People, Politics and Popularity

Enrichment through the dignity of labor is no more, opening a pandora's box of self-enrichment through dubious means.

Even within the rank and file of the religious people, the culture of the sacredness of the scriptures is now been replaced with the embarrassing article of profanity. Many unprintable acts now dominate the houses of God as if there are no religious leaders.

Leaders have failed to be role models, even in the political and governance circles. The mirror image of evil is daily reflecting in the society charging the environment into the various forms of insecurity to the level of institutional indiscipline and moral debasement affecting the lives of every individual as if to neutralize and legitimize illegalities and illegitimacy for corrupt practices to become endemic.

The fear of the future of the been borne and the youth been looked up to as the leaders of the immediate tomorrow is no more sounding well in the ears of the elderly ones including those holding power of authority, influence, and affluence. The political class holding forth in trust, the reigns of power for the people's wealth to be equitably distributed have equally lost the bearing for the focus of service, leaving people to reap the bitter fruit of poverty as the dividends of democracy. This is because most of the leaders live false lives, usually sustained through propaganda.

However, the Holy Quran 3: 188-189 sounds a note of warning for every living soul to turn a new leaf.

''Think not that those who exalt in what they have brought about and loved to be praised for what they have not done,-Think not that they can escape Chastisement. For them, it is a Chasitement grievous indeed. To Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and Allah hath power over all things''.

Apart from the politicians, the traditional rulers, as well as the religious leaders, must take a cue from this, this is because in our interpersonal relationship leading to socio-economic activities against the backdrop of the environment, people, politics, and personal desire for popularity, have fundamental sociological factors of correlation which must be worked on to better the lote of the people and enhance the socio-spiritual status of humanity.

The Holy Bible Ecclesiastes 4: 13-16, proverbially challenge us to follow the path of honor in all our dealings and to heed the voice of wisdom of God to perfect our ways in decision making.

'' 13 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

14For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

15I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

16There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.''

The Holy Bible further states in Ecclesiastes 5: 1 ''Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.''

The Holy Quran also gives a set standard based on the charges given to David when he assumed the throne of governance. We can emulate this.

Holy Quran 38: 26 refers, '' Oh David! we indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth. So judge thou between men in truth and justice: nor follow thou t the lust of thy earth for it will mislead thee from the Path of Allah : For those who wander astray from the Path of Allah is chastisement grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account.''

The fear of God is Germaine for the leaders and the followers to achieve excellently well on the essence of true followership for good leadership. Self-desired will ever derail even the wisest king from governing without default hence such people may end up as failures under whom the people's lives would be endangered and the nation to suffer from the timeline of stress, frustration, and depression.

This must, therefore, be avoided for the nation and the people to be ranked high in the human development index evaluation and happiness perception index. Stop derailing from the track of honor while channeling the cause of democracy to advance development for the people.

Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide,Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria