Thread by @segalink

It remains unfair to judge people’s choices when you can’t see the options from which their decisions were based and the conviction that lies beneath the choice. It is also unintelligent to hastily deploy the Gavel without understanding in cases involving the enlightened.⛱

A citizen approached me with questions he hopes to publish for better understanding of my position and here are my brief responses to each of the enquiries. I believe it would help check the prejudices of most drowning in suppositions & emoting with surplusage.

1. Please just a formal introduction of you and your specialty (though I know, just want to confirm).

Segun Awosanya (SEGA) is a Realtor (landlaw focused) Civil Rights & Institutional Reforms Advocate, futuristic Brand, Media, Tech, Research, Business & Strategic Consultant, ...

...who is also deeply involved in social engineering and Nation building via his numerous advocacies that has helped Nigerians find succor.

He enlightens young Nigerians daily from his @segalink Twitter handle towards political awareness, socio-economic development, political literacy and National integration.

He is the Convener of the globally acclaimed social intervention advocacy foundation (@siaf_ng) geared towards strengthening Institutions in Nigeria (#EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG #NIS2000 etc).

2. Some past presidents campaigned with the promise to restructure Nigeria, but failed to do so after getting to power. What may you say is the reason for their lack of will power?

We’ve heard many people regale us with their desire to bring change if voted into power.

They make their case so clear by sharing their utopian dream with us as congruent with our desire for change borne out of discontent with the status quo.

Our political naivety however cause us to be blindsided into believing that Power is a means to an end and not an end by itself, while in the true sense of the word, by all intents and purposes it is just an End game of majority seeking power.

Truth be told, Power comes at the cost of Change in reality and vice versa regardless of the institution in question be it political or religious.

The Church over the years have capitalized on tooling the political correctness of helping parishioners believe in Change because we all want change (in our circumstances in the positive- more money, higher position etc) but no one wants to change.

To change is to relinquish power, speciality, and conversance for the unknown and a new learning curve, while perpetuating oneself in position of comfort and authority secures our power and influence.

Suffice to say to adopt change is to relinquish power and to relinquish power is to make necessary change happen.

Likewise in the politically many people who genuinely sought change in history never ran for the highest position in the land, rather they grew opportunities right where they were & built advocacies that will immortalize them for good & foster the necessary change.

Dr Martin Luther King, Mandela, Bishop Ajayi Crowder, Malcolm X, Mahatma Ghandi, Rosa Park etc all didn’t campaign to be voted for as President but they brought formidable Change they will forever be remembered for.

Those seeking Power wittingly or unwittingly as a means to an end to bring change are either naive or mischievous. To have access to the highest seat of power in Democracies as peculiar as Nigeria’s, one need the assent of the Purists.

Those who serve as quarter guards to power in the republic and it comes at a huge cost of Change.

The price is often too steep and in the end all plans or prospects become impossible once the price is met.

This explains why we may never have a formidable change while running the same old system as I once illustrated as “Purpose built factory” in which the products won’t change even if you overhaul the personnel.

Change can only come when the modular assembly line is restructured (which will necessitate devolution Of Powers) to suit the assemblage required for a new product.

This is why many insist on Revolution which often scares the wit off a whole lot. It begin with a No and ends with a Yes. Revolution begins when you say NO to those who claim to have power over you and it ends when you accept the new status quo.

A new normal and whether that new normal is an improvement or not.

3. Atiku is campaigning on the same premise and he seems to be getting endorsements and support against a "disappointing Buhari". What may you say is the reason Nigerians may want to give him a shot?

The causes of revolution are numerous in form but there is a common root. That’s discontent. Discontent is the emotion that builds and builds under the surface. It is the storm that brews in the minds of the people just waiting to be unleashed.

The trouble is, it is much easier to get that storm unleashed than it is to get people in agreement as to what should come next.

It is not easy to make people see eye to eye regarding what needs to happen after the current system falls. So this is usually put off or avoided all together.

This is often a serious mistake, without clear objectives chaos usually sets in, soon after the old regime falls/fails.

And then with the void that’s been created tyrants rises to bring order. As a result the power of attorney that follows revolution are often just a totalitarian or more totalitarian than those that they replace. The Change Of 2015 was a typical example.

There should therefore be a bond on the obvious that discontent is not a sufficient driving force for a Revolution.That is if the goal is to actually leave a BETTER world for our children and grand children.

The Atiku’s campaign as well as other youthful alternatives out there have plugged into this messaging while showing responsibility enough to execute their plans if given the opportunity.

Unlike the incumbent that ought to be telling us their achievement in the past 3 years justifying the need to continue but acting as though someone else ruined NIGERIA’s Economy, Security, Foreign Direct Investment and our enviable position amidst comity of nations.

Nigerians need to live, dream and hope again and would readily welcome any message that meets this quality with a rational and superior argument that proves responsibility and not mere empty promises as witnessed in the past. They need to take their country back.

They desire a New NIGERIA. They want a fairer alternative. They deserve a fresh start where the most qualified and trusted takes the helm for the good of all. They desire a competent, credible, conscientious, capable and perspicacious empathetic character they can call a leader.

However the challenge we have as a people is the mindset that leadership is all about One man making all the plans and executing it all. Thus, we shop for expertise that would solve all the problems in a swoop.

I hate to break it to you, that this is a wrong view. The leader’s job is Visionary. He is an administrator at best. His job is to call all the competencies together in order to achieve a holistic vision that progresses the Nation. He is the most motivated player on the field.

As the most motivated player on the field of play, the job of the leader is primarily to be secure enough to allow the best players express themselves on the field towards bringing home the trophy and advancing the team to the top of the charts.

Leadership is about making others BETTER as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence. It is never about advancing the self but the advancement of the team towards the achievement of the bigger picture.

The point to note here is that the team in reference here is not just a constellation of talents and competencies that merely work together but one that trust each other.

Perhaps it will be better served if the President is the best spokesperson who can articulate the vision with great atticism as the mouthpiece of the Nation, without being petrified at the mere mention of Media Chats, interviews and debates which is the soul of democracy.

It is about the influence not authority. Authority within the confines of a leader is delegated while tasks are shared with the vision in mind.

The Presidential candidate or President at that, need not be necessarily the sharpest person but must be backed by expertise and competences that can focus on his blindspots and weaknesses, while he would be expected to make them express themselves for the benefit of all.

Leadership is not about wielding authority but empowering all and sundry.

A President must be capable of rallying the hearts and minds of the people while focusing on what he does best. This need not be a man who came top of his class. If we as a people can only have the leader we deserve, what leader do we deserve now?

So this is where we are & this is why we as a people are listening to the likes of @Atiku @feladurotoye @YeleSowore @obyezeks @MoghaluKingsley @SFB2019 and others out there, that are making sense & participating in National dialogue by attending critical TownHalls to rub minds.

4. You are perceived to be an Atiku supporter in some quarters, if this is true, can you please comment on your reason for believing in him and being a strong critic of the present administration?

Under the huge strain of the identity politics of hate (Populism) any one who criticizes the current admin is automatically perceived as a member of the opposition & by extension an adversary.

Because the major opposition cum alternative is the PDP in their view, simpletons & sentimentalists jump to the conclusion that you must be a chieftain of the PDP to “articulate” your discontent on the failings of now and thus you are inadvertently on the Atiku Campaign train.

But let me say this as this question has already been answered in part, in my last response. I’m not a card carrying member of any political party neither I’m I interested in politics void of ideology as currently practiced in Nigeria.

The decision on my chosen candidate is intrinsic as I’ll be voting my conscience. Afterall I only have one vote. I wonder why this inconsequential matter on the decision of an ordinary citizen is attracting so much interest. I occupy no political office & have no such intention.

But there is no doubt that the status quo has fallen out of favor globally. They have betrayed the trust of millions of Nigerians especially the youth as reduced to a life unfit for Cattle. I personally will NEVER subscribe to the conspiracy of silence. I fear no one.

Having failed the people forcing individuals & private entities to take responsibility of state affairs via standing in the gap, while elected leaders continue to be mendacious, irresponsible, hateful & negligent on critical matters of state.

My eyes are on the alternatives and my question is simple to these lots “What exactly is more important, you being President or Change?”

There are two defined and tested paths to power. The first being the weight of the force of the masses and second, by alliance with someone who already have overwhelming public support.

We demonstrated this with the #EndSARS campaign. There need not be any Ambiguity for you to become a rallying point of the people. By share weight of the numbers based on common ground (political will), the advocates of EndSARS were able to force and effect the needed change.

Where is your clear message Distinguished Candidates?

What we have seen in most cases is nothing but general posturing and not definitive position. #EndSARS was clear and void of ambiguity. #EndSARS #ReformPoliceNG period. It was direct and assertive.

Since most of the candidates don’t have overwhelming support across interests (common ground) that leaves them with an option of alignment via viable coalition but unfortunately persons of interest that are the focal/rallying points have shown intention to run themselves...

...and they won’t come to your page unless you go under their canopy. So you see the dilemma?

So you can see where we are Socio-Politically and how much work we need to do to educate the public politically on statecraft and the unique masses in the Nigerian political space.

5. Finally, what consequences can you say the centralised system has brought to the citizens?

I need not say much here as the consequences are polychromatic. We all can tell our stories in the chaotic years under the current administration.

We have seen the impact of power in the wrong hands. We have witnessed needless deaths and systemic failures. We have seen the height of corruption via nepotism and self aggrandizement. We have seen impunity reign in unexpected places.

We have seen institutions fail and we have seen NIGERIA fall from Grace to Grass and finally we have seen what MUST not Continue.

...End of Celestial Clarifications...

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