The concepts of governance and politics are often misconceived. The two are mostly used to mean the same, not even expert in political science are spared from this blunders. Or could it be said to be deliberate when there is interest flavour?. This current writing is meant to define the two in the very basic terms, highlight their principles and apply same to the practical experience as witnessed in my dear state, Kwara. I chose Kwara as the case study because, to me, I feel, the misconception is more pronounced here.

Simply put, governance process of governing a country or organisation. You can also put it this way, the legal authority to administer or control a state, following every known principles of law which such authority is derived from. Politics on the other hand has dimensional meanings but all is centred in one; from the academic point of view, its the study of how people gain and use political power; Its als referred to the use by someone of particular ideas to try to get what they want. The last definition probably gave birth to the commonly use noun in our political circle and that is "politicking". This is the background basis of this writing. It is a political activity by someone who is ONLY interested in doing things for their own advantage, not helping the other people.

It is practically visible and academically researchable for anyone to notice this obvious misconception in the government administration. In most cases, people don't even know the difference between the two and the occupiers of the government offices, taking advantage of peoples' "ignorance", making very sophisticated use of politics to achieve their selfish interest. The people that are governed merely celebrate politics and turn blind eyes to governance.

In an ideal society, emphasis is placed greatly on governance, people are well informed and curious to know how the state is run, the system of separation of power,budget appropriation, duties of state officials, appointment procedure to state offices, government revenue and expenditure. Where governance is strictly followed, its the right of the people to know how much is spent on a project, who took such contract and the terms of contract! They want to know how much a government official earns and declaration of his asset. In the same light, where a State government secures a loan, even without the people asking, a good system of governance that is transparent enough will ordinarily tell the people how the loan was gotten and the project to spend such on.

Sadly, the order of the day in our system is mere politics. Governance has been transmuted to politics and such politicians have taken advantage of the peoples' "ignorance" or do I say gullibility to siphon every kobo in the coffers. Non-performance or Under-performance is the first known features of these politicians, yet, the tales by moonlight but invincible story of success they tell and follow up deceitful campaign by their hounds feather their impunity wings.

When this is noticed by few discerning minds and alarm is raised, you will bee surprised who will stand against you even within your own family. Typical of their tactics are divide and rule, thuggery, intimidation, blackmail, browbeating, chaos, sophistry etc.

In politics, especially during political campaign, these politicians are quick to tell us how much they have given so so and so person, ostensibly misrepresenting part of governance. This time, money are doled out to few supporters, boreholes are sunk only the compound or the areas where they have large supporters, and such are regarded as government developmental efforts, its just a pity.

There is no gain saying in the fact that Kwara state has suffered similar attack in the hands of this politicians. The hunger in the land (which they deliberately created) has turned everyone on their head, looking for every political opportunity to have an ends meet. The uneducated fellows, young and old are lined up for stipends (not minding the incessant risk of their lives that so many have been decimated in the process), reshaping their mentality as if that is the only way they can survive and the person re-distributing their own tax to them is doing them a favour. One may not be too worried on the psyche of this uneducated majority who didn't have the privilege to touch the four pillars of formal education class room, but how do you explain the few educated ones? I sympathise with them because the education they received is ineffective in their thinking psyche. As a student of social sciences, we were told that education isn't just to get you white collar job but to advance your reasoning in creating a life for your self and others. The political manipulation by these politico has eaten so deep in the marrow of these educated few to seeing themselves as the next "candidate" for a particular election slot, councillorship, chairmanship, or an appointee as Commissioner, etc. Its even more pathetic that its these few educated ones who are privileged to be given peanut by this politician who are quick to mistake the swell of their personal pocket as society development and politician performance. In recent times, we have seen them idolising this poitician and committing grave blasphemy, equating him to God; I'm just such of words at that level of sychophancy. When you try to correct them, they justify their supports for the despot as being their "benefactor".

Its is not in doubt that religion is a sacred thing in our land and so much respect is accorded our religious leaders. Politics and the politicians, yet again, in their desperate move to hold onto power have turned our hitherto respected scholars to the fantasy of money. When you listen to a spiritual preaching, you have to do that again and again to sieve God's true saying from political praises for an individual. This is really the end of time as there is noticeable compromise on the part of our spiritual leaders who should ordinarily be umpires and arbiters. Where are we going, oh God!

Pathetically, they care not what happens in the long run and to the larger society as long as they nest is feathered. Its not they business if the state is in eternal debt, they don't care if the state-owned investment is converted to their master's own, they careless if government land is illegally allocated to their cronies, they worry not if a less than kilometre bridge is constructed at a cost higher than what was used for London bridge, they develop no headache if the state in turned up side down in violence and chaos, they can't lose their sleep as long as the people who die in their "ile oke" as long as the deceased isn't their direct family member, they don't lose their sleep if a former governor receive N100,000,000 million as monthly pension as long as they get their own pay from this politician, its doesn't matter to them if an illiterate who can't speak correct English language for one minute is appointed a commissioner or local government chairman as long as he gives them contract, they don't care if Ajase-ipo- Ijagbo-Offa road is not constructed or rehabilitated because they don't have the same party ideology with their mentor as long as their own road is tarred? What an injustice?

My question is, when are we going to put off this rag of slavery and rejuvenate our mentality to appreciate the difference between governance and politics, When are we going to stop them from feeding our albinos with salt and put an end to this carnage? When are we going to be objective to the happenings around us and appreciate ourselves and our God-endowed freedom, when are going to believe in ourselves and live our dream, when are we going show concern to ordinary people who don't have the same privilege to be sent to Hajj and Jerusalem by these greedy politicians, when are we going to feel the hunger in the stomach of many indigent who can't lubricate the ego of these politicians but who deserve the attention of the state without any sentiment, when are we going to start saying the truth to safe the state, what does it profit us to be attacking and fighting ourselves, when are we going to stop destroying our own thing and starting thinking right, when are going to stop yielding to their sedition to fight ourselves and destroy our own properties, when are we going to realise that if violence erupt today in the state, these politicians don't have anything to lose because they didn't even build a room in the state with their personal.

For the educated ones among us, when are we going to open our eyes to the reality that our collective state heritage and asset are beind mortgaged and taking away by these avarice infested individuals, when are we going to insist on good governance and desist from bad politics.

My people, I may not be able to talk, atleast faster, but my tongue is versatile. Long live Kwara State, Long live the People.