By Johnson Ola Folarin
It takes me twenty minutes to do fitness exercise each day and this form of exercise is not always the one that attracts eyes to me. Unlike the general way of People jogging with Shorts, Sneakers/Canvas and some having mobile musical gadgets around their waists, which every passer-by will not need the wisdom of King Solomon in the Bible before recognizing People doing fitness exercises when they see them. Mine used to be just a walk (slow or fast); it’s usually the normal walk that, unless I say my intention, one would only believe the guy is just going out to see someone or to get stuffs somewhere, somehow.
However, I can put on whatever suits my mind. Even, wearing a native attire won’t be bad- just as the spirit leads or the moment dictates. The bottomline is, I have my own way of doing exercises, each day.
Just like I usually do, I set out this morning for the walk, and right from Olorunsogo to Irewumi Community, going to Bawa junction (Ekiti State University Road), Ado-Ekiti. Getting to Irewumi Community, before getting to Club (15) Hive area, I encountered a scenario which was awe-striking. Sometimes, whenever I’m tired of walking back, after getting to the junction which used to be my stopping point, I may decide to return home taking a bike or take another walk homewards, that is if I still gather the luxury of strength to so do.
Overtime, I have learnt and discovered that the art of inclusive and prospicient leadership is purely the type that dazzles the minds of the People. When you see and do what they need with durable and veritably inclinable results, it makes them believe you have a magic wand to see better ahead of the future. One of the notable mistakes Politicians (APC, PDP and what have you), in positions of power, make is the habit of doing for People, what they don’t really need or that which won’t stand the test of time and probity. Just like buying a television set for people and listing it as an empowerment drive, one would be forced to ask for the place of rationality in such.
Gifting People is quite different from empowering them. One of the essential qualities of good leadership is making consultations with your People to know what they really need or what their conditions demand, not just to give them what is wanted for sheer momentary pleasure or satisfaction; a prospicient leader would find a way of letting people make their choices, among their essential needs.
Due to the frivolity and volatility of human nature, you find some communities upon which a politician has spent billions, coming out, a couple of years later to tag same politicians as stingy and irresponsible. In my future write-up, I shall commit to detailed elucidation on this case.
To continue my story, seeking your pardon for the digression. As I got to Irewumi Community, Ado Ekiti, going enroute to Bawa junction, I heard the mention of ‘BAO’ by someone. Of course, that is one name that rings a bell in all nooks and crannies of Ekiti today. It has become another sweetest name in the mouths of the unbiased majority of Ekiti People; it is also the name that sends shivers down the spine of the opposition and professional fault-finders. But, being an unrepentant admirer of BAO, an ardent believer in his philosophies and staunch supporter of his ideologies, that name means a lot to me; so, I take interest in whatever it is that causes the name to be mentioned. Therefore, hearing the name, my ears were at alert, my walk-out exercise bridled to a slower pace to enable me catch the full content of the gossip or comments.
My close observation yielded me the opportunity of knowing where “BAO” was mentioned. It was a make-shift bar. The owner must have set it up as an alternative means of earning additional income by catering for a remarkable number of
able-bodied but emotionally incapacitated young adults who needed some liquor to beguile the tension of hearing staggering news of hike in prices daily.
In such atmosphere of ethanol and tobacco, and in such circle of weather-beaten guys, ‘philosophers’ are always in dozens and scores. So also self-styled political analysts and politicians who, most times, get too sick with hangover of pre-election night boos to actually participate actively on the day of election. Just like the “mouth-ballers” are good in teaching footballers how they ought to fire a good shot, these people are good at pontificating about good governance. So, I was expecting the usual criticism but, alas, this hysterical pack of individuals, 5 of them in the bar, except another one who seemed detached from the conversation, were in agreement about the commendable performance of BAO. They were appraising BAO’s efforts in all sectors and were laughing and shouting atop their voices. They spoke about the new road being reconstructed from Bawa junction to Faglo, linking Police Headquarters at the Old Iyin road, Ado Ekiti. I overheard them also talking about BAO’s effective management of the subsidy crisis.
Confident and proud to be associated with the subject of the unanimous approbation, I walked into the shop and requested for soft drink and a sachet of glucose, not because I actually needed them but to enable me hear the proceedings of that unusual ‘Court’, the Court of Public Opinion.
So much were said and so much I heard that amazed me. It amazed me to discover that, even within the most unexpected places, the far reaching impacts of BAO administration’s efforts are being appreciated. They said if not for the foresight of the Governor, this season of both heavy and endless drizzles would have spelt doom for most communities; they said people in most growing communities would have been counting their losses also and further remarked that most businesses would have been grounded as a result of heavy flooding; they spoke about the bridge being reconstructed and drainages being extended; as they acknowledged the solar lights which are far different from the usual ones which at their brightest looked like a weak blackout lamp. While they livened their state with more spirits, hops and barley, they continue to enumerate, one after the other, the various achievements of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji. Even while they argue with an understandable ferocity with one another, yet they still agreed that BAO has shown an uncommon sincerity and unprecedented commitment to the development of the State. They spoke about the robust sense of empathy being demonstrated by BAO through his pro-active interventions in the area of security of the border towns and villages, prevention of flood and other preventable disasters, remittance of cooperative deductions of Civil Servants to enhance their eligibility to secure loans in times of urgent needs, continuous defraying of backlog of gratuities by paying to thousands of retirees, most of who retired almost 2 decades ago.
Engrossed with the conversation, I slid into a trance-like state, imagining how Ekiti State would be, if we have double of our current resources. I imagined what Ekiti would be like if there is continuity of good governance and visionary leadership. While going from one thought to another, I was jostled into consciousness by a baritone voice of a man who had remained taciturn all through the conversation. He didn’t appear to have entered the bar or shop together with the argumentative quintet. He had sat quietly savouring his plastic alcoholic bitters until that moment. He declared that he did not vote for BAO in the last election having decided for over a decade never to vote again. Taking a long sip from the dark-green plastic in his hands and shaking his head vigorously with his face locked in grimace, he heaved and announced that, with what BAO has done in his home town and the one he is doing right away around his neighborhood in the State capital, he has made himself a mobilizer for BAO’s second term. He declared that he would go to his Local Government for a vigorous House to House campaign.
The consensus that greeted the announcement was impressive. All of them, the five loud friends, the man with the thunderous voice, the shop-owner or, perhaps the bar-woman so to speak, all agreed that no one changes a Winning Horse.
The man with the voice of thunder has spoken just like thousands of people who had lost hope in our democracy but are getting converted to have a renewed hope that with the selfless and sincere leaders like BAO (home-grown or ‘trans-planted’ notwithstanding), Ekiti State, and by extension, Nigeria, can still be a better place.
So, you also might not have voted for BAO in the last election, but see what his exceptional works/leadership won for him ahead of the future!