By Oke Aruleba @Deprof
Over the years, I have done a lot of soul searching on the true meaning of insanity.
Different scholars define insanity differently. For example, the online Oxford Dictionary defines insanity as “the state of being mentally ill; madness.”
From the standpoint of psychology, insanity is “mental illness of such severity that people cannot distinguish fantasy from reality.” This is because a person cannot conduct his or her affairs due to psychosis, or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behaviour.”
Albert Einstein captures insanity as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
The appropriateness of the word “insanity” in depicting the socio-economic and political woes besetting our dear nation may be disputed by a skeptic.
Be that as it may, insanity comes in different forms: corruption in the form of misappropriation of public funds, nepotism, maladministration, vilification, and politics of cynicism, poor governance and a concatenation of political foibles are pure manifestations of insanity.
Furthermore, condoning any act that is inimical to Nigeria’s growth and continued existence on the grounds of blood lines, tribes and ethnic chauvinistic leaning is a typical way of manifesting insanity.
Electoral promises made to the electorate and broken before their eyes embody the highest form of insanity! By a higher degree, pure insanity is involved when the promise breakers of a dead conscience feel reneging on electoral promises is a smart and skillful art of politicking. However, they forget that there is a PLACE called TOMORROW.
Tomorrow is usually pregnant with yesterday’s empty promises. Tommorrow is a critical point where both promise breakers and promise keepers will converge in the People’s Court and each will be rewarded accordingly.
It is just a matter of time! Surely the moral scale will eventually tilt towards rewarding the good and the bad.
At this juncture, permit me to say that any noticeable crack in a building is traceable to its foundation. And fixing this crack requires deep knowledge of its causal factors.
It is worth noting that Nigeria’s dysfunctional state is a byproduct of an age-long display of insanity. This is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. At its most basic level, this anomalous situation or cataclysmic event progressed until it reached its most unbearable level.
Far from false hope, there can be positive changes in this precarious situation. This is IF AND ONLY IF, the men in the saddle steer clear of the usual insanity – a perpetual cause of our intractable socio-economic and political problems.
In Ekiti State for example, His Excellency Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji understands the complex nature, workings and evil effects of the hydra-headed monster called insanity. The launch of his administrative spacecraft marked an auspicious start to his tactical agenda. He launched into orbit a million miles away from the usual insanity.
He is a leader who talks and does; a leader who keeps his promises; a leader who usually underpromises but overdelivers: the hallmark of an iconic leader.
Within the short period in the saddle, like a Collosus, he has made his presence felt on the political terrain of Ekiti.
During the payment of current salaries, parts of the civil servants’ arrears, deductions, outstanding entitlements, and pensions were taken care of simultaneously. It is his intention to offset the backlog arrears as quickly as possible.
Health workers in the State were not left out in the order of events. Some hospitals in the state have been renovated and equipped.
About 1300 qualified primary school teachers have just been recruited to boost primary education and enhance the quality of teaching in Ekiti.
Subventions were paid to state-owned universities to strengthen tertiary education and scholarship as well as improve lecturers’ welfare.
Dilapidated roads were rehabilitated and highways lit up.
The credit rating of Ekiti has been rising with the development of agencies.
In the state, agriculture, technology, youth development and job creation have received Oyebanji’s blessing in the state.
He is charting the right course for Ekiti development through a six-pillar roadmap, which includes Human Capital Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, Infrastructure and Industrialisation, Arts, Culture and Tourism and Governance.
Oyebanji’s overall scorecard is excellent. He has successfully united the state by extending the olive branch to all oppositions and the aggrieved.
As a mobile encyclopedia of Ekiti politics, he knows the nitty-gritty of Ekiti politics as he gravitates towards everyone within and outside party lines.
He has also demonstrated that politics played along party lines or ethnic considerations is divisive and diversionary. And such politics will tear the state apart rather than unite it.
Put simply, he has successfully demystified the “politics of anything goes” in Ekiti State.
Moreover, the amiable governor has made it clear that having the interests of the governed at heart is the only antidote to effective governance. And that whenever people’s interests are met, performance follows.
It is not hero-worship to enjoin politicians across party lines to imbibe useful lessons from Oyebanji’s leadership style and to eschew the tinge of insanity that has kept us in the background for too long.
It is instructive therefore to say that the antidote to our socio-economic and political woes lies in the avoidance of phenomenal insanity.
Take a cue!