Political Imponderables 1:
Imponderables Play An Enormous Part In Political Fortunes – George E. Sokolsky
The day was Sunday, May 30, 2010, and I was in transit from Lagos to Abuja, Nigeria, for an interactive session with the Minister and the other State Commissioners for Women’s Affairs. The boarding of Arik Flight W3 161Y has just been announced. While looking inside my handbag for my boarding pass, I saw a micro book presented to me by my darling sister, Princess Banke Ademola, the General Manager of Gateway Radio (She has since retired).
I decided to read the book inside the plane rather than be idle. The title of this micro book is “Why did the Chicken cross the Road,” – a collection of Life Puzzles written by Waheed Abiodun Ogunjobi, an Editor with Gateway Radio (I am not sure if he still works there). I knew in my mind that I would finish the book before the plane landed in Abuja, but then, I did not envisage the kind of reactions that it generated. Before I finished the micro book, many ideas kept crossing and crisscrossing my active mind. I was in deep thought, and unusual inspiration was passing through my mind, so I took my pocket diary and a pen and started scribing words. At a point, I paused because something dawned on me; I could not fathom some issues, especially the behavioral pattern of some politicians. I was still in politics at this time. I played politics in Nigeria for about Forty-Five years before opting out of Politics.
As a published author, I thought of several Imponderables and focused on Political Imponderables. I started pondering on Political Imponderables.
Biologically, I am from the Yoruba Kingdom: a full-blooded Abeokuta woman, born in Lagos, now lives permanently in Georgia, the United States of America. No one can take from me my birthright. My father was an Owu man from Agbogunleri Compound, Oke Ago-Owu in Abeokuta North, and my mother was an Egba-Ake from Ijemo-Agbadu in Abeokuta South. My parents lived in Lagos from their youth, in fact, my mother was born in Lagos, Nigeria. My parents met and married in Lagos. They died in Lagos and were buried at Vaults & Gardens, Ikoyi, Lagos. I find the way of my people (the Yorubas) enmeshed in Imponderables.
African politicking is truly imponderable, full of Belle-aches; pull me Down Syndrome, and destructive criticism. What else can I recount? Millions of Life’s unthinkable confront us daily in politics; how do we resolve them?
Scholars reflect on imponderables with deep thoughts for self-actualization and knowledge. Yet enough research has not been conducted on politics and politicking. The destructive tendencies of some politicians need to be examined and re-examined. Does this tendency fall under addiction? Or can it be Psycho? Why would a sane man be determined to destroy goodness or a leader elected by the people destroy the lives of the same people with his policies and nepotism, or just for political reasons or gains?
Political Imponderables quickly lead to ‘Frustrations.’ They are examples of imponderables that occur in politics, the sudden, the unusual, the bizarre, and the surprising. These imponderables affect everything and everybody. Some wrongs are a word spoken by a politician out of order, a thousand unplanned actions, uncalculated little events that can occur and change the course of events, and adverse and wicked media reports. Donald Trump’s Administration in the United States of America is genuinely imponderable. We are all witnesses to the outcome of his spoken words and body language that led to the Pro-Trump mob storming the US Capitol to overturn the election.
Imponderables play an enormous part in politics. An imponderable is a state of affairs that exists without a known cause. Are our politicians ascribing to Isaac Newton’s law of gravity that there is an equal and opposite reaction for every action? In this context, for a good deed, there is an equal devilish deed by the opposition. Politicians of all divides must learn to appreciate each other. Politics must not be a do-or-die affair; it is supposed to be a service to God and humanity.
A selfless service must be sung for others who are not doing so well to learn and note. Why do we pour encomiums on political leaders when they are no more rather than when alive? Let us start to appreciate & reward the living Icons; it is a sure way of getting others to serve meritoriously. Let us stand in unison to condemn poor and corrupt leaders. Never give them and their parties another chance to humiliate the masses. Politics should not be a game of self-aggrandizement, self-seeking, idol worshipping, and fleshy traits.
So to have a Righteous man serve with Integrity, we must thank God and appreciate such a man. African Politics, especially in Nigeria, is that of opportunities and circumstances of seeking immediate advantage with little regard for principles or ultimate consequences. It leads to social chaos and anarchy, samples of imponderables. We can begin to ask ourselves these questions and annex the answers as we go on:
- What is it to enthrone in Politics? Or what is Enthroning?
- What is Righteousness? Or who is Righteous?
- What are Politics, and who are Politicians?
Enthrone means to mark the official beginning of the period of Rule, which is seating a Subject on a Throne. The Subject in this terminology is Righteousness. What does it mean to be righteous? Or what is Righteousness? To be righteous means doing what is morally good and just, morally blameless, and having Just Cause. When we examine the meaning of Politics, we see a contradiction to what Righteousness stands for. As Christians, we believe we cannot attain Righteousness by ourselves unless we are in Christ. Jesus Christ is the Righteousness of God Almighty, and Righteousness is a fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
Politics or Political affairs can be described as a means of winning and keeping governmental control. A politician is a person whose business is politics, one who has been elected to a position in government. Someone skilled at dealing with people in a way that is advantageous to self or using a system to their advantage. (Longman Dictionary). As we can see, conflicts with Righteousness. How, then, can we enthrone Righteousness in politics of self-advantage and self-aggrandizement?
