The saying “a friend in government is a friend lost” rings painfully true in Bayelsa. Here, in our so-called Glory of All Lands, we must learn to call a spade a spade. The reality is that many who ascend to power quickly morph into demi-gods, shedding humility and decency as they embrace arrogance and self-importance. Governance, which should be a call to service, has instead become a theater of pettiness—where triviality overshadows responsibility, and vindictiveness trumps progress.
A troubling trend has emerged: those who rise to power suddenly see themselves as untouchable, basking in self-conferred divinity, while their less fortunate friends and relatives are left to struggle as though punished by fate. The rich man feasts while the poor man starves—yet both breathe the same air, walk the same earth. But power is fickle, and history is littered with those who once sat on thrones but now roam as paupers.
How did we arrive at this sorry state, where leadership is no longer about public service but self-aggrandizement and personal vendettas? Some government officials, entrusted with the people’s welfare, instead measure success by the number of enemies they create and allies they discard. The moment they assume office, they forget the hands that lifted them and the shoulders that bore their weight.
Bayelsa, a land blessed with oil wealth, should be a beacon of prosperity. Yet, the small-mindedness of some in governance has turned it into a battlefield of egos. Like crabs in a bucket, our leaders pull each other down instead of working together to uplift the state. Opportunities are hoarded like gold, distributed not by merit but by personal whims. And those who dare to speak truth to power are cast aside, as though integrity itself is a crime.
If governance continues to be dictated by spite and selfishness, then the so-called blessings of leadership will crumble like a house built on sand. Those who wield power today must remember: time is the ultimate equalizer. The same ladder they climbed can just as easily be the one they descend tomorrow. True leadership is not about amassing wealth while others suffer—it is about leaving a legacy that outlives one’s tenure.
Bayelsa deserves better. We must rise above petty governance and demand leaders who see power as a duty, not a personal trophy. History has never been kind to those who mistake position for permanence. And to those who debase their offices when they speak to the home media—take heed: the future remembers.
About Author
