(Episode 19) LOVE AFFAIRS | A novel of the OmidanWURA_files By Segun Alonge Jr

The presidential election was now very well underway. It was only few months away. All media platforms had been loaded with flyers and bills for electioneering campaign.

Our Vice Chancellor, a politically inclined man himself, had announced a two-day lecture free period to enable all eligible students obtain their voter's cards.

The news reached us at our location - thanks to social media networks - information now travel very fast.

I recall an instance some years back when I had to use the postal service to deliver a notification of my homecoming in few weeks time. I was shocked to receive the letter myself after few days into my arrival at home. The system was that sluggish. But things have changed now - news travel within the twinkle of an eye.

We approached the HR head and after much pressing, he obliged to our two days break. The break would be prolonged by the weekend - so, work would only continue the next Monday.

Although there were over thirty registered parties according to the National Electoral Commission but the reality was that the revered position was being contested by just two parties.

I often wished we had just practiced a two party system - at least that would reduce the much resources wasted on campaigns by other respected citizens of the country.

The parties on paper are numerous but in reality, only a few of them can put up their hands sky high as being among the political parties - because only few hold a stake in governance.

Joy filled my heart when the Electoral Commission announced sometime earlier that any party who had no representation at the state and national level should be scraped. So many existing parties then were swept off the list like sediments moved along by waters only to recoup and come up with new names, approaching the Electoral Commission for a fresh registration.

The commission could not turn away all their proposals since it was their civic right. Even though they were not known, their names appeared on the parties list.

A similar occurrence played out when I visited the Ministry of Agriculture some years back to secure a land area for farming. I was told I would have to put up with a distant land from the main city as there were no unoccupied farmlands anymore in the city.

I asked about my access to farm inputs and machines and I was assured of its availability on site.
As a matter of fact, the woman I met on seat showed me on paper the number of tractors in each of the locations. She advised I personally visit the locations and speak with the farm managers.

I embarked on the journey but what I met on site had long forgotten their functions - but they all still appeared on paper as 'functioning'. I had said to myself, 'and our leaders are asking youths to invest in agriculture'

The widely held discussions when you see few people gather was now who wins the presidential seat. I had long developed interest in leadership and governance - thanks to Dad.

I grew up into seeing him so much in love with the state of the nation. I concluded that it was the responsibility of a male child to learn about history and the current state of things within and outside his environment.

My assumptions met some opposition when I got admitted into college. Most of my male colleagues were no fans of news about governance and leadership - they have opted for promoting football clubs. I had often wondered the kind of fathers they would grow up into.

Men were supposed to be busy with the affairs of their immediate communities and be sourcing ways to develop it not waste their youthful ages blowing the trumpets of foreign - not even indigenous - clubs who knew not if they did exist.

Olajumoke had on several occasions challenged me of being overtly stereotyped - claiming that everyone cannot see things my way. I know that to be true. I strongly believe that governance is not just things - it is more like the life blood.

Everything rises and falls on leadership and politics provides the platform for the emerging leaders. You would be stunned to hear the same set of people who had little to no regard for governance complaining about bad leaders when they are not willing to play their parts as stakeholders of the nation.

The tussle was between the incumbent and a retired General. He had afore time attempted the position but was defeated severally. News flying around had linked him with an insurgent group.

The popular claim was that he had been financing their activities in order to make governance look so difficult for the incumbent. Another faction were of the opinion that the incumbent was just too weak to direct the affairs of the nation and since the opposition was a retired General, he should be the perfect round peg for the round hole.

It later became obvious that most of those submissions were mere propagandas.

As much as I loved governance, I detest politicians. They have made politics into a practical business enterprise. They invest huge funds into electioneering campaigns only to get back their investments when they assume office.

Some have even gone so power drunk that they forget their appointment was time bound.

I heard a governorship aspirant on radio, who after being in office for one full tenure, said, 'a se n m' eye bo lapo ni'. I wondered when the bird would arrive.

We hear the same long futile tale over and over again by the same storytellers who go from one party to the other. So many citizens have long lost interest completely in the system but I alongside many others still kept hope alive.

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