Before you invest your political right…

Around the globe, integrative and autonomous legislative instruments and treaties have been effectively designed and implemented at the international, national and regional levels to champion and direct the standard path of democratic governance.

Rule of law and human rights are very critical and delicate in the advancement and sustainability of modern democratic governance. Therefore, it’s incumbent upon every nation to provide an enabling, non-threatening, conflict-free, and conducive atmosphere for all citizens to practice and enjoy their fundamental human rights and liberties.

It also demands that all nations must advance the literacy capacities of their citizens in the area of human rights, rule of law, elections and civic responsibility.

Beyond that, citizens should also make deliberate efforts to enhance their scope of horizon, resiliency, adaptability and capacities with regard to trending and contemporary schemes and modes of operation of all “blood-sucking game agents”.

There’s a wide gap in the literacy level and epitome of knowledge with regards to elections and civil responsibility issues between the “Elite” and the “Masses”, because most governments have failed to design and implement policies aimed at providing comprehensive and adequate training, through workshops, social media platforms, seminars, summits, community forums & organization, among others to the citizenry. Because most of the political game agents want to enslave the masses. They wait till election periods, and use their luring personalities, flattery messages, persuasive communication strategies, monetary packaging tools and other persuasive diplomatic political means to win the participation, interests and the political rights of the “masses”.

It’s during these times that we see and hear electoral aspirants moving through the length and breadth of the country, tactically equipped, armed and anchored in their “blood-sucking flattery tools”, entering communities whose names are not even in their “memory codes”, working assiduously to build ties and connection with them and utilizing a “peanut of their monetary packaging tools” to enslave them and buy their priceless political rights.

The bloodsucking game in schools is not an outlier of this scenario. We witness many aspirants “footing” and touching every corner of the school, opportunity costing their academic endeavours, flooding various social media platforms with their luring and persuasive messages, standing and moving to and fro targeted campaign joints from dawn to dusk, in order to build strong social capital with the student populace and ascertain their stance in the elections. Humanitarian schemes, activism roles and social impacts activities among aspirants rise “abnormally” also during these periods.

The multimillion question is: Why do these aspirants wait till election periods before they impact the lives of people in the society?

This demands a very critical assessment, evaluative analysis and comprehensive appraisal exercise by all electorates, and it can be done at the individual, group, community, organization and national levels.

Individually, one can build a strong alliance with the aspirants, by attending campaign meetings, conferences and in their communities to engage in an intensive interrogative exercise about the policies and agenda they’ve in stock, evaluative them and also make proposed ideas and policies required for the welfare/well-being of the entire society.

At the group level, people from all walks of life, especially the youth can come together and form a movement or coalition and invite aspirants to discuss areas of concern and specific issues they want them to address.

They can also champion their course through activism and educational activities via social media platforms, engaging in political conference meetings and making their concerns known to them, as well as going to various remote communities to educate them about the best mechanisms or strategies in the electoral process.

Moreover, through effective community organizing an action at the community level, all the members in the community can build a very strong social capital/network to increase their resiliency, vigilance, and literacy capacities in the electoral process and civic responsibilities.

This helps them to develop strategies to evaluate the policies of every aspirant, and dialogue, negotiate and present their specific issues that require urgent attention and solutions, to the aspirants.

However, electorates must be vigilant about the kind of policies aspirants bring to the table. Some have generic policies which are not feasible, achievable and sustainable. When strong alliance, devoid of corrupt practices are built with aspirants, it allows them to prepare effectively and come up with specific policies that aim at enhancing the well-being and the welfare of everyone.

Electorates should not be left out of the electoral process since this is the best period to identify the schemes of fake and luring aspirants, and be able to build their resilience and assertiveness to safeguard their political rights and invest them in aspirants who are visionary, authentic, empathetic, transparent and have the capabilities to bring lasting and sustainable change in the lives of every member of the society.

Effective understanding of elections and civil responsibilities by all citizens goes a long way to shape and enhance accountability and transparency in our leadership journey.

Your political right is priceless, invest it prudently!!!

 

By: Theophilus Quaicoe