergence of APC as the soon to be occupants of the government house, it is obvious that political ideology was never a virtue and that many politicians exist only with the present.
It is not enough to open the door and let them rush in without ascertaining their quest for switching political camps in such a time as this.
The recent resolution by the Adamawa State House of Assembly calling on the EFCC to probe the alleged procurement of 50 Hilux vans and two bullet proof Lexus jeeps at the cost of N580 million by the six month old administration of Governor James Bala Ngilari, and sudden dismissal of Director General of the state Public Procurement Bureau, Malam Bello Umar, who it said was sacked by the executive for querying the purchase and for not following due process is a concrete evidence that public trust of public office holders is in jeopardy.
PDP has continued to weigh itself down by dissipating energy on old animosities and antipathies while ignoring things it has to aim to do right if it wants to really rebuild itself as a strong and relevant opposition party.
I humbly call on PDP in Adamawa State to understand that nothing is learned by throwing wrenches at an already broken machine. It’s only by getting inside and dirtying your hands, or at least studying the insides to see how the machinery is designed to work, and where it’s failing, that empty frustrations can be replaced by meaningful action. No matter how small those actions are, they have infinite more value to everyone than throwing bigger wrenches at bigger broken machines.
APC, on the other hand, has embraced the tall ambition of fighting corruption. This is indeed a tall ambition. Be that as it may, whether tall or short, this noble ambition should be vigorously pursued to be attained. The recent bickering over political appointments, between acclaimed camps that are said to exist, is not healthy for the new ruling party. The truth is they have the power to choose their reactions to challenging circumstances and are able to control their emotions long enough to give each other the benefit of the doubt to work together toward reconciliation.
In fact, it is important for APC in Adamawa state to remember that they have raised expectation of the masses to the peak. Thus, in order not to truncate this expectation, attention should be paid to core values of accountability, integrity and respect. To rebuild public trust, the party must be ready to demonstrate to those who called and voted for change that they hear and understand them, and are committed to accountability, service and meaningful development.
A government by and for the people includes your neighbor irrespective of his religion, your weird co-worker, the person with the religious beliefs you find absurd, everyone you see at the bus stop (or who stares at you), the people who work for the companies you built and the ones begging for food on your way there.
As Democracy and handing over day approaches, we the masses in Adamawa continue to wish and pray that our soon to be leaders put their differences aside and make true sacrifices to rescue us from exiguousness and underdevelopment.
As I wish APC well in their new assignment of fulfilling their promises of bringing change and true democracy to the people of Adamawa, it is imperative to remind the leaders that the electorates are suffering lack; hence the need to be mindful of their electoral promises as this is the key to their political fortune and future.
David Dimas D is a Pastor and blogger who wrote in from Maryland, USA
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Twitter: @dimas4real