The burden of leadership is one of the greatest burdens anyone can bear yet the lightest load to lift only if wisdom is applied not tactical...
The burden of leadership is one of the greatest burdens anyone can bear yet the lightest load to lift only if wisdom is applied not tactically but genuinely and sincerely.
I became a member of the PDP around December 1999 in Ado-Ekiti when PDP was almost not in existence in Ekiti State (not even a single assembly member) somewhere around Irona Quarters. I walked into the meeting bravely and realised I was by far the youngest person but was determined not to be intimidated; I was just in 200 level at OAU Ile-Ife then.
My main purpose of taking that action then was not for personal gains because PDP was very unpopular in the South West then and if I had wanted any gain; I would just have aligned with the boys of Niyi Adebayo who were then the megastar of the city.
After my first appearance at the meeting in Ado; I wasn’t opportune to attend several subsequent meetings due to the fact that I wasn’t based in Ado but the next time I visited, the popularity of the party had soared so high due to the advent of Ayo Fayose who was completely unknown to anyone but suddenly appeared from the blues to become an humanitarian, supplying water to every nook and cranny of the state, fraternising with the people to understand their needs and by extension that of the larger society.
OBJ as the president of our nation then and a party leader enjoyed my absolute loyalty and support not because I find him spectacular or that I see any astute qualities in him but because he occupied a position that needed to be respected and that required the highest level of support to achieve success. None of my criticisms of him was made public outside party forum because wisdom depicts that you don’t wash your dirty linen at the full glare of everyone. Every household, relationship or association has issues and problems that are peculiar to them but when a wife or husband decides to slug out their personal issues publicly; they would have lost every sense of sanity and what can only be achieved is a complete breakdown of the relationship.
These were my underlying principles of handling internal conflicts and showing a level of respect to someone that leads you whether you are happy about his position or not; it's not important; he's the leader and deserve to be respected; grievances should be shown in a way that portend decorum and not arrogance or bureaucratic wittiness.
I have been watching OBJ very closely since 2 years before the expiration of his tenure and have made my positions known to those that cared within the group such that I'm not interested in bringing to the public glare.
That OBJ tore his membership card publicly yesterday was an act that defiles any human logic of any defined sane concept and such that has brought him abject shame and made people to cast aspersions on him.
I have been more concerned of recent about the state of OBJ's mind both psychologically and spiritually and how parochial his thinking has become; I've seen so much depletion which should have been worrisome but for the fact that he himself has decided to join forces with those whose aims are to ridicule him and make him an object of public shame; there's little anyone can do to salvage the situation. This is a man who is 77 years of age but unfortunately, that hasn’t translated to anything meaningful to neither himself nor any known person.
I have since stopped looking up to OBJ as someone that has anything meaningful to offer to the society having seen the level of destruction he orchestrated in his home; he cannot boast of having a family at 77, this is the age a man should normally sit down and put his home in order knowing that the inevitable end of all mortals is nearer than any time in the past.
Whoever that can spearhead such level of destruction of his own family at his age would careless about destroying others, his community or nation.
His first son accused him of sleeping with his wife, an aberration and sacrilege; yes we don't know the level of truth in this allegation but for your first son to have publically made such pronouncement and renounce you as father says a lot to everyone.
I was thinking that was a one-off incident but got another shock when your first daughter also allege that you are a waste as a father and that she prefers to be fatherless than to have you as a father. If your biological children do not think you are deserving of being a father, then anyone who henceforth look up to you as such figure has a massive brain disorder and I salute the wisdom of President Jonathan for not allowing him to highjack his government; if your home is too big for you to resolve at 77, Nigeria is even bigger and only a fool will think otherwise.
You are such a person who is always willing to destroy others to make a statement of strength and relevance but sir, it's not too late to sit and think…….. PDP is beyond you at the moment and your exit is belated. Tell me of any political leader in the whole world that belongs to a party and still romances people in the opposition just to destroy his own party? It clearly shows how unprincipled you have become as a leader and like a half-cut snake or wounded lion roaring so high seeking whom to devour and destroy.
This was the concluding part of Iyabo Obasanjo's letter to her ensranged dad; you can read the full manuscript from one of the links below:
"The whole system, including the public themselves want oppressors, not people working for their collective progress. When no one is planning the future of a country, such a country can have no future. I won’t be your legacy, let your legacy be Nigeria in the fractured state you created because, it was always your way or the highway.
This is the end of my communication with you for life. I pray Nigeria survives your continual intervention in its affairs." – Iyabo Obaanjo
When your first daughter says that; I need not say more; I have crossed your name out completely from the list of those that deserve honour.
My only advice for you is that; seek help because it's getting late already…. Mend your ways, reconcile with your family and most importantly; stay away from public issues and prepare your mind to meet your creator when he comes calling.
Wish you the very best and pray that God's hand will be upon you for good and cause a re-awaking within you for self-redemption. The PDP will be a better party without you, Hast la vista.
Gbenga's charges against his father: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7328097.stm
Iyabo's letter to her father: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/iyabo-obasanjo-writes-father-calls-liar-manipulator-hypocrite/
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