In Yoruba culture, high premium is placed on virtue, hence the common talk about OMOLUABI. From childhood, parents put in place measures that ensure that a child is tutored on the need to imbibe the virtue of Omoluabi. And it is not surprising that any child that goes astray from this is often regarded as Omo Ale. Does it then surprise you that our fathers, in their wisdom, came up with a beautiful proverb, ‘Ti ile kan ba n toro, omo ale ibe ni ko i tii dagba’.
Loosely translated, no child is expected under any circumstance to attract shame to his family or soil the family’s name.
This brings to the fore recent happenings in our nation’s political circle, and more particularly Kosofe Local Government Area.
I may not have been around to witness firsthand politics in the days of our late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, but I have read enough books on happenings during their perios to know one or two things that led to the great and ireversible achievements recorded by them in those brief period they held sway as leaders in the old Western Region.
First, among the many secrets of their success was their strict adherence to RESPECT for rules and regulations. The party is supreme, and whenever the party takes a decision, it becomes law and biding on all members of the party, no matter who you are or how rich you are.
Secondly, the distinction between the leaders and the members is made clear. For them, democracy is about number, and the moment the majority have voiced their opinion, the minority, who too have had their say, would respect and follow suit. Whatever opinion they had is shelved for the greater interest of the party.
These two unwritten codes worked very well and sustained the party. Of course, there were few cases of dissent or what you’ll call Anti-party. But no member dared to stay inside the house and throw stones into that same house.
Now to my topic of the day. For the benefits of those who may need to know, I am a loyal member of the APC. As a matter of fact, I began active political participation in 1999 with the AD, and as an Omoluabi, I have remained with the party through thick and thin since then
Interestingly, I get to hear some strange words that have just been imported into the lexicon of Kosofe politics. Their common phrase is “We are anti-candidate, not anti-party.” This is what I call an audacity of fraud. Such logic can only be used by a fraudster whose only plan is to defraud the innocent electorate.
The English views anyone who burns his candle from both ends of the stick as foolish. But, in the case of fraud being perpetrated in Kosofe, the man behind the script is playing the foolish game because he is being coerced by some strange forces.
However, what I don’t know at the moment is whether the forces are men or spirits. Remember the popular saying, ‘Those who the gods want to destroy, they first make mad and unattentive to wise advice.’
It is preposterous to explain, even to a kindergaten that a candidate of a particular political party will burn his candle from both ends by engaging in dual campaigns when the parties involved have no known alliance or working releationship.
It is fraud; it is audacious and an affront to both parties. In political jargons, it is pure anti-party to both parties, and I expect that the Social Democratic Party, SDP, should rise up to sanction him for attempting to scam them. Yes, that is what it is. It is a scammer at work and it is dangerous for the wellbeing of the party, the people and democracy.
Now, this is instructive; anyone who burns his candle from both ends gets his hands burnt. This shall be the lot in the case of this audacious fraudster, hoping to scam the APC and the SDP.
God bless APC. God bless Kosofe; God bless Nigeria
Olu Omotosho writes from Oworonsoki
