FROM THE TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER
Ogbeni!
17.Aug.2014
DISQUS_COMMENTS
BY Lanre Adewole
(1 Vote)
I celebrated Governor Rauf
Aregbesola’s re-election, possibly to his consternation, if he got to
know, and his supporters’, who are always riled by my constant critical
appraisal of his administration and political activities. To the
governor, despite being a younger brother, I was an enemy. Weeks to his
re-election, he laid into me at the launch of Professor Wale Adebanwi’s
book in Lagos. The condescension in the public upbraid reeked revenge. I
spent the night of the day “working” his re-election. Yes, I
collaborated with some of his own to do “covert campaign”. Campaigns
everywhere cost time, money and energy. Mine was not an exception. I
have strong commitments of those involved not to breathe an air of it to
him. What I did would also not be of public knowledge until his exit,
God willing, in 2018. He, however owes me nothing, because he sent me,
on no errands.
Yes, my support for him was partly clannish, but not ethnically-periscopical. He loves governance. He has passion for leadership. He is ambitious to be a legend in public service. Even when he is not going in the right direction, he is always in a hurry to deliver. Because he loves to dare, I was convinced he could be different.
But I refused to be persuaded to turn this space to his mega-phone. It was and still is, the only avenue to tell him hurtful truth anytime his hurrying holes a gulf between him and the led. God willing, nothing will change for the next four years, because he must be helped to finish strong. The grossly-miscontrued, stomach-rumbling three-series “Before Osun Falls” was to save him from himself.
First message for Mr. Governor, don’t be too quick to lock down names on enemy-list. Your supposed enemies, particularly in PDP, won re-election for you. Sycophants would always be around you, racing your endorphin, the feel-good hormone. But it would be fool-hardy to believe them that O’this, O’that alone got you re-elected. Information at my disposal says five local governments were won for you by PDP “renegades”, excellent outing in another three local governments was also due to fifth columnists within opposition fold, particularly those who could not swallow Iyiola Omisore’s candidacy but didn’t want to defect and the required two-thirds, in another two local governments. The mathematics of all these not being part of your votes, is obvious.
You said to me during the Lagos encounter that because I am younger in age, I wasn’t qualified to critique your acts in government. Without necessarily re-opening old wounds, the education reform that nearly cost your job, was hewed by an Octogenarian Nobel Laureate. Those who modified the acceptable version were of perceivable inferior intellect and younger in age. If the mindset that received my admonitions, was same upon which aides’ counsel were poured in the past, the time for change is now.
Sir, it is cool to be working “the enigma” concept with aides, but making those lower in status and age, feel worthless, won’t be the way to go. I am sure the governor will appreciate his own better now, because bits of that victory belonged to different efforts. Being a studious person, given to logic, the governor must have by now, done an objective analysis of the election figures. If the winning percentage is a measure of the projected awesome performance of the governor, then something would be amiss. It is either that performance is over-hyped or not totally appreciated by the people. That means there are things to be done differently but the good news is the spread of the winning votes, which would translate into proportionate governance delivery across the state. Without impugning the person of the first runner-up, a lesser baggage-laden candidate with humility to woo offended party members, could have possibly consigned the governor to the “parallel government” option. I say this because of those who would keep singing “Aregbesola ma basere lo (keep doing things same way). Apart from Osogboland and Ijesaland, other areas where the governor had impressive figures, had obvious imprints of last-minute beautiful brides, courted to divorce PDP. He should find out why O’ Performance was not enough in those places. In the build-up to the election, he was badly lacerated with religion, capital-flight, debt profile, school re-classification, public service welfare and comportment horse-whip.
Infact, it was a last-minute snatching from Omisore’s jaw. His subdued visage the day after the election, is a testament to a victory forged on the altar of compromise, bending backward and forward, sensible sacrifices and humbling letting-go. That is why political promises made in the heat of re-election moments should be fully redeemed because one may run to the same shelter twice to escape being soaked. I know commitments to heavyweights like Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Isiaka Adeleke, Fatai Akinbade (Aregbesola did not win his Olaoluwa LG for free), Olubunmi Etteh et al, would alter APC’s equations substantially, but the outcome of Kayode Fayemi reneging on Ayo Fayose senatorial promise, should communicate enough lessons.
A pre-election poll put Aregbesola ahead of his party in popularity. It means any other candidate would perform below his average performance in the election. Does this communicate anything to APC about its future in the South-West? It is now getting down to personalities and not platforms. It should guide Aregbesola as APC leader in picking candidates for other elections in the state in 2015. The party may be also headed for a worsting in Yorubaland in 2015 if internal democracy is not embraced.
Aregbesola may consider it an impunity for a younger brother to counsel him on governance but he would have no choice in the next four year because I have a vote to protect. It was my aged mother’s. She got out by 7:13 am to vote him. May I also remind him that only genuine brothers speak the truth to one another.
Yes, my support for him was partly clannish, but not ethnically-periscopical. He loves governance. He has passion for leadership. He is ambitious to be a legend in public service. Even when he is not going in the right direction, he is always in a hurry to deliver. Because he loves to dare, I was convinced he could be different.
But I refused to be persuaded to turn this space to his mega-phone. It was and still is, the only avenue to tell him hurtful truth anytime his hurrying holes a gulf between him and the led. God willing, nothing will change for the next four years, because he must be helped to finish strong. The grossly-miscontrued, stomach-rumbling three-series “Before Osun Falls” was to save him from himself.
First message for Mr. Governor, don’t be too quick to lock down names on enemy-list. Your supposed enemies, particularly in PDP, won re-election for you. Sycophants would always be around you, racing your endorphin, the feel-good hormone. But it would be fool-hardy to believe them that O’this, O’that alone got you re-elected. Information at my disposal says five local governments were won for you by PDP “renegades”, excellent outing in another three local governments was also due to fifth columnists within opposition fold, particularly those who could not swallow Iyiola Omisore’s candidacy but didn’t want to defect and the required two-thirds, in another two local governments. The mathematics of all these not being part of your votes, is obvious.
You said to me during the Lagos encounter that because I am younger in age, I wasn’t qualified to critique your acts in government. Without necessarily re-opening old wounds, the education reform that nearly cost your job, was hewed by an Octogenarian Nobel Laureate. Those who modified the acceptable version were of perceivable inferior intellect and younger in age. If the mindset that received my admonitions, was same upon which aides’ counsel were poured in the past, the time for change is now.
Sir, it is cool to be working “the enigma” concept with aides, but making those lower in status and age, feel worthless, won’t be the way to go. I am sure the governor will appreciate his own better now, because bits of that victory belonged to different efforts. Being a studious person, given to logic, the governor must have by now, done an objective analysis of the election figures. If the winning percentage is a measure of the projected awesome performance of the governor, then something would be amiss. It is either that performance is over-hyped or not totally appreciated by the people. That means there are things to be done differently but the good news is the spread of the winning votes, which would translate into proportionate governance delivery across the state. Without impugning the person of the first runner-up, a lesser baggage-laden candidate with humility to woo offended party members, could have possibly consigned the governor to the “parallel government” option. I say this because of those who would keep singing “Aregbesola ma basere lo (keep doing things same way). Apart from Osogboland and Ijesaland, other areas where the governor had impressive figures, had obvious imprints of last-minute beautiful brides, courted to divorce PDP. He should find out why O’ Performance was not enough in those places. In the build-up to the election, he was badly lacerated with religion, capital-flight, debt profile, school re-classification, public service welfare and comportment horse-whip.
Infact, it was a last-minute snatching from Omisore’s jaw. His subdued visage the day after the election, is a testament to a victory forged on the altar of compromise, bending backward and forward, sensible sacrifices and humbling letting-go. That is why political promises made in the heat of re-election moments should be fully redeemed because one may run to the same shelter twice to escape being soaked. I know commitments to heavyweights like Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Isiaka Adeleke, Fatai Akinbade (Aregbesola did not win his Olaoluwa LG for free), Olubunmi Etteh et al, would alter APC’s equations substantially, but the outcome of Kayode Fayemi reneging on Ayo Fayose senatorial promise, should communicate enough lessons.
A pre-election poll put Aregbesola ahead of his party in popularity. It means any other candidate would perform below his average performance in the election. Does this communicate anything to APC about its future in the South-West? It is now getting down to personalities and not platforms. It should guide Aregbesola as APC leader in picking candidates for other elections in the state in 2015. The party may be also headed for a worsting in Yorubaland in 2015 if internal democracy is not embraced.
Aregbesola may consider it an impunity for a younger brother to counsel him on governance but he would have no choice in the next four year because I have a vote to protect. It was my aged mother’s. She got out by 7:13 am to vote him. May I also remind him that only genuine brothers speak the truth to one another.
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