OPINION - Iyiola Akogun Oyedepo: The Countdown Begins Now. By Rotimi Atere

Date: 2014-05-12

It is exactly two months since the Chief Iyiola Akogun Oyedepo-led State Executives Committee (SEC) of the Kwara PDP officially assumed office as the first democratically elected party executives in the contemporary history of party politics in Kwara State. With two months gone, Chief Akogun and his co-travelers in the PDP have just nine months to go, this is if the electoral timetable as released by the INEC is put in reckoning.

On the 19th April, 2014, just a day after he took his oath of office, I published an unsolicited advice on my facebook timeline. I asked him to 'run and run for his dear life, for his reputation and never look back.' I asked him to be the true man of history that his ascension to party leadership truly depicts. I asked him to tarry not because his time has started to click long before he was even elected! This was in the hope of providing him with an unsolicited mirror with which to look at himself from then on till the conclusion of the 2015 general elections.

Sadly, with two of his almost 12 months gone, Akogun seems to me to be unable to define his own road map, setting up a topsy-turvy journey on a bad road in an unmaintained mammy-wagon driven only by his reputation. Today, with just roughly about 9 months left, most of which will fall into the no-man's land of preparing for the 2015 election, I think it is only fair to remind him again that Time does everything but wait.

Today, Mr. Akogun has 270 days left in charge of what is remaining of the PDP. After the elections, if he allows the pendulum to swing back to the far right, where it is presently, then he has only himself to blame. He shall thenceforth be saddled with the agony of presiding over the burial of a dead party, because by then, Bukola Saraki would have had his baptism, and there would be no stopping him thereafter for the rest of his life, till another Saraki (jnr) takes up the baton from his dad and the godfather. Funny, hmnn? But that is the bitter truth. So, Akogun has a choice to perform, or postpone.

This is why I have come out with this novel idea of a Countdown Calendar. For I believe every achiever has some kind of work plan. It would outline not only the success he seeks, but also timelines and deadlines aimed at achieving the objective. It is known as strategic planning. Timelines are a key component of strategic thinking; they help the planner keep his deadlines and warn him he may be running out of room to run.

As I said at that time, the Calendar is a perpetual reminder of the time available for good or evil, accomplishment or excuses. A tool of this nature helps a man to focus on being a man. Among other things, the Calendar can help the serious leader ensure he does not sleep too much (as Akogun is sadly appearing to me to be) or read too many banal speeches (as he did when one Akeem Lawal came calling).

It bears repeating that Akogun came on board PDP leadership with sterling credentials and huge public goodwill. So, what Chief Akogun does next now, politically, could maim his legacy, or make it. The Countdown, as a work tool, can ensure that not only does he always remember those debts that he owes his admirers; but that he is conscious of the limited time he has to pay them. The Calendar will remind him of the people waiting for him to do his magic as a foremost and unbending opposition leader. It will help remind him that his 270 days should be a busy one spent not on countless of meaningless meetings and courtesy calls but on action, protests, serious party building, fund mobilization, etc —and that he ought to be consistently busy in order that he might announce achievements, not offer apologies; and celebrate milestones, not seek hiding space. It will help combat the temptations of amnesia, hypocrisy and indolence.

Hopefully, Akogun grasps the linkage between power and responsibility, and that the challenge before him is about commitment and fortitude, and not about how much he is able to gather at an Abuja fund-raiser.

The truth is that for as long as the focus is on power and money alone, not performance and party building, no amount of time will ever be long enough for Akogun and his men. In my view, the only way for him to make a significant impact on Time now is to, like the politicians will say, hit the ground running!

For certain, a few people will tell him that under his leadership, Kwarans are yearning for action and not sweet speeches or empty press interviews about how weakened the Saraki dynasty has become; all they want is serious party building that cuts across the 16 LGAs and the 193 wards. This is so that the defeat the PDP seems to have suffered in the hands of its former members could be redressed.

Personally, I am prepared to cheer a leader who pursues the best interests of his party and the state, but when a leader is dragging that party and the state into the depths of despair, the only thing a citizen can do is ask to be set free.

So, to Akogun Oyedepo, please wake up, please remember that you still have 270 days ahead, and with 270 days, miracles are still possible.

Can you summon the character? I am not holding my breath.

Rotimi Atere, FAAN, Abuja

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Fareedah Dankaka     Nigeria Governors\' Forum     Sa\'ad Alanamu     Mogaji Aare     Simon Sayomi     Tafida Of Ilorin     Modibo Kawu     Abdulsalam A. Yusuf     V.O. Abioye     Iyabo Dupe Adekeye     Iyabo Adewuyi     Oluronke Adeyemi     Kazeem Gbolagade     Kolawole Akande     Memunat Monsuma     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Abdulrauf Yusuf     Ilorin Emirate Stakeholders Forum     Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     COVID     Rueben Parejo     Busari Toyin Isiaka     Lithium Deposit     Rotimi Oyedepo     Mumeen Lah     Kola Olota     Mubarak Oladosu     Yeketi     Bolaji Aladie     Sabo-Oke     Femi Oladiji     Abdullahi Adisa Akodudu     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Folorunsho Erubu     Razaq Atunwa     Baba Adini Of Kwara State     Saka Abimbola Isau     Magaji Nda     Ahmed Dankaya     Wole Oke     Col. Taiwo     Young Progressives Party     Nigerian Army     Mope Dasuki Belgore     Local Government     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Mohammed Abdulahi     Jawondo     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     TESCOM     Ilorin     Akom Construction And Engineering Synergy Ltd     Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh     Abdulmajeed Wahab     Saadu Gbogbo Iwe     NURTW     Rebecca Bake     Patigi Regatta     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Adijat Adebiyi     Ilorin Talaka Parapo     Wahab Issa     Oluranti Idowu     AGM Professional Services     Gobirawa     Assayomo     Amoyo     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Bilikis Oladimeji     Florence Saraki     John Olajide Adedipe     Bio Ibrahim     Summit University     Esinrogunjo     Galadima    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Alikinla     Garba Idris Ajia     Na\'Allah     Ubandoma     Olaiya Zuberu     Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara     Orire     Baboko Primary School     Iponrin     Apado     Yetunde Balogun     Babatunde Ajeigbe     GAMA     ASKOMP     Nnazua     LEAH Charity Foundation     Samuel Adedoyin     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     Kwara Pdp     Offa Poly     Oluwarotimi Boluwatife Adenike     Fatimat Saliu     Abdullahi Biffo     Tafida Of Ilorin     Standard Organization Of Nigeria     Saheed Alakoso     Alaaya     Kamaldeen Ajibade     National Broadcasting Commission     Garment Factory     Sa\'adu Gambari     Abdulmalik Bashir Mopelola Risikatullahi     Salaudeen Oyewale     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Dan Iya     Mamatu Abdullahi     Communication Network Support Services     Rafiu Olasile     Salihu Ajia     Olatunde Olukoya     Borgu     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Mumini Ishola Hanafi     Dunmade     Aminu Ado Bayero     The Herald     Abdulrazaq Sanni     Amusa Bello     Kwara State Television     Lithium     Agbarere     Akeem Lawal     Oba Abdulrahim     Kawu     Tunji Arosanyin     Hassan A. Saliu     Muftau Akanbi Oke     Musa Yeketi     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Ijagbo Health Centre     Memunat Monsuma     Oloje     Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan     James Kolo     Abubakar Aliagan     GGDSS Pakata     Titus Suberu-Ajibola     Oke-opin     Umaru Saro     Rasaq Jimoh     Emmanuel Bello     Prince Mahe Abdulkadir     Oya State     Eruku     Aishat Sulu-Gambari     Fatai Olodo     Stephen Fasakin