Politics Of Generosity In Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom

By Etim Etim

 

I read a lengthy post this morning in which a supporter was extolling the generous spirit of a governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State. The writer stated that the aspirant has been generous long before he became a commissioner in the state, and later a politician.

He said that at a particular time before he got into public office, 20 young people or more would be hanging around his office, waiting for cash handouts. Today, the man gives out cars, cash and other materials to his supporters, the writer said. Across the nation, henchmen are digging up accounts of previous acts of kindheartedness to burnish their candidates’ profiles. Supporters of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are flaunting his intimidating credentials in giving and are even demanding that those who had benefitted from the man’s kindness should return the favour by supporting his presidential ambition.

Make no mistake; generosity is a very good gesture, especially if the cash doled out was legitimately earned. I admire kind-hearted people who make their living honestly and give away a part of their wealth to charity. To properly manage their philanthropy, honest givers set up foundations and channel their resources and those raised from other sources into such organizations. The foundations then determine who to give, what to give and how to give in a structured manner that benefits the larger society. There are other givers who have not set up foundations, but are in the habit of giving out money to the needy or paying hospital bills, children’s school fees or meeting the needs of others. This Christmas season, some persons have made a big show of the rice they bought for their friends and supporters. It is all well and good. They too are doing a good job. Let me repeat: generosity and kindness are good virtues, especially if they are well-intentioned and the money used to fund these acts of kindness was not stolen. However, we should look well beyond generosity as we prepare to elect our new leader in the state.

The prevalent logic seems to be that since this aspirant has been catering for hordes of hangers-on by throwing cash at them, he would most likely do more as a governor; devoting a huge chunk of government’s resources as cash gift to the same supporters. I regret to note that this mentality is very pervasive in Akwa Ibom State. But it is wrong. Plain wrong!

Being generous, in whatever manner, is not the only quality that defines who would be a good governor. For one, it is not given that a generous politician would turn out a good leader. A man could be a generous giver, but turns out to be a temperamental and vindictive governor who goes after his predecessors and political opponents in a brutal act of vengeance. A man could be a generous giver, but turns out to be dictatorial, clannish and cliquey as a governor. A man could be a generous giver, but turns out to be a big thief who steals unabashedly from the treasury. A man could be a generous giver, but turns out to be megalomaniac and egoistic, bereft of the political skills and the network needed to function in an interconnected world and a faulty federation like ours. A man could be a good giver, but turns out to be lacking in ideas and vision as a governor. A man could be a good giver, but turns out to be a governor who is more in love with the opulence and the flamboyance of the office than the welfare of the people.

This is why it is important that we look beyond one aspect of the life of the aspiring leader. Being generous is good, but not enough. In fact, showy displays of benevolence could be a decoy to mask a serious character flaw. To be a good governor requires many other qualities.

We need to examine the contents of his heart, pedigree, family and background. What have been his motivations and what has he done before for the state? More importantly, how did he handle government resources under his care in the previous public positions he held? Can he account for his wealth? Can he honestly account for his wealth; or does honesty not matter again?