Money, power or good name?

This is no easy cake so thou shalt not hurry to chew on it thy way. Thinkest the matter thoroughly, first in thy heart. Considereth every side before thou chooseth. Meanwhile, whither goeth thy mind: money or power or a good name?

Still, take your time, even if you can’t. Weigh your options, one of which is to read this to the end. Money is good, in that ‘it answereth all things.’ Money offers you power, choices, comfort, respect and well, love.

Power -in more sense than one- is money and money is power. There’s a better way to say that, though. Power is like money and money is like power. Power and money, in the wrong hands, can become intoxicants.

On the other hand, a good name may not -in fact, in today’s world, does not- offer you any concomitant of money or power. A good name may not attract peace, praise, power, money nor a huge following, except in one or two cases of extraordinary grace. On the contrary, a good name is the likeliest candidate for tribulation. Pugnacious people see the person who has a good name as a surebanker soft target to prey on.

However, a good name plays in a supreme league. Far away from, and far ahead of, money and power, a good name enjoys peace of mind, nurses no fear whatsoever and above all, is guaranteed hereafter survival or reward -whatever that means. While the world hardly celebrates the memory of most people who lived in money or power or both, it not only permanently cherishes a good name left behind it also immortalises it 95% of the time with something called posthumous honour. Most importantly, society offers nothing to survivors of people who lived in money and power but it offers everything to families whose patriarch or matriarch left behind a good name.

Having received some enlightenment, I ask you again: which of money, power and good name do you want? One more time, I confirm to you for free that money is good -quite good. Work hard and smart and trust the rewarder to bless your effort with money. You shall need it.

And power, too. Never shy away from acquiring power, when and where it is possible to achieve it clean and clear. Power offers you the reach that a combination of money and good name cannot smell. Power -real political power; not something that resembles it- is the only other greater platform on which you can do greater good to a greater number of people. Alas, with power as with money, you need great tact and restraint.

Money and power hardly generate a good name as their  holders always suffer the tendency of taking one, the eyes off the ball and two, many other things and people for granted. Secondly, persons who have money or power or both are exposed to suspicion and cupboard love, 25 hours daily. Almost always, they fall for friends and lieutenants who never show up let alone stay true when the weather becomes unfair. Be warned, and be wise.

Be wise how you get and use your money or power. That is the root of the possibility of achieving a good name with either or both. No amount of righteous application of money or power that was violently obtained, in the first place, can birth a good name. Never: no matter how much those watching pretend to have forgotten!

Since this is getting too technical, let’s seek -as lawyers are won’t to say- the inteachment or intendment of this entry. The point I have laboured to make hitherto is that a good name is not necessarily a hater of money or power. A rich or powerful individual could still have a good name, if attention was paid before, during and after. A good name is a big picture of the whole -a good name is not a function of a part of one’s life!

A good name should not hate money or power because either or both could accentuate it. Also, money and power must not dismiss a good name as too much of an unattainable height. Rather than see themselves as oil and water and salt, the trio must understand that on the right fire they can make life’s tastiest soup. Just imagine the effect of money and power in the hands of someone desperate to keep a good name!

It is that last line or the lack of it that is the bane of our society. The right sums of money and power are in a few wrong hands the same way too many people with a good name are too content without money and power. Look around and take me up on it, how many rich, powerful Nigerians care about a good name and do you know any good-name Nigerian who is desirous of money or power? While waiting for your list of at least ten, can we go on and round off, please?

Here’s one sure way to rescue Nigeria. Citizens with money and in power should have a good-name mindset which entails being patriotic and people-centric in speech and action -notably in the distribution of our commonwealth. Likewise, those with a good name must pursue money as well as power as they can clean up politics, the so-called dirty game. This is the easiest and fastest route to that altruistic leadership that has eluded Nigerians, man and boy.

God bless Nigeria!

2) An insulting generation

Why have insults become such cool stuff? Everywhere you turn on the face of the earth, someone is insulting someone and a human crowd gathers by the sidelines cheering. Exactly what is going on and exactly when did we all become animals?

This alarming trend calls for concern because not only is everyone the target but everyone is also guilty. Leaders insult themselves and the people too. The people insult one another and leaders too.

No one is spared, nor is there any age barrier. Young people heap curses on themselves hiding on social media or behind their pen to insult people who are old enough to be their parents, people who should in future be their helpers. Most often than not, they commit this acultural, shameful felony either at the behest of or to please a political master.

But, this ‘juvenile delinquency’ should not just be blamed on poor grooming or parental failure but more on the horrendous examples by adults, mentors, the educated and leaders you find all over the place trading insults. Let’s stop this sacrilegious disrespect by starting again to punish rather than celebrate insults. Let’s never forget that insults come only from little, illierate, stupid, dirty, satanic minds!

One more thing: we can disagree without being or sounding disagreeable. Rebuttals by government or the opposition don’t need to be a contest of insults. About time we started calling out purveyors of insults!