WHO WANTS TO BE A POLITICIAN

You want to be a politician? Step right up…

Sola wants to be governor of her state one day but Sola has no money to support a dream like that especially since Sola is also the Primary provider for her whole family. Sola works 2 jobs but she is driven,  has a plan and based on her experience working in her community she creates a worksheet on how to send more children to school without bankrupting the local government, a plan to increase farm yields and stop herders from trampling the crops of the villagers. She starts working for her LGA council and one day she takes her plan to her boss to show him and explain how she wants to implement her plans. After he finishes giving her a lecture on the inexperience of her youth, he proceeds to tell her the long line of men she has to sleep with or pay first for such a dream to come true. The fact that the President passed a bill does not change her situation, there are still older and wealthier men and women who want this position or have someone who they want to support to take it.   How do we take her to where she needs to be.

So the not too young to run bill was passed. Hurray, finally my family will chop a piece of this national cake. “It have do” for hard work and dues-paying it's time to flex.

But first: I am excited about this bill it means that hopefully in the near future the leaders representing me will be able to understand my #problems as I rant them on twitter she or he will be able to even get it when I insert my dreams for leadership in a 30 second Instastory that will disappear shortly... They are young hopefully passionate about their communities and the people and can do what it takes to lead listen and impact.

However, it’s my biggest hope that young people engage at the grass root I don’t want to see young men in causal Friday caftan flocking to Abuja to disrupt the already building traffic or young women with social media activism assuming that that is the political experience. I don’t want leaders who aspire to it because it’s the family business or their parents want them to but because they have a plan,  can lead understand what leadership is. I want our leaders to be ready to do the grunge work inspire their teams to do more go to the villages and talk to the constituents stay grounded, travel the roads visit their markets not only to get votes during elections but during their tenure. I want young people because I am hoping young people will care more; they can fight the apathy of their predecessors and care more! They will understand the real effects of being ignored and marginalised.  I want our impact to be bottom up; where the change is felt directly by people in the rural areas because truth be told more of us live below the poverty line where development has meaning and is sensibly based on things they care about food, infrastructure healthcare. Not top down the way it has always been. 

This thing could go both ways. We could see the same type of leaders but younger, same lack of ideologies same selfishness same greed. Or we see a new wave of driven creative and caring selfless leaders’ ready to push us ready to work the system to the advantage of the masses until we take down the system. 

So if you are the first set and in your mind, you are thinking its time for the national cake to reach my yard then, the raffle is open find a Godfather and fire away. If you are of the second set please come forward too but know that your work is cut out for you. You will face opposition and criticism so strong you will want to give up but the power of your purpose has to surpass your pride.  

We have seen politicians elected to serve the masses act like they are gods and people ought to bow down to interact with them we have seen police slap people on behalf of their leaders.
I want to be able to call or email my representative with my problems or observations or solutions and then see actual shifts. I don’t want this bill to be another “Naija” situation where it’s all lip service and young people more creative in their corruption and than the older people come into power and blindside us.
I am being selfish because I want a Nigeria where we don’t all feel a knee-jerk reaction to run from. I am tired of looking like the only fool at the party when I say it’s going to be good in Nigeria and everyone looks at me like I am Rapunzel who that just left the tower. 

This is a step in the right direction and besides nicer looking and better-groomed people in power I want this to mean something so badly I am holding my breath.