From somewhere up north, news filtered out last week that reminded this writer how character-insensitive life is. A secretary to state government, who had recently been discharged, had dropped media hints he would soon share a tattle or two about the same government that gave him an opportunity to serve; about the same governor who appointed him in the first place. He gloated that he would show them. There was also this guy who appeared on a podcast to squeal on some senior pastor he said he worked under for years.
Gawd, just how exactly do these diminutive minds get anywhere near the hard to reach corridors of power or its hallowed inner sanctuary? Just how do too many blabbermouths, too many busybodies, too many canaries succeed in getting so close to government and places of worship? Just how do too many finks, too many narks, too many rats gain unfettered access into realms that ought to reject them instanta? Just how do too many scandalmongers, too many snitches, too many stoolies scrape through the many gates of integrity to gain so much trust?
Exactly just how do too many people confide in or employ too many tabbies, too many taletellers, too many whistlers sans seeing through their real character until the nick of time? Or, are all of us like that? At what point does a man or woman, or a boy or girl, decide to turn against a benefactor? Can that turning against ever be justified?
Leadership is a call; a call that many should not dare answer. Leadership is a cross; a cross that many should not dare bear. Leadership is a curse; a curse that many should not dare activate. The leader should know that they are a typology of God; a typology that demands so much class, so much patience, so much sacrifice.
No matter what happens, the leader should never forget who they represent. God never teaches nonsense. Only Satan does. So, except a leader is of the devil, they cannot and should not teach God’s people nonsense.
Unfortunately, all around the globe, even in so-called developed democracies, leaders are busy teaching utter nonsense; absolute rubbish. They cheat, they curse, they oppress God’s best creation. They steal, they kill, they destroy; three character traits which are strange to God. North, south, west, east, you find leaders who even lie, who even pretend, who even trick the same people they are called to oversee and protect.
Can this be reason there’s too much angst, too much apathy against leaders, globally? The palpable disconnect existing between leaders and the led, is it the cause of too much hardship in the global land? Is man heading back to the days of yore when humanity acted the way periwinkles do; that is, with no leadership? Would that or can that be better; that is if we all lived sans leaders?
Exactly just how do too many people confide in or employ too many tabbies, too many taletellers, too many whistlers sans seeing through their real character until the nick of time? Or, are all of us like that? At what point does a man or woman, or a boy or girl, decide to turn against a benefactor? Can that turning against ever be justified?
Which brings or returns us to the afore-enunciated rhetorical batteries. There is only one reason for diminutive minds being all over the corridors and inner sanctuary of power. It is for the same reason that there is an influx of blabbermouths, busybodies and canaries in government and places of worship. Of course, it is for this exact reason that finks, narks and rats are in the alarming majority in realms that should not house even one of them.
Scandalmongers, snitches, stoolies continue to scrape through the many gates of integrity and for decades successfully pose as pretenders to the throne of confidence, of quality, and of trust because -wait for it- everything standard no longer exists in this world. Now, black is white and vice versa. Well, to be fair to the present testament, this evil didn’t start today. You remember, those who lived thousands of years ago preferred hanging an innocent man to freeing criminals.
People now celebrate accusations or records for which they should ordinarily recoil in shame. We insist that it does not matter. Alas, sadly, it does; it matters beyond our wildest imagination. The shamelessness matters fundamentally; in ways that affect our very core, today, tomorrow and forever.
You can see that in how students (our children) play something as unimportant as campus politics. They have learnt so much nonsense from macro politicians they are now far worse. What about our followers and lieutenants? They assume our persona, our style, our true self.
Our world is finished. Life is dead. Blackmailers have won. If you don’t join them, you can only whine and risk being ridiculed as the permanent loser.
There are many other names even those you thought knew better shall call you, especially behind you, if you don’t join them. One, underdog; which means weak or “cry cry” person. Two, an also-ran, a disguised insult for loser. Three, dud: you sure know about dud cheque: you are outright ineffectual, insignificant, useless.
Four, they will also mock you silly as flop. That is, you are not just a failure, you are completely and totally so. Next, washout. It is up to you to choose which is less harsh between flop and washout.
Number six title they might insult you with is clunker. Well, you have to choose among flop, washout and clunker since the trio are either six or half of a dozen. Feel free to make that a quartet by simply adding the seventh contemptuous nickname you shall pick up, if your deriders know a little American English: clinker.
And, if you are looking for other demeaning synonyms for loser, here is a small list which follows no particular order: nonstarter, weaker party, victim, little fellow, outsider and, the last but not the least, fall guy. Watch people who use these words about or for or with you. They are evil agents, you should ignore even if you can’t. No matter how weak-minded you are, none of the above or any name-calling at all should ever affect you let alone to the point of giving in or up.
Never ever bow to nonsense. Never ever join nonsense. Never ever learn nonsense. Never even swallow nonsense, hook, line and sinker.
No matter how poorly they treat you, be your own leader, be your own finest example of leadership; be your own model of God. Be content, be courageous, be forgiving. Remember to remain thankful and even if the finger that once fed you suddenly became abusive and arrogant and oppressive, neither emulate nor turn against them. At the end, you are you and they are them; every man gives what he has; the leader -like the teacher called of God- never does, never learns and never teaches nonsense.
God bless Nigeria!