By Barr. Mike Edegware
My dear Chairman,
A post election congratulatory message is a normal course of action and is therefore not unexpected, particularly of those whose modest contributions and support aggregated to the victory that is being celebrated
To me and indeed a host of your other friends, it is no news that you won the election. However, the contrary would have made front page news, given your huge support base and the political arsenal at your disposal going into the contest. Having won, knowing what to do with your mandate and how to go about it are the next challenges which you must confront frontally.
To many, a manifesto is a list of promises designed to attract political support, but which is consigned to the garbage bin once the election is over. To me,it is much more than that. I see a manifesto as an article of faith, the covenant between the elected and the electorate; indeed an integral and core part of the oath of office which must guide and moderate your conduct all through your tenure, particularly the equitable application of the People's resources, the proud custodian of which you are privileged to be.
Once elected, most people stray away from the desired course of impactful service and allow political osmotic pressure to permeate their lives, thereby attenuating the the reservoir of virtues, gifts and talents God has blessed them with. This I pray, must not be your case. You must remain conscious, focused and resolute in the execution of your programmes. Your achievements must be core, physical, measurable and verifiable as opposed to the peripheral, amorphous and deceitful achievements we are used to.
If we accept that Democracy is "a Government of the people, by the people and the people", then we must accept that "the people" must be the epicenter or focus of your Government. Curiously however, most people in position of authority - elected or selected - see the people as an irritation that they must avoid like a plague. They switch from the servant mode that ushered them into office to the ever oppressive master mode. This is a betrayal/breach of trust and confidence and no God - fearing man should go that way. I will advice that you be a man of the people. Stick with them and give them value for their trust and confidence. After all, they are the reason why you are there. You therefore cannot be without them. Strike and sustain a deep rooted with them not just because they own the mandate and resources now at your disposal, but because they will be your anchor and reference in future.
No doubt, the desire and expectations of the people and their political masters are most times poles apart. Here you must do the delicate and ingenuous balancing act because I also recognize and respect your political I.O.U.s to our "ogas at the top" who navigated you through the ever turbulent and treacherous political terrain into office. You cannot afford to sacrifice the interest of one group for the other.
Complacency, prevarication and procrastination are a terrible combination that can rubbish and reduce the lofty dreams of a leader to rubles. So, you must be alert and decisive, not leaving till tomorrow what you can do today. Take your chances, seize this moment and opportunity. Make everyday of your tenure count. Some out - going ogas are full of regret that they failed to do crucial things that they had all the time and opportunity - 4, 8, 12 or even more years - to do and now, they are in a grim struggle for political survival that was avoidable ab ignition. Learn from their story and make the best of it.
Though elected on the platform of our great party the P.D.P., you now run a Government with the People's mandate. So, it is the People's Government and there should be no discrimination whatsoever. There should be no victors, nor vanquished, nor first class and second class citizens or communities. ALL ARE, AND MUST BE YOUR PEOPLE ALL THROUGH. I urge you not to be persuaded by the logic of those who see both Government and the political party as one and the same thing. They are not.
How well you handle this opportunity will go a long way in shaping and defining your future political adventure. So made a mess of it and were rewarded with eternal condemnation while those who made judicious use of the opportunity paved the way for higher political patronage. We know of ministers, senators, or even Governors who started on a similar platform some years back. Some of their colleagues will not be allowed a voice in the assembly of decent men. Learn from this and be wise, my Chairman. The ball is in your court and you have the choice. Success and failure are not necessarily accidents, but deliberate choices that we make by our actions and/or inactions.
Most people express their fears and worries in torrents of questions: Will Malik maintain the same level of integrity that we have known him for all these years? Will he be firmly and resolutely committed to the pursuit of the security and welfare of the People as he promised? Will his Government be all - inclusive? Will he be gracious and magnanimous in victory, even extending a hand of fellowship to his very worthy and equally qualified co - contestants in preference to whom he has been elected? Will he resist the urge to push the people's resources into "voice mail"? Will he be fair and just and bear true allegiance to the People? Will he record physical, measurable, identifiable and verifiable achievements that we can count and name one by one? Will he stand firmly by the People when it matters most? Will he do something about the legion of our unemployed youths on the streets? Will he perform, add value to our lives and make us proud? Will he put food on our table? Questions and questions and more question not intended to frighten you, but to show the level of the people's expectation.
No doubt, you alone can answer these questions and no one else. But if you dare cross your heart and give us a resounding "YES" for an answer, then we shall roll up our sleeves and go all out to work for the success of your administration. At the end of the day, you would have etched your name in gold in our hearts and secured a respectable place in our hall of fame - an achievable feat that has eluded so many.
Congratulations my Chairman and happy weekend.
My dear Chairman,
A post election congratulatory message is a normal course of action and is therefore not unexpected, particularly of those whose modest contributions and support aggregated to the victory that is being celebrated
To me and indeed a host of your other friends, it is no news that you won the election. However, the contrary would have made front page news, given your huge support base and the political arsenal at your disposal going into the contest. Having won, knowing what to do with your mandate and how to go about it are the next challenges which you must confront frontally.
To many, a manifesto is a list of promises designed to attract political support, but which is consigned to the garbage bin once the election is over. To me,it is much more than that. I see a manifesto as an article of faith, the covenant between the elected and the electorate; indeed an integral and core part of the oath of office which must guide and moderate your conduct all through your tenure, particularly the equitable application of the People's resources, the proud custodian of which you are privileged to be.
Once elected, most people stray away from the desired course of impactful service and allow political osmotic pressure to permeate their lives, thereby attenuating the the reservoir of virtues, gifts and talents God has blessed them with. This I pray, must not be your case. You must remain conscious, focused and resolute in the execution of your programmes. Your achievements must be core, physical, measurable and verifiable as opposed to the peripheral, amorphous and deceitful achievements we are used to.
If we accept that Democracy is "a Government of the people, by the people and the people", then we must accept that "the people" must be the epicenter or focus of your Government. Curiously however, most people in position of authority - elected or selected - see the people as an irritation that they must avoid like a plague. They switch from the servant mode that ushered them into office to the ever oppressive master mode. This is a betrayal/breach of trust and confidence and no God - fearing man should go that way. I will advice that you be a man of the people. Stick with them and give them value for their trust and confidence. After all, they are the reason why you are there. You therefore cannot be without them. Strike and sustain a deep rooted with them not just because they own the mandate and resources now at your disposal, but because they will be your anchor and reference in future.
No doubt, the desire and expectations of the people and their political masters are most times poles apart. Here you must do the delicate and ingenuous balancing act because I also recognize and respect your political I.O.U.s to our "ogas at the top" who navigated you through the ever turbulent and treacherous political terrain into office. You cannot afford to sacrifice the interest of one group for the other.
Complacency, prevarication and procrastination are a terrible combination that can rubbish and reduce the lofty dreams of a leader to rubles. So, you must be alert and decisive, not leaving till tomorrow what you can do today. Take your chances, seize this moment and opportunity. Make everyday of your tenure count. Some out - going ogas are full of regret that they failed to do crucial things that they had all the time and opportunity - 4, 8, 12 or even more years - to do and now, they are in a grim struggle for political survival that was avoidable ab ignition. Learn from their story and make the best of it.
Though elected on the platform of our great party the P.D.P., you now run a Government with the People's mandate. So, it is the People's Government and there should be no discrimination whatsoever. There should be no victors, nor vanquished, nor first class and second class citizens or communities. ALL ARE, AND MUST BE YOUR PEOPLE ALL THROUGH. I urge you not to be persuaded by the logic of those who see both Government and the political party as one and the same thing. They are not.
How well you handle this opportunity will go a long way in shaping and defining your future political adventure. So made a mess of it and were rewarded with eternal condemnation while those who made judicious use of the opportunity paved the way for higher political patronage. We know of ministers, senators, or even Governors who started on a similar platform some years back. Some of their colleagues will not be allowed a voice in the assembly of decent men. Learn from this and be wise, my Chairman. The ball is in your court and you have the choice. Success and failure are not necessarily accidents, but deliberate choices that we make by our actions and/or inactions.
Most people express their fears and worries in torrents of questions: Will Malik maintain the same level of integrity that we have known him for all these years? Will he be firmly and resolutely committed to the pursuit of the security and welfare of the People as he promised? Will his Government be all - inclusive? Will he be gracious and magnanimous in victory, even extending a hand of fellowship to his very worthy and equally qualified co - contestants in preference to whom he has been elected? Will he resist the urge to push the people's resources into "voice mail"? Will he be fair and just and bear true allegiance to the People? Will he record physical, measurable, identifiable and verifiable achievements that we can count and name one by one? Will he stand firmly by the People when it matters most? Will he do something about the legion of our unemployed youths on the streets? Will he perform, add value to our lives and make us proud? Will he put food on our table? Questions and questions and more question not intended to frighten you, but to show the level of the people's expectation.
No doubt, you alone can answer these questions and no one else. But if you dare cross your heart and give us a resounding "YES" for an answer, then we shall roll up our sleeves and go all out to work for the success of your administration. At the end of the day, you would have etched your name in gold in our hearts and secured a respectable place in our hall of fame - an achievable feat that has eluded so many.
Congratulations my Chairman and happy weekend.
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