Michael Botu's Blog

OSUN RERUN: A RECURRING DECIMAL 1 "Power is okay, and stupidity is usually harmless. Power and stupidity together are dangerous" ~ Patrick Rothfuss Osun State was created out of the old Oyo State August 27, 1991. The State Known as the “Land of Virtue” has had a number of Military Administrators and Governors. The current being Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola  We concluded the last treatise with the assertion by my friend that Former President Jonathan prevented Rauf Aregbesola from collecting loans from the World Bank hence his resolve to source for loans locally to finance infrastructural development resulting in his inability to pay salaries. This logic while its OK for market women discussion, does not hold water. Governors are essentially managers of resources -  Man, Money and Materials. That a father took loans to pay school fees, and is therefore subjecting his children to starvation does not make sense. The Governor himself said; his inabili...

OSUN RERUN: A RECURRING DECIMAL “I remain just one thing, and one thing only, a Clown. It places me on a far higher plane than  any politician.” ~ Charlie Chaplin When I dropped the piece “OSUN: IN SEARCH OF A GOOD MAN” it prompted a robust political dialogue with some bright minds who are supporters of the ruling APC. They are of the opinion that the People of Osun State made the right decision in the rerun not minding, the process was marred by massive voter intimidation and violence as long as the result is favorable. Our people have a saying that “Whenever two people eat together, the person that had bone will remember the meal long after the person that had flesh had forgotten” PDP will not forget Osun in a hurry.

OSUN: IN SEARCH OF A GOOD MAN??? If anything, the Osun gubernatorial rerun election have shown that we far from Democracy as the world understands Democracy. Even the declared winner was not convinced he won clean and square and to add insult to injury, supposed neutral election observers became partisan singing the praises of the Electoral body, and going ahead to  threaten  hell if anyone dare ask for it’s Chairman and Commissioners to be replaced. This is Nigeria! If your hopes are tied to the expected outcome of the 2019 General Elections, then think again. The times we are in are dangerous times. Under this administration, we’ve had someone claim killings in certain parts of the Country were reprisal attacks for Cows killed – equating human life with that of a Cow, not only is that man walking the streets a free, the seat of power encourages him to do more saying “More people were killed in the previous administration than the present” they however did not sp...

WHY??? “There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.” ~ William Barclay Why are you in Politics? Why not put that to a Politician around you? Follow that up with, what political ideology does he or she represents; Leftist, Right wing, or centrist? That’s a very tall order in today’s political landscape where as Gore Vidal puts it; “Today’s Public figures can no longer write their own speechless or books, and there is some evidence that they can’t read them either”

THAT CAMPAIGNS WILL NOT CONTINUE TO BE A SEASON OF SWEET NOTHINGS: “It’s so unfortunate that in 58 years of Nationhood, our campaign slogans are relatively the same” ~ Michael Botu Good Roads, Functional Health Delivery System, Steady Power Supply, Affordable Houses and Food, Quality Education, Portable, Safe and Clean Drinking Water and Security of lives and Property are the basic expectations of majority of Nigerians from the Political Class. Now in all sincerity, does it take rocket science to fix roads that major roads across the Country are in a state of disrepair? Why is it difficult for successive Governments to break the jinx and achieve steady power supply? Why are our Hospitals still mere consulting centers?

ACCUMULATION DOES NOT TRANSLATE TO RELEVANCE: “Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”” ~ Jesus Christ (Luke 12:15 MSG) We have heard the saying that “Life is as simple as ABC” to many a Politician the ABC of Life is; A – Acquire, B – Acquire, C – Acquire No Sir, The ABC of life is; A – Service, B – Service, C – Service A- Service to God B- Service to your Family C- Service to Humanity. 

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY TRIANGLE! WHO ARE YOU GROOMING? “In learning you will teach, in teaching you will learn” ~ Phil Collins We earlier stated that everyone around you is a potential Leader, others have to succeed to make you a complete success. Now that’s a tall order for a class of people whose only symbol of importance is the number of persons who eats crumbs from their table. Groom you must, if you will not end your political career as a failure. Success is measured by how many people are in Positions of Leadership because of your direct influence. This Healthy Triangle concept is drawn from the life of Apostle Paul whose atrocities against the Church was so grave many doubted his Conversion. It took the Mentoring of Barnabas to get him accepted by the Disciples. Later Paul developed Friendship with Silas and went on several Missionary Journeys with him. And the Apostle Paul was mentoring the Young Timothy, completing the Triangle.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY TRIANGLE! DO YOU HAVE GOOD FRIENDS? Success they say has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. Your success attracts many to you as a politician, the good, the bad and the ugly. How do you weed off the fake from the real is your first task as You seek to build a legacy. A true friend should be the one who can disagree with you and not be afraid to express it. It was George Bernard Shaw who said “He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.” Politicians over the years have proved George Bernard Shaw wrong. You too can. The key is to remain grounded, don’t be the smartest one in the room, admit when you are wrong and make adjustments. Remember not everyone around you are real friends, avoid the yes men who are only attracted by the opulence of office and the opportunity to ride on your back to their meal ticket and won’t be there when that is no longer available.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY TRIANGLE! This is not the Health Triangle, where we are encouraged to maintain a triangular health balance Physical, Mental and Social. Yes that is important but this is my own coinage from the concept of having a triangular relationship that keeps you in check always. A wise man once said; everyone of us need three people in our lives; someone we learn from and look up to, someone we share with and someone we mentor. It’s a Healthy triangle we all need but much more the politician.  We are in the age of sycophancy – where men having itchy ears are told what they like to hear and not the truth. In the workplace and even places of worship. The trend is rampant and looks unstoppable because many of us miss the balance. One of King Solomon’s greatest undoing was that everyone came to learn from him, but Solomon had no one to learn from - his divine connection gave him access to unusual wisdom from Nature and his surrounding, but when that access...

EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS A POTENTIAL LEADER! “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." ~ John Quincy Adams 6th US President Somebody humorously said “If you are political thug, tell your Boss, you want to marry his daughter, his response will let you know where you stand” so true. Where in the world did we get this idea that being a Politician’s Thug is an occupation? So you have served this man for 8years or more and all you have to show for your miserable life is the clothes on your back, a roof over your head and if you are lucky a car. Your life typifies an NFA – No Future Ambition. But the blame rest squarely on the shoulders of the Politician who do not see the need to develop the leaders around him- his immediate followers. Their neglect mirrors the neglect of the masses that they swore on oat to serve. It must not be send them to school, your boys should not remain boys forev...

WHAT WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED FOR? “Live the way you want to be remembered” ~ purehappylife.com Perhaps it has not crossed your mind, perhaps you have not given it serious thought, perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Life is transient is obvious, position much more, but many politicians carry on like they have a remote control for life and death and are too busy acquiring wealth and possessions to be concerned about legacy. But you have to, you must begin to think about what you will be remembered for? Nehemiah said “Remember me, O my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.” ~ Nehemiah 5:19 MEV Unfortunately, most of the things we labor for – The Houses, Exotic Cars, Trips abroad etc do not count as legacy. You see you’ve been laboring for the wrong things and for the wrong reasons perhaps. Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo GCFR (6 March 1909 – 9 May 1987) as a politician is not remembered for his personal possession but for what he did for his peo...

CAMPAIGNS SHOULD NOT END WITH ELECTORAL VICTORY!  “Communication  – is the key to personal and career success." ~ Paul J. Meyer Every successful politician in History mastered the art of Communication.  Our people have a saying; “When you are feeding the blind, you don’t stop talking." Of all disappointments silence is the worst a Wise Man said. Electoral victory should not send the politician to information slumber, only for him or her to try to make the corpse walk another election year. Our age is not called the information age for nothing. We have over 93 Million Nigerians with access to the internet, what are you as a politician doing  to leverage on that?

FINDING A BALANCE: STATESMAN AND POLITICIAN! “The Internet is changing all forms of communication and this definitely includes political communication” ~ Theresa May Communication ; the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. This very vital aspect of human existence is largely neglected by many a politician. 2011 former President Goodluck Jonathan utilized social media for his campaigns reaching many young minds with his breath of “Fresh Air” message and won that election. Fast forward to 2015, an amalgamation of politicians lead by the quintessential politician Ahmed Bola Tinubu at least in the eyes of the public (The History of Nigeria is replete with conspiracy theories) convinced a tired and retired Mohammadu Buhari to come out of double retirement to complete the corruption war from where he left off in 1985.

NEGLECT THE PEOPLE, EMBRACE THE BACKERS. “When I took office, Liberia began to recover from years of neglect” ~ Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 24th President of Liberia 2006 to 2018 First elected female Head of State in Africa. Talk about “Anything a man can do, a woman can do better” Can our politicians say this in all sincerity? Almost twenty years of unbroken democratic rule, major roads in the Country are largely in a state of disrepair and are deathtraps as every household continue to be an LGA unto itself, providing its own Power, Water and Security. To add insult to injury, the Party that came with the Change Mantra expended their energy, time and resources on blaming the previous administration, so much so that they forgot to equip the Clinic in the Villa, forcing the Number one citizen to against his long held integrity seek medical vacation outside the Country. And no thanks to GEJ all the funds meant for Fumigation of the Villa were diverted allowing rats to infest ...

"More business is lost every year through neglect than through any other cause." ~ Rose Kennedy In other words, More and more Politicians loss Elections, every election year through neglect than through any other cause.

World remembers Leah Sharibu as Nigerian government feigns ignorance: It’s been 200 days since Leah Sharibu was kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters, alongside one hundred and nine other girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, North East, Nigeria, on February 19, 2018. One month later, 104 of the girls were released, five had died, but only Leah remains in captivity because she refused to convert to Islam. On Thursday, in faraway London, United Kingdom, there were protests at the Nigerian Embassy, organised largely by non-Nigerians  – an advocacy group called Church World Service (CWS) – to put pressure on the Nigerian government to intensify actions to get the kidnapped girl out. However, while the protest was all over the social media (Leah Sharibu trended on Twitter all Thursday), no mention of the development was made by officials of the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government. The Buhari administration maintains a robust presence on the social media. Asides hav...