THE DRIVER, THE MATE AND THE PASSENGERS ANALOGY IN GHANAIAN POLITICS

 

THE DRIVER, THE MATE AND THE PASSENGERS ANALOGY IN GHANAIAN POLITICS

A driver, his mate and their passengers have a common goal. They all desire to arrive at a preferred destination. The driver and his mate by virtue of their words, conduct and representations usually cause their passengers to pose confidence in their ability to take the passengers to the desired destination. The driver and his mate usually by their conduct tout their driving abilities and may propose the best means for the transportation of their passengers to the desired destination.

Real leadership and transformation entail transportation. True leaders are able to move their followers from one destination to a better destination. Like the Biblical Moses, real leaders willingly, sacrificially and responsibly seek to move their people from the land of bondage or hardship to the land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey. Any leader and his assistant who fail to achieve this goal are likely to disappoint their people who have chosen to believe in their vision.

How can two people walk together unless they agree? How can a driver and his mate transport their passengers to a desired destination unless they are one in mind, in heart, and in hand? Like Jesus who is one with His Father, a driver and a mate who are not one in purpose and pursuit can never take their passengers to the promised land. A driver and a mate who are unable to take their passengers to a desired destination must be both candid and demonstrate high sense of responsibility. They should be able to admit their failures, apologize to their passengers and convince them with a renewed and trustworthy vision (if any). 

Why would a mate seek to dissociate himself from some outcomes of the decisions of his master whom he assisted throughout an uncompleted or failed journey? Will such a mate be considered loyal and trustworthy? Will the stranded passengers trust the so-called abilities of a mate who seems to blame his master for a failed journey embarked on together? How can a mate who could not assist his master to achieve a desired goal become a competent driver? Both a headmaster and an assistant headmaster of a school take credit for the excellent performance of their students. Why should the same assistant headmaster run from responsibility when their students perform poorly?

Like the Biblical Joshua, only true and loyal assistants are given the divine mandate to lead their people to the promised land. True ‘Joshuas’ demonstrate credibility and responsibility. They muster boldness and courage to pursue a God-given vision to transport their followers to the promised land. True ‘Joshuas’ do not shift blame to their ‘Moses’ but rather focus on their God-given vision. Real ‘Joshuas’ do not leave their passengers stranded in the wilderness. They either share in the blame and seek for another opportunity to lead the uncompleted journey or quit the scene to enable a better or a new leader steer the uncompleted journey.

Richard Obeng Mensah, author  of Wisdom Thoughts. The writer is an award-winning prolific author of 8 books and over 250 articles on legal and non-legal themes. He is also a pastor, lawyer, law lecturer, certified life and leadership coach, and a blogger.

Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com

Mobile: +233 (0)246 556 774.

Publication History

Authored on 08/02/2024 and published on 08/02/2024 on the author’s blog and other social media platforms.

Acknowledgement

The author appreciates the critiques and valuable comments of his Editorial Team to this write-up.