Fr. Richard OMOLADE

Strong determination is always required when one is faced with serious challenges. It takes a person of strong character to remain firm and true to the values that endure. Determination means one is rightly focused, well-motivated to accomplish one’s goals. Today, our society and even our world is filled with desperate people who have mistaken desperation for determination. Desperation is from the Latin word, desperare, which means to lose all hope.  Desperate people are hell bent on accomplishing their goals at all cost.  They will do anything and use anyone to meet their needs, and this includes getting rid of all obstacles or anyone opposed to their goals. These people are often ego-centric, barbaric and self-opinionated.  Such people often see themselves as the centre of the world and all actions must revolve around them. They may have accomplished certain things, but when the whole picture is brought into focus, we see a life driven by desperation and not determination. We see a person waiting to self-destruct and sadly not bothered if anyone else is caught in the crossfire of their unbridled desires and pride venture. Desperate people, living without hope, which is at least rational throw all caution aboard and resort to the unthinkable and sometimes to the despicable.  No wonder, desperate people are a danger unto themselves and the whole society.

Our political field is filled with desperate politicians who have nothing to offer but hell-bent on acquiring power- not to make life better for the masses, but for their self-glorification and adulation. The desire to outdo predecessor might seem a noble gesture, but often times it is borne of ignoble minds. The crisis rocking the Middle East is another example that we cannot forget easily. Parties have been talking about existential principles as if only they have right to existence. That others must be sacrificed for some to feel alive is a dangerous mindset shaped by desperation and not any rational thinking.

Nigeria is bleeding and our leaders are campaigning for more time in office. Scheming and carpet cutting have become the order of the day all because of the inordinate for power. There is this urge to get power and hold on to it at all cost. We see this everywhere, in the developed countries as well as in the underdeveloped countries. So, is this a human condition or the outcome of appetites that have not been trained and tamed? When leaders arouse nationalistic emotions in people and channel same towards personal gains even if this means the exploitation of the masses, then the situation is still the oppression of the masses. In the past we heard that in their desperation to get rid of GED, the country was made ungovernable. Desperation is indeed evil. We cannot become desperate that we feel anything is permissible or that the end justify the means.  The Iran-US/Israel war could also be traced to man’s inordinate desire to dominate, and control others. Nations have always made the attempt but with increasing civilization, domination of other nations otherwise called colonization has become less desirable and the US that continues to attempt it does so out of desperation to be seen as the most powerful nation on earth. This desperation has even exacerbated with the increasing sophistication being displayed by China.  Of course, since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has been struggling to go toe to toe with the US.  Then China burst onto the scene with her numerical strength, technology and vibrant economy. Now the US feel threatened and in desperation is trying to preclude all competition, prevent the formation of new alliance with China. Were desperation a good value, it should be noted that no one person can claim monopoly of its usage. Everyone can be driven to the edge and leave all restrains aside. And the fundamental trust of existential import is that when there is no longer any viable option for a person, he will be left with no option than to fight for existence.

Many governments around the world are pushing their people to the limit. The situation is very present in Nigeria and the masses are close to the edge. These masses will not fall over the edge but the same cannot be said of our leadership cadre. The message to them is clear, avoid acting out of desperation. If you are no longer needed by your people, then leave the stage and let others get the opportunity to serve. If you act in desperation and entrench yourself, that desperation may be the beginning of the end. Remember, desperation has an expired date. Desperation is not infinitely elastic, when it reaches its terminal velocity, it must break in a catastrophic collapse. Desperation not subject to the voice of reason is a disaster waiting to erupt, and surely it will. Desperation must be subjected to critical reasoning and value judgment and an impartial assessment will always lead to the enthronement of the common good. Let’s identify desperate politicians and send them to where they belong – the abyss of irrelevance.