Singer turned writer Etcetera takes the
entertainers who tried to venture into politics
recently to the cleaners in this article...not
nice but it's an interesting read. Read
below...
My dear entertainers who just lost out in
your quest for public office, can you
please gbe enu e soun so that we can
concentrate on the election at hand?
Despite your claims, we all know the
reasons why you sought public office in
the first place. So many Nigerians have
hurt their knees in praying to God to rid
this nation of political miscreants and
people with selfish motives in seeking
public offices. So the fact that you all
lost your primaries is a gargantuan sign
that the system does not see you as
worthy representatives of the Nigerian
youths.
You are the reasons why the youths are only
being regarded as the future in a time like
this when we are supposed to be the present.
Why is it surprising to you that you lost in
the primaries? The system has been
analytically taking notes of your below the
par exploits even within the madhouse we
call entertainment industry. Don’t you get it,
because you are in the sacred ministry of
receiving brown envelopes doesn’t make you
qualified to administer or make laws.
In case you haven’t heard, there are so many
things to consider before running for public
office. I can bet that most of you don’t know
the issues that matter to the people of your
constituency. Have you asked yourself if you
are fit for that constituency? What have you
done prior to this time for the people you
want to represent? You can’t just wake up
one morning and ride on a horse down the
streets like Apostle Paul on his way to
Damascus and expect to be applauded into
the government house? Have you built up a
sufficient resume? Despite what some people
would have us believe, a vast majority of
successful political careers are built around
impressive resumes.
Think about your resume objectively. Think
about running for office as a job interview.
How do you stack up to your likely
competition? Don’t you think a prior
involvement in your constituency would add
some significant padding to your resume?
Another question is, are you electable? Are
you the best candidate for the job? This is a
question that anyone who wishes the best for
his or her people should consider. Is there
another potential candidate better suited to
run and to serve than you are? Is it possible
that your running could do more harm than
good to your political ideals and priorities? Is
there a better role for you politically? If
you’re considering running simply as a way
to get involved, maybe there’s another and
better role for you.
Wouldn’t your time and money be better
spent in supporting another campaign or
serving on a local board or advisory
committee? We are known as the dancing
generation because of the lyrical content of
your songs. To say in your interviews that
you are running because you want to change
the system is a lie from the pit of hell.
Haven’t you heard that charity begins at
home? What changes have you initiated in
this madhouse we call entertainment
industry?
How many of you musicians seeking public
office today have come out to protest against
injustice artistes are facing in the hands of
the cabals on radio? You are scared of
challenging the smaller cabals at the radio
stations who demand bribe before playing
your songs, what would you do when faced
with the ogbologbos in politics? You can’t
give what you don’t have. A head that can’t
produce meaningful lyrics cannot inspire
anything meaningful in governance. If you
can’t stand for anything with your art, then
you surely don’t have what it takes to lead.
The content of your songs says a lot about
your mental capabilities. What are your long
term goals? Are you running because you feel
that your so-called fame indicates you can
win?
Won’t your personal issues affect your
constituency adversely? Or you think the
people are ignorant? In politics, the stench in
your life will always surface eventually even if
you’re not willing to release the information
yourself.
The masses have listened to your interviews
and they know that most of you don’t have
the necessary knowledge of the simplest of
issues. There’s nothing like a campaign to
expose your ignorance about a particular
subject. If someone asked you a question
about the particulars of an important issue,
are you confident that you would be able to
adequately answer it? Are you well informed
about the bills or proposals currently under
discussion in the elected body that you wish
to serve in? Are there some important issues
where you could legitimately be considered
an expert?
Are you presentable? If you’re not
presentable, it will have an adverse effect on
your campaign. You are from a job district
full of people who mostly care about material
things. Don’t you know that in politics, when
people think your priorities are different from
theirs, they will be skeptical about supporting
your candidacy?
Most of you entertainers that lost in the
primaries would have been political liabilities,
not the assets the people crave. Some
shameless nollywooders even went as far as
citing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s entry into the
California governorship race as their
inspiration for running but it didn’t cross
their minds that Schwarzenegger wouldn’t
have been eligible to run for any election in
America if he was a member of any
organisation as corrupt and confused as the
Actors Guild of Nigeria.
Finally, for those entertainers with intentions
of seeking public office in 2019 which is just
around the corner, now is the time to start
working on those areas you need
improvement. Get some professional help if
necessary. You were booted out this time
around because the people don’t trust your
intentions. Today, your status says elegushi
loading and tomorrow sees you borrow-
posing in an exotic car. You are obviously on
a mission to loot.
It is appalling that some entertainers are
beginning to see politics as kalo-kalo and a
place where people thrive in mago-mago. The
same desperados have over time exhibited
their willingness to put their hands in hot
ororo as long as they can bring out the dodo.
But that dodo has burnt their mouths this
time around.
