DETERMINANT FACTORS OF POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR AS RELATED TO THE CONCEPT OF GOODOMENISM

By Francis Otioro

• THE NATURE VS NURTURE CONTROVERSY

The debate is about whether human culture, behaviour and personality are caused by nature or nurture.

Nature here refers to inherent
characteristics from our forbearers (genetic disposition) while nurture has to do with our experience within our immediate environment.

The question is, are you who you are because of your genetic disposition or because of the experience from the environment? Psychologically, both nature and nurture have to play with our upbringing for example, someone might be born with an inherent characteristics of leadership but if the person’ s
upbringing is from a hostile environment, such dominant characteristics will be recessive. Same goes with nature; a person might be recessive to criminality or because of bad association, a person might be vulnerable to criminality. So, the nature-
nurture controversy is a two—edged sword where both are useful in explaining political behaviour.

POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR: This is political activities common to all politics. Certain principles of
political sense apply both to political behaviour and governmental organization.

POLITICAL LEADER: A political leader may be identified as any occupant of an established
political position.

• THE MAKING OF A LEADER: The question is: are leaders created? In studying this problem, a political scientist must ask a series of further
questions 1. Are leader born with exceptional

powers? 2. Have they physical or mental traits in common?

3. Do they develop like ability through their experience in such typical activity as organising, bargaining, or fighting? 4.

Does membership in certain community increase or decrease a man’s chance to becoming a leader?
In raising this question, we must remember that there are many roles for leaders; a leader must be a good listener of the people, caring, an adviser of the youths, a diplomat and a role model.

Leadership cannot be fully understood unless we examine the reciprocal relationship between the
leader and his followers and the relationship of his group with the other group that operate in the
same environment.

Leadership is a fitting topic with which to begin the study of political
behaviour.

What is true of all great leaders is true of the minor. The grand principle distinguishes one from
the other in political science.

There is no reason for thinking a different principle is at work than for
thinking that the sound that bursts an ear drum is different in kind from the sound that brings pleasing harmony to the ear or even from the
sound that is not heard at all.

The knowledge about the background and training of a political leader suggests that certain skills and experience give a leader advantages in the struggle for political power. Furthermore, political environment can favour political skill.

Revolution accelerates changes in the skill demanded of politicians but they do not transform them.

Although different cultures tend to favour different political skills, no one of the general political skill
is ever quite absent.

In addition to possessing useful political skill, a successful leader always belongs to the proper
social class.

In all society which we have
knowledge, political leadership comes from belonging to that group in the society that is held
in highest respect.

Very often, there is a close connection between the possession of, or the right to learn, political skills and membership in the group of highest respect.

The financial power that brings political influence and vis-à-vis the political training or power also
creates political awareness and social mobility.

The growth of new functions in government increases political awareness and mobility through policy making.

Finally, the easy availability of educational opportunity which makes parental sacrifice for the
young remunerative within one generation is a great influence.

It is not too difficult to sponsor a
child to receive a legal education and come to awareness and ask questions about how he is being governed.

GOODOMENISM OVERVIEWED:

In recent times, the concept of GoodOmenism built under its principal, Barr. Omen Bassey has
received overwhelming supports from the young and old alike.

This is not unconnected with its
Principal’s natural correlation with the concepts explained above.

It is also glaring that because of
the wave of the GoodOmen’s concept which so far has swept into virtually every nook and cranny of
Oro Nation in particular and Akwa Ibom at large, there are observable oppositions whose motive is not actually to contest, but to thwart the first-rate packages associated with the GoodOmen concept.

Let us then take into cognizance that it will not be easy to quench the GoodOmen flame, reason being
that Barr. Omen Bassey is both a leader by the providence of nature as well as nurtured under capable hands in leadership.

Francis Otioro:
Director of Intelligence,
GoodOmen Foundation.