Op-Ed

STRIKER: Party And National Affairs

Byhvzclarence

PublishedMarch 12, 2021

MAJORITY of “decent” citizens distance themselves from politics in their hardened opinion that it is a dirty game. Of course, a good majority is beginning to realise that it is unwise to do so but they care less nevertheless. It is simply unwise for good people to stay away from politics as it has suicidal consequences for the society.

The “good people” of America only recently escaped damnation by the whiskers on account of going to sleep as a passionate extremist minority hoodwinked the unwary majority and installed a “weird one” in the White House for four long and agonising years! Party politics is party affairs but there is no clearer contemporary example of how party affairs can impact national affairs, indeed global affairs, than the case of Citizen Trump as President. The world is still heaving a huge sigh of relief that he is now a former POTUS.

In Nigeria, millions of people are gnashing their teeth today, each saying a muted or loud “had I known,” that is if you know what I mean! Political Parties are the ones who present candidates for public offices – elected and appointed – and those ones are the ones that run government – either faithfully in line with their parties’ manifestos or simply in line with their personal whims and caprices. Every sector of the economy, indeed every sector of life, including private, personal and national life, is affected directly and indirectly by the decisions, actions and inactions of those in government from political parties.

There are several quotes on the utter silliness of leaving politics and governance in incompetent hands and with disturbed minds, among the most instructive being the one by Bertolt Brecht and Plato, “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events. He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics. The imbecile doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies,” and “If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.”

Kwame Nkrumah, understanding that politics is everything and everything is politics counselled that “seek ye first the political kingdom, and everything shall be given unto you,” by way of paraphrasing a famous admonition from the Bible about the primacy of seeking the Kingdom of God. It is on that note that it is key to thus counsel every Nigerian adult who believes he/she is nice and wise: “go and join your favourite political party”! Carry the idea of the change that you want to see in the nation into it, strategise along with like minds within the party to steer it in the direction you believe is best for it and the national interest; which, simply put, is “a nation where peace and justice shall reign.”

Political parties do not need to be doing nationwide registration exercises before citizens can join as members. What is required is to do a stock-taking of the dominant characters in a party and its professed manifestos, approach existing members and start supporting the aims and objectives of the party at the closest grassroots level through passionate participation in their activities. At the right time, your membership status will surely be authenticated. Any Party that systematically canvasses membership as a drive ought to be commended; especially if it is a ruling party in a particular space. Ruling parties in underdeveloped societies are notorious for closing up to intending members, dribbling out existing, unwanted members, and generally operating as a fraternity (because they are in charge of “the cake”); something they won’t dare do when they were in opposition! This is a sad reality that must be frowned heavily at by well-meaning party leaders.

Any organisation, be it a football team, a corporate brand or a political organisation, is only as good as the aggregate assets and liabilities of its entire members. A party has only one sacred duty in admitting members: ensuring that the content of the characters of new entrants tune up with its principles and ideals. If it doesn’t, it is admitting contradictions that might sound its death knell in the end! Other than the above, all potential entrants consistent in principle and professing to the party ideals and objectives must be allowed entry. Accordingly, stand up from the gallery of lamentation and agonising and go join the party of your choice. The way the dominant interests in any party goes, is the way it will drag the country, if it becomes the ruling party. That is the way “family affairs” or party affairs either become the curse of a country, or its blessings. “If you can’t beat them, you join them” has more than one single (negative) meaning, for positive thinkers.