What Virtue Have you?

Virtue is moral excellence of a person. A virtue is a character trait valued as being good. The conceptual opposite of virtue is vice. The English word virtue is derived from the Latin word virtus which is in turn from vir meaning "man" in the masculine sense. The word virtus means "the male function" conceived in terms of strength or force; hence "the power to accomplish". [The unrelated Latin word vis means simply "power" or "violence"; ancient grammarians were unable to distinguish the two words.] Cf. Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine: Histoire des mots.

Due to ancient social norms and these linguistic subtleties, virtus was sometimes identified with the masculine warlike virtues such as courage. This has sometimes led to a sense of irony concerning the supposed etymology. In English the word virtue is often used to refer to a woman's chastity. As the philosopher Leo Strauss expresses it, "The mystery of Western thought is how a term that originally meant the manliness of a man came to mean the chastity of a woman."

Virtue can also be meant in another way. Virtue can either have normative or moral value; i.e. the virtue of a knife is to cut, the virtue of an excellent knife is to cut well (this is its normative value) vs. the virtues of reason, prudence, chastity, etc. (which have moral value).
It is "habitual excellence". It is something practiced at all times. The virtue of perseverance is needed for all and any virtue since it is a habit of character and must be used continuously in order for any person to maintain oneself in virtue.

With the above definitions and explanations, we need not look too far for answers to my question: WHERE IS THE VIRTUE IN OUR POLITICS? Is it in the manner at which we are tranforming politicaly, or the level of imbroglios trailing our transition?. I will not answer the question. i know we all have divergent opinions regarding my question. But whatever happens is only a' test of our strenght and style at democratising!' oops! did i say that? oh yeah i did, we live today in times of great changes in the virtures our leaders are trying to hand to us as legacies, the virture of ''the end justifies the means'', but here we are and the question on our lips remains, What virtue will be left to be emulated come 2007 and beyond?

Think deeply as you read this piece and ask yourself; what have I done to contribute to the search for solutions to our challenges. ours is a country blessed with numerous mineral resources sort after by several economies all over the world, ours is greatness in our human resourses and intelligence, ours has always been individual perfection in any chosen field. We all must make up our minds to leave a life of excellence in our endeavours. look not at the negative virtues of a few individuals in our body polity. You as an individual can change for the best. Chose the best of virtues for that alone is what we all need to turn our country into a greater country for our children and children's children.