"If your idea about leading exempts conscience, then count me out!"
LEADERSHIP WITHOUT CONSCIENCE AND THE EGO OF A BACKWARD NATION.
The caption above deserves a long write up but I'm simply not in the mood for a wordy missive this afternoon. Maybe another day I could buttress my opinion on the subject. But I got to tell you, like many may as well have understood, that the kind of leaders we currently parade in our country are the type that doesn't listen to the dictates of conscience at all. Perhaps they have even lost it, and whereas some deliberately have severed it.
We have leaders who are more concerned with ego rather than conscience. We have leaders that do everything possible to feed their ego but lethally decapitate any pricking of their conscience.
My concern is not about this old and wit-deprived so-called leaders and their moribund, non-working archaic ideas but the new leaders that our nation is beckoning.
So many times I hear young people on forums and their opinions are like those that have had their conscience already severed! We cannot operate or even think like the old brigade if we (young people) are ever going to truly salvage our near-death situation as a country.
There's so much ego with young people who we believe ought to be the leaders of now! Ego! Most young people focus on their own survival, pleasure and enhancement to the exclusion of others and are selfishly ambitious. That's why we view argument about governance on social media in terms of threat or no threat.
Conscience however elevates to a greater good, it is peaceful. Conscience empowers. It reflects the worth and value of all people and affirms their power and freedom to choose.
The ego era of our current leaders is a myopic one. That explains where we are now as a nation in terms of welfare and institution. An era that denies much of reality and censor information.
Certainly, this is not the path for young revolutionaries to continue in if truly we love our country and are willing to extricate her from her bedevilled difficulties.
We must abhor the thought that the end justifies the means as embraced by Niccolo Machiavelli- that's a lesson of leadership without conscience. It is old and archaic, it cannot work for a new age leader that we must be.
When we embrace conscience, then we will learn that ends and means are inseparable and that conscience really is sacrifice- the subordinating of one's self or one's ego to a higher purpose, cause or principle. Giving up something good for something better.
And let me say to many of you political student who thinks the practice of the Machiavellian rule is the best, well you should know that it was never suitable for his era and still is not suitable, even now in the knowledge driven age it must be discarded.
I like to go with Immanuel Kant who I like to think has better foresight than the author of 'the prince'. Just like Mahatma Ghandi, He (Kant) taught that the means used to accomplish the ends are as important as those ends. I believe this kind of thought is in line with conscience which also teaches that ends and means are inseparable.
It's this method that I urge my fellow young women and men aspiring to leadership to imbibe and follow. It (conscience) is the only way we can build and not ruin like ego had done us till this day.
It's my sincere prayers that true leaders are raised for our nation now.
"I have made a pact to stand always for what I believe in. To act and to never withhold a single breath of mine that can be spent in the service of my country, now and at every time. I believe this must be the solemn duty of every man and woman desirous of a better Nigeria."
Victor Alade (Doobig) is an advocate of responsible governance in Nigeria and currently holds the position of State Publicity Secretary, Independent Democrat Party, Ekiti State.
Independent Democrat Party is a political party challenging the existing modalities of ineptitude and corruption in Ekiti State with a staunch determination to bring Prosperity to her people by winning the gubernatorial election come July 14th!
#SupportTosinAjibare
#Go4Gold_Ekiti2018
#Ekiti2018
#IndependentDemocratParty
Your comments and criticisms are welcomed @rotciv. Thank you.