Tony Iniomoh

Man of the people.

A society in which men enter politics not to serve their fellow human beings but to secure fortunes for themselves and generations yet unborn has already begun the journey towards its own destruction.

There is a particular cruelty in a politician who sends a young man into the streets to fight, intimidate and destroy, yet would never dream of allowing that same young man anywhere near the table where decisions about his future are made. To such politicians, you are not a citizen whose future deserves protection. You are an instrument, a disposable creature to be summoned whenever violence is required and abandoned the moment your usefulness expires. Today, they give you a little money to disrupt a rally; tomorrow, when age has weakened your legs and poverty has exhausted your strength, they will not remember your name. You will be left to confront the very misery they helped create. And what, then, will you have gained? A few miserable payments in exchange for your youth, your dignity and perhaps your freedom? Think about your old age. Think about the life you hope to live when your strength is gone and your youthful energy has deserted you. Will the corrupt politicians you are fighting for today be there to feed you, shelter you or give your children a future? Do not allow another corrupt man's political ambition to become the destruction of your own life. Examine the people asking you to commit violence, question what they offer beyond temporary handouts, and consider the kind of society their actions are creating. Your life is worth considerably more than the money they place in your hands to destroy someone else's peace.