LET THE BEST CANDIDATE EMERGE IN BAYELSA STATE
The whole essence of election is to enable the majority of the electorate select or rather elect the best amongst a given number of candidates. Over time, it would seem that humankind has lost touch with this simple reality. Today elections appear designed to pick the worst candidate.Even the mere definition of the best has been obsuficated by the process. This article will seek to examine this phenomenon in the context of a given place in time. It is also important to evaluate reasons why so-called 'democracy' appears to have taken a turn to its own and society's detriment. These enlightenment programmes are vital at this time in Nigeriaconsidering incidences that point to increasing conflict of understanding and interpretation about basic tenets of governance leading to strindent cries by the masses for change and transformation away from those undesirable traits.
Before dwelling on political events evolving in Bayelsa State as an instance to buttress the above points, it is imperative to go a bit into theory here. By way of Definition, democracy is government by the people, a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and excercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free system. Aside from this there are other definitions that would convey it as a state of society characterised by formal equality of rights and previledges.It all came from the Greek word ' demokratia' meaning 'popular government' and it does not go without people!
The challenges in picking the best for a particular environment and need depends on the people concerned,whether they can be described as people in the sense of having a common human trait or value system.It is said that yes all societies can be so described no matter how regimented in terms of ethnic,colour or belief systems. They all have respect to life, want to, and must grow. So the majority can agree upon the best and our constitution ideally should assist them to do that. The constitution or proceedure of governance and elections are merely means to an end not the end in itself. In that light no matter its limitation or self-contradiction, we the people can remain detatched and refuse to be confused in our search through the medium of democracy. We should refuse to select the worst willynilly. We can defy what in essense is to our detriment by acting in our best interest. This is where leadership comes to play in guiding our seemingly impossible democracy to a favourable outcome even in Nigeria.
In Bayelsa State today,we have a near homogeneous Ijaw ethnic stock populating the State even though modernity and migration would most obviously water that down but the sense is made that this state can easily identify what stands in its best interest without having to be constrained by the medium through which it must get there today. Bayelsa State deserves to be governed by the best men it can throw up in the forth-coming governorship election. She knows what it is seeking for in the candidates. It should not be carried away by man made obstacles of the self contradicting syetem and constitution to spend itsself in the courts while forgetting what it must bring forth from the process whether flawed or not.
Bayelsa Stateis one State that should be in a hurry to develop a livable environment out of its endowment and natural limitations. To evaluate this situation in the current digital age requires a star. You can see for instance what the Netherlands made out of their below sea level habitation.If you doubt it, go to Amstadam my friend and see the beauty of water cohabiting with man. The streets there are water avenues and taxis are water liners or Gondolas. Go to Iceland, Canada and see what comfort even cold weather can bring about. Go to Dubaior Israel and see what desert can become. Rather, for the Arabs what an oil wealth can be used to achieve.That is the real purport of Bayelsa's oil wealth; not fritter away in the hand of unqualified candidate in power. The keyword here is not solidarity or majority but knowledge, technocracy and experience. Experience coming from the need to be sure you can do it.And you can only give what you have. Let Bayelsans close their eyes this time around on those who can give them money because you are already rich in it and peanuts should not decide your destiny. The chance you lose today may never return in this generation. Look at it when next are you going to have a sitting President as insurance that you have political will backing your aspirations?
So this time you have no further choice but to enthrown, the best candidate no matter whose ox is gored! It is generations yet unborn that would be better for what you do in February 2012. The foregoing is really the purport of all the fever pitch interest and drama you have witnessed recently over the issue of who governs Bayelsa come 2012. Let me give you a few tips yet. Bayelsa needs a technocrat! Could n't we find a seasoned technocrat in the whole of Bayelsa State? Well even if you find him, her how does he/her emerge? Is he or she already a candidate or about to enter the race? Is he or she likely to come through the ruling party in the State or is the electorate ready to vote across party lines? Is the election going to be free and fair? Is INEC ready to foot the bill of conducting a real election in the decidedly difficult terrain and therefore logistically discouraging Bayelsa rural communities? Should we not just close our eyes on the limitations posed by the electoral system and its almost impossible logistic demands and push for the emergence of the kind of candidate that is capable of transforming the State?
These are are the kind of questions one will likely come across in this quest and it points to extra ordinary leadership behaviour to get Bayelsa the kind of technocrat she deserves. Like earlier pointed out, the issue now is not just a political leader for the people because you have one already in the President. What you need is a performer, a knowlegable experienced vastly exposed, technocrat not necessarily a politician! Nevertheless, he must also be conversant with the people, should be approachable! I went into my search as soon as it was clear that the ruling Party had put forward a candidate. I narrowed my search to their curriculum vitaes until I discovered an innocous candidate in a small largely unknown party and bamm this was it! One could not care less how he could make it into power but he appeared to look nearest to the kind of technocrat Bayelsa would be grateful to have in power at this time. Mind you, I did not say Bayelsans because the proper medium to cogently express majority interest is to say the least unreliable
It would be injustice to tell you the candidate at the outset. Permit me to paint him as a picture first.He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management; member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers; member ,council of registered Engineers of Nigeria;Member of the institute of Nigerian Aeronautical Engineers. He designed and motivated the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) National Open Apprenticeship Scheme; NDENational Sanitation Scheme as well as the NDEResettlement Scheme. In October 2003, appointed Nigeria's representative in the Governing body of the international Aviation Safety (ICAO based in Montrael Canada).He was leader Nigerian delegation to negotiate Bilateral Air services in several countries like United Kingdom,Netherlands,Spain,Trinidad and Tobago,South Africa,Togo,Benin,Belgium,Equitorial Guinea,Sao Tome and Congo Kinshasha. In 2005, he became Chairman, Committee on Illegal Airstrips, and Helipads of the Delta Region. In 2008, appointed by the President as Permanent Secretary, Ecological fund at the Presidency from where he retired to offer his wealth of experience to serve his people of Bayelsa State.
His name is Dr Imoro Kubor. He is a member of the order of the Niger (OON). He hails from Southern Ijaw Loca Government Area. He is 62 years old. He holds an MSc in Aeronotical Engineering and a PhD in in Structional Mechanics in 1982. He is married with five children. He is candidate of Change Advocate Party (CAP).