A few days back, a de trop video deriding a widow circulated online by one of Hon. Uko Nkole’s brownnosers elicited a barrage of condemnations and made tempers flared. But, I chose reticence until Nkole’s – somewhat shocking – reactionary and pecksniffian rejoinder.
His impulsive dissociation from his Mr Goody-goody and disownment of the video made him more a fuddy-duddy than a young contemporary politician worthy of emulation.
A true leader does not run away from the truth by making excuses. If we should disregard the young man’s controversial video/publication because of the harsh criticisms it provoked; why should we believe the ones he made on Nkole’s “achievements”? It means they are all falsehood designed to hoodwink the masses.
From inference, the attitude of most Abia youths towards life is carpe diem; the reason it is impossible to believe that the young man promotes Nkole’s “achievements” on his page gratuitously. He must be a core member of his online media team to make publications daily on his behalf with vehemence. So, why the grotesque denial?
Except for lack of direction, every media team operates with a clearly stated objective. Therefore, Nkole’s media team couldn’t have worked with a tabula rasa in this context. That, explains the making of the humiliating video and its post-haste release on social media. But it is a shame that they chose the COVID 19 unfortunate situation to play such vindictive politics.
I know many Abia politicians and two-term public officeholders whose aides could not boast of room apartments. They hardly feed properly and roam around Abuja and Abia State almost as tatterdemalions.
Palliative is not a solution to a problem but a temporary relief. The poor widow has lived about 65 years on earth and has survived without assistance from Nkole to warrant such dehumanization. Besides, she is not the only recipient of the so-called COVID 19 palliative, if not to score a cheap political goal, why video only her?
Utilitarianism demands that an action is morally right if its consequences lead to happiness (absence of pain), and wrong if it ends in unhappiness (pain). Mr Nkole acted mala fide. Therefore, his disownment of the video/purveyor is escapism taken to repulsive extremity.
He should jettison the horsefeathers and as a matter of integrity, accept responsibility and seek ways to offset the caveats. These include tendering an abject public apology to the innocent woman dragged into politics of bitterness regrettably as well as, device means to compensate her adequately. It is called self-deprecation.
Though it is difficult enough to get on with one’s life without the tittle-tattle of quidnuncs spotlighting one’s weaknesses, doing so will shut everyone up and restores the confidence of the victim, her family and other constituents who must have felt embarrassed by the oafish blunder.
It should also serve as a lesson to senator Mao Ohuabunwa and other politicians who see the emasculation of their aides as smart move to retain their loyalties. No wonder Jack Welch posits thus – “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others -.”
You see, one primary characteristic of a leader is helping his subordinates achieve success, not pauperizing them. Though I wouldn’t want to mention names, I know many Abia politicians and two-term public officeholders whose aides could not boast of room apartments. They hardly feed properly and roam around Abuja and Abia State almost as tatterdemalions. Still, they drive around town in exotic cars throwing few Naira notes to obsequious flatterers who hail them “leaders”.
I know that they will not want to hear this glaring truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed. But no man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or to get all the credit for doing it, according to Andrew Carnegie.
For those E-urchins who will go to the extreme, including mocking someone else’s mother or family on social media to please their bosses, make sure your mothers live in affluence. I am saying this because we all get our share of weal and woe in life. Nakwa Echeki, n’ihi n’odighi onye uwa zuru.
To be continued
