My Dad Is A Politician

"Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation-Henry A. Kissinger"

And so over the past few weeks, or maybe months, I have met some new people and over the course of my interaction with them, I have gotten a response like "my dad is a politician" when I asked what their dad did for a living.

This has made me curious or can I say got me baffled because I was never aware that politics was now a "Job Description", or maybe it has always been?

Only last December, I was at MTN office to do a SIM retrieval and because a lady before me was being attended, I sat patiently awaiting my turn. As I sat clicking the buttons of my phone, my ears picked up their conversation, (I no bii amebo oo), the lady in response to the question "what does your dad do?" also answered that her dad was a politician. Nawa oo.

Curiously, I have checked the dictionary meaning of a politician and it says and I quote "a person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of an elected office". If this definition is to be correct then anyone who claims to be a politician must hold a political office or must have previously held. I queried further by asking another question, "what office does your dad holds" from my new friends and the response changes to "not yet, he intends to bla bla bla....".

Wow! The story has changed huh? I would have asked a further question like, "How does he then feeds the family...?" But I think that will only lead to more problems for me, or wouldn't it?

So, I begin to query, is this only a Nigerian thing? Or is it a status quo world over? Because, I honestly believe "politician" shouldn't be a job description or put in another way what a man or woman does to feed his or her family.

Okay, let check the dynamics; Barack Obama was a lecturer and an author before he became a Politician, David Cameron the British PM was(..

....), the great Zik (Nnamdi Azikwe) was a trained and qualified journalist with even his own publishing firm way before politics came knocking, Chief Awolowo, was an established lawyer also before politics and the list goes on.

How then is it that today, individuals with no verifiable income sources make claims to be a politician even without holding political offices. Its sickening. But then, I remember the quote from the great thinker named Aesop where he stated that "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office"

The Nigerian election is around the corner and seeming focus of most people is "change" and nothing else. The questions that ultimately requires the answers are not being answered, questions as to what ways have this candidates built their personal lives, how transparent are income sources, what initiatives have they drove to success among others.

Yet, i remember the words of Ross Perot, when she said, "War has rules; mud wrestling has rules; but politics has no rules". Yes, Politics has no rules and every candidate can decide to make his but ultimately, the electorate have the power to decide who ascends into power through the making of right and correct choices.

I rest my pen.
Abiola Ayodeji Gbemisola;
contact me via [email protected]