By Nurudeen Oshinlaja
The need to strike a reasonable trade-off between being rigorous and being right is one of the major factors that guide how professional and scientific works are finalized. For many, e.g., Stephen Hawking, they ‘would rather be right than rigorous.’ I subscribe to this standpoint because being right always mean that the relevant context is set, reasonable assumptions are made, appropriate approaches are employed, and validations are done using the most prudent means. On the other hand, although being rigorous connotes thoroughness, by e.g., providing all the plausible regressions of this world, yet the underlying premises may be illogical, and approach used could be reductive.
Where possible, one should be both rigorous and right. However, I must note, as Eleanor Roosevelt opined, that ‘’finality is rarely achieved in life.’’ Notwithstanding that aphorism, when taking an important decision, one should endeavour to be both rigorous and right.
Prior to the constituents voting to determine who represents the constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA), 2023 – 2027, delegates of the different parties will decide who their respective flag bearers become. The delegates are encouraged to make their decision conscientiously by considering the following 3 major factors: (1) respecting our cultural ideals and ‘geopolitical’ settings is key. A system of people which throws away the tenets of being responsibly committed to agreements (formalized or implied) cannot pride itself as progressive. Our actions must demonstrate our commitment to the general orderliness of the whole constituency and, to be specific, the three subsets.
(2) A teeming, active and vibrant demography of the constituency is usually derided, circumscribed, and undermined at times like this. The members of the demography are annoyingly classed as poor, considered ‘ordinary’, and tagged unready. No, the demography is not poor and ordinary; and it is capable and ready as ready can be! Stay with me, this demography is not asking to be kept on laps, rather the demography should be in all hearts by now. Without railroading anyone, members of this demography who will be voting in the primaries should stage a political revolution with their votes. (3) Representation should not be loose; it should be visible, and gaps bridging. Representation should give and receive information and provide feedback almost instantaneously. Representation should not turn to a ‘hide-and-seek game’ characterized by frustrating hiatuses. Our constituency deserves a representative which connects from day 1 till the end.
I think it is the right time we co-produced our next representative in LAHA. The current ‘doing-to’ and ‘doing-for’ representations do not provide opportunity to co-design the trajectory of the constituency. How about a ‘doing-with’ representation? This representation places every constituent in Alausa through the right choice we make. This representation will not take constituents as consumers but as producers of ideas on how enduring progress can be achieved. With this representation, sustainability of the constituency will be organic rather than being intractable and haphazard as is currently the case.
If the next representative is chosen among those who have roots in Ijede LCDA, the message we send is that we are a people who value demonstrating responsibility over building a pie in the sky. Besides, the chance of getting the ‘pie’ is lower than the known numerical odd of 2.5% due to at least three factors that will be explored in a subsequent piece. Remember that situations may appear to be similar but are different; our constituency is different from others. Sticking to 8-year term is just right for our constituency. Ours is a constituency that can easily produce thousands who can satisfactorily represent us at different governance levels. Let us not stifle a political class by perpetuating a representation that is anything but angelic. The right thing to do is pass on the baton and let the people fly. Our constituency should live life forward.
Be Rigorous, Be Right, Support HOA4HOA’23 and We LeAP Forward.
Nurudeen Oshinlaja
For LeAP
