Nicolas Sakozy the immediate past president of France and his Successor, François Hollande are bitter political rivals. They don’t see eye to eye on most issues and it is an open secret that there is no love lost between both political leaders. The reason is not far fetched. It was the victory of Hollande that prevented Sakozy from savoring the joy of winning a second term in office. He has not forgiven the man who so roundly defeated him and he has not also jettisoned his ambition of returning to the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President of the French Republic for the second time and term. Indeed by permutations and calculations both men are likely to square up again for the coveted post of the Presidency of France in the foreseeable future.
However when terror was unleashed on France on Wednesday January 7,2015 political rivalry took the back seat as the bitter rivals were united in grief and together mourned the death of 12 people who were murdered in cold blood by terrorists who invaded the offices of a newsmagazine and summarily executed workers and some policemen on guard duties. That day of infamy united the political rivals and they jointly sent a message to the terrorists that the French will stand together whenever their polity or people are in danger.
Sakozy was to later pay a solidarity visit to his arch rival restating his support for the fight against terrorism. Both men know that political rivalry should always take the back seat when there are clear and present dangers against the polity and the well being of its people. That is what statesmanship is all about.
In Nigeria the reverse is the case. Leaders play politics with everything. The kidnap of the Chibok girls , the incessant bombings across the country by insurgents of Boko Haram , the capture of Nigerian territories and the trial of soldiers accused of sundry offences by the military high command have become pawns in the deadly political games going on in Nigerian. All the major political parties and leaders are guilty.
When there should be a common front against terrorism what we see is the exploitation of the situation to gain political capital and score cheap shots against opponents, government and rival political parties. The kidnap of the Chibok girls has been so politicized that the sheer human tragedy that it is has been watered down. It got to sickening level when some associations even issued ultimatum that somebody should not be voted for except the girls were rescued. How did our nation get to this sorry pass? Where are the statesmen? Where has our sense of patriotism and fellow feeling gone to?
We have elevated politics to statecraft and just anything however sacred can be destroyed on the altar of politics to the extent that revered men of God have been drawn into the fray. They are now prophesying and reversing themselves perhaps to suit the whims and caprices of certain individuals .The Pulpit has been turned to a Political Rostrum. We now have tailor made prophecies delivered to ensure that some political ambitions are imbued with ‘messianic endorsement’. The men of God should and must speak the truth to power be it incumbency and or those angling to become the next tenant at the corridor of power. But they should not under any guise be campaigning or be seen to be campaigning for the incumbent or his main challenger. This is not the time for the pulpit to be used as a campaign rostrum for or against any individual. The pulpit should declare the truth no matter whose ox is gored. But the pulpit must never be tainted by politics.
Even has the final countdown to the elections begins there is nothing elevating or inspiring in the campaigns of the leading parties and candidates. All we have been treated to so far are abuses and name calling. Please it is time to change course, enough of abuses and shadow chasing. Let us have issue oriented campaigns and debates devoid of name calling, abuses and threats and violence. And please and please the parties should not use the human suffering in the North East and the insurgency being championed by Boko Haram as their main campaign strategy. They can tell us how they will better handle the war against terror but they should not gloat on this tragedy.
Let’s take a cue form the example set by Sakozy and Hollande.
Adebanjo sent this piece via [email protected]
