Nigerians have been told that, if any person, organization or administration is doing very well in any given capacity, area and sector, there is no harm in telling the person that he is doing well, so that when you see certain areas the administration, for instance, is not doing well and you point it out, the person would then take you very serious and say, “Okay, let me improve on these stated areas”; but when everything a person says about an administration is negative, then such a person will not be taken seriously even if he raises genuine concerns or salient issues that ought to be looked into.

The Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Assoc. Prof. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, stated this while responding to questions in a live radio programme, “Bush House Nigeria”, anchored by Michael Bush on Kapital FM 92.9, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on the topic, “The Culture of Insulting Politics”.

Prof. Ayakoroma called on Nigerians to learn to applaud the good deeds of our leaders, where there is need for commendation and criticize only where there is need for it; and that way, those in leadership positions would take such opinions seriously when they are raised objectively.

Responding to the question as to whether Nigerians themselves are not the reason why people in government are not performing, Ayakoroma noted that the society itself has a portion of the blame, where it places so much pressure and demands on people in positions of authority, to the extent that such persons look elsewhere, sometimes underhand means, to find ways of meeting such demands.

According to him, this stems from the fact that, once a person attains a top position in government, family members, friends, and the community people would have the notion that such a person has made it; and therefore, he had no excuse whatsoever but to solve their numerous problems whatever the cost.

He noted that, everybody goes to the person in government with their problems and if he is not able to solve them, then he or she is labelled a bad person; and that situations like this make most politicians to want to be seen to be good in the eyes of their constituents; hence, they go out of their ways to try to satisfy them and even when they are out of power, they still want to maintain such status, which is unrealistic.

He admonished people in government that they should assist their constituents within their legitimate means and that where they do not have the means, they should not ever-stretch themselves by going out of their legitimate means to want to please everyone, as that eventually results in corrupt practices and lack of performance in governance.

Prof. Ayakoroma stated further that people in the society need to be conscious of the fact that, if anyone is earning very well, it is God who has made it so and that not everybody who earns well, is corrupt.

He also enjoined politicians to take either victory or defeat at polls with philosophical calmness, so that even if they lose cases at election tribunals or in the courts, they should not be brandishing the slogans: “Oh, it is a travesty of justice if they lose; but when they win, then, the judiciary is the last hope of the common man”.

Jonathan Nicodemus

Corporate Affairs  

NICO HQ, Abuja