Politics and Governance - More Than A Conversation
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The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve<br />
www.thesparkng.com<br />
Voice of the People<br />
BY AYANDOLA AYANLEKE<br />
A<br />
good number of Nigerians have related to the political scene with<br />
apathy because of the belief that there is nothing much that can be<br />
done <strong>and</strong> their actions would not amount to much. This is beside<br />
the fact that after every election, we don’t lose our voice to complain<br />
about the government <strong>and</strong> what we think is wrong in the country.<br />
The Spark <strong>and</strong> Access Bank decided to be one of those to change the<br />
narrative <strong>and</strong> make sure our contribution in the politics of our nation is<br />
more than a conversation. These artists have contributed their part by<br />
creating awareness through the medium they know best, art. The contest,<br />
from which these art pieces were picked, is simply to draw our heart <strong>and</strong><br />
remind us that we have to participate actively in the political scene.<br />
driving away of some party agents, together with oppression,<br />
intimidation, <strong>and</strong> undue influence on voters while voting is going on.<br />
SAY NO TO CORRUPTION,<br />
SAY NO TO BRIBERY,<br />
SAY NO TO VIOLENCE,<br />
SAY NO TO SELFISH LEADERS,<br />
STAND FOR GOOD LEADERSHIP,<br />
VOTE! NOT FIGHT!<br />
VOTE FOR THE GOOD INTEREST OF NIGERIA..<br />
(IG: @christian_joe)<br />
THE PUPPETEER BY OLALEKAN ODUNBORI (IG: @lekanskillz)<br />
BEHIND THE SCENES BY CHRISTIAN JOE MBA<br />
I believe in politics, behind every corrupt practice, there is an unseen<br />
scene.. behind every bribe, there is an unseen scene. The scenes of a<br />
selfish act. In the above scene, MONEY seems POWER, SELF INTEREST<br />
overrides INTEREST OF THE COMMON GOOD, where integrity is<br />
compromised.<br />
Here is a scenario - VOTE BUYING<br />
The despicable practice of vote buying in which voters cunningly<br />
allows party agents to know which parties they voted for is so rampant<br />
such that the outcome of the entire process does not necessarily<br />
reflect the true genuine democratic choices of the people. Indeed, the<br />
level of electoral manipulation is so brazen, the desperation to win<br />
so palpable, that voters go behind voting venues, in some cases to<br />
buildings outside the voting area, to collect bribe from party agents.<br />
Also, there are usually sporadic shootings, ballot box snatching,<br />
They have failed us, deceived us, letting poverty spread across the<br />
l<strong>and</strong>. They have become puppeteers, controlling the fate of us the<br />
puppets. At the approach of elections, the masses are silenced<br />
with money, making sure the wrong person is put into power.<br />
‘Godfatherism’ is the order of the day. Any endorsement that doesn’t<br />
come from these godfathers is already a failed attempt. The youths are<br />
starved of the power to make a change, only the senile clutch greedily<br />
to the helms of affairs, leaving the country to wallow in mental<br />
depreciation. Will we ever be free from these decays?<br />
DIFFERENCE NOT CHANGE BY ADEBOLA ADEKANYE (IG: o_Kanye)<br />
Having lived too carefully over the years being appalled by the<br />
horrendous activities in our society, seeing people hanging hopelessly<br />
around battered emotions of self-pity, being frazzled due to<br />
unwarranted feelings of guilt from bad decisions <strong>and</strong> judgments made<br />
in time past , <strong>and</strong> then are being forced to seek solace in every crooked<br />
shit hole called comfort zone.<br />
12<br />
@thesparkng