What politicians can learn from soldiers

Looking at political dysfunctions every day in Nigeria where, bargain and compromise are now essential commodities that are lacking, reliability an alien word, political position are hierarchical and authoritarian even in a democracy, then you have to wonder. Now politicians give conditions for loyalty to Nigeria. Not so in the military. They work through a sort of telepathy; soldiers understand what another soldier wants. They work with the same mind, speak soldierly lingo and interpret acts exactly as they want it played.
Officers are taught the art of leadership in unison with academics and other nuances of the profession.,
Even though soldiers die at a moment’s notice, many still enlist anyway for the love of fighting for country. When war breaks, Commanding Officers do not indulge foot soldiers with fairy tales but tell them eye-to-eye that they may die in battle. Yet, many go into battle and die unquestioningly with gung-ho spirit. How many professions are there that put country first, to die for her when duty calls?
I wish people aspiring for political offices can be mandated to go live in the barracks for weeks and attend leadership training courses delivered by top notch military strategists. This surely will prepare folks for the art of governance, especially mission-driven governance and to acquire the arty skill of working with diverse classes of Nigerian people. The lack of which has seen the glorification of intemperate behaviours by many people.
Over time, many who sit on pedestals in different professional calling have failed to secure our lives.,
The fight against insurgency is fought by soldiers from the microcosm of the Nigerian state and unlike other facet of society that works with the principle of and campaign for “separate sovereignty”, the military campaigns and works with the principle of the “whole”.
Anything short of that is a deviation from the military’s strict code of working as a team. The military work in teams, while politicians work in groups. All the troubles in Nigeria (Sharia crises, militancy, Boko Haram, agitation for cessation) were caused by politicians and the military cleans up the mess of these politicians.
Could we consider sending some politicians to the barracks to learn the art of communalism and mission-based leadership?
I’m shocked to see politicians who do not dignify the offices they occupy. II still can’t fathom how and why some people of low consciousness in spiritual (not religious) depth rise to become political leaders in Nigeria.
Politicians must all learn to play down on their individual ego and begin to see life from the prism of “how may I impact the lives of others in our microscopic way.”
They have all been hoodwinked by the treachery of ‘I’ rather than ‘We’ unlike soldiers who think and act ‘We’ for Nigeria.

Simon Abah,
Port Harcourt,
Rivers State

 

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