Reasons Why Leaders Fail To Protect The Interest Of Their Followers SS2 Civic Education Lesson Note

Leaders fail to protect the interest of their followers for some of the following reasons:

1. Party Interest: Leaders fail to protect their followers’ interests because of the pressure from party leaders and members. They are put under intense pressure to satisfy the needs of their party members or otherwise, they frustrate them out of office.
2. Godfatherism: Most leaders emerge based on the financial support from their godfathers. They sometimes agree to keep servicing their godfathers until they leave office. The money met for public projects is diverted to settle these political godfathers.
3. Selfishness: Leaders may fail to protect the interests of their followers because of selfish motives. They are greedy and want to satisfy their interest without responding to the yearnings of their followers.
4. High cost of Electioneering Campaign: The cost of canvassing for votes is high. The fee for the collection of nomination forms is expensive. Printing posters, handbills and advertisements on radio and television are money-consuming. The leader would want to recoup the money spent during the election before thinking about the followers.
5. Poor Financial Attitude of the Electorates: Many voters collect money from candidates by selling out their votes. When the candidate eventually emerges as leader assumes that the people have already been settled by the money they collected from him during the election.
6. Manipulation of Election Result by Leaders: Leaders who emerge as a result of election rigging may not protect the interest of their followers because they did not get to office through the votes of the electorates.

HOW TO CONTROL LEADERS THAT FAIL TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THEIR FOLLOWERS

The following measures will help to reduce the neglect of followers by their leaders in the community.

1. Voting should be done based on personal conviction and not monetary gains.
2. A non-performing representative should be recalled.
3. There should be promotion of transparency, probity and accountability at all levels in the conduct of government business.
4. The cost of nomination forms should be reduced and made affordable.
5. Public offices should be made less attractive, and allowances and salaries should be reduced. This will enable people who have the interest of the masses to seek public positions.

ASSIGNMENT 

1. Outline six qualities of a good leader.
2. State five ways to control selfish leaders in a state.