WE ARE SO QUICK TO FORGET

I doubt if anyone will remember this statement and I even dare those who live in the State in question to recall and check if their memory will fail them or not even as I quote: "Anybody scheming for another term is either bereft of ideas or has unprogressive plans: It is a Governor to a term and anyone who forces himself on the people under a second term guise will find shame waiting for him. I believe our people are wiser and sophisticated” This statement is credited to the present serving Governor of Ondo state, Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko in his campaign interview on NTA Akure 7pm on April 9,2007.

It was so amazing to hear this same Governor declare his intention for a second term on Wednesday 25^th of July, 2012. As much as I personally do not have an issue with declaration of a second term since the constitution makes room for such, I am of the opinion that it is very improper for a leader to eat his words and openly show to the world how much disrespect he has got for the word integrity. I still can’t come to terms that he seem to have forgotten that as a leader ‘Your word is your bond’

To make matters worse as a people, we allow events bye pass us and quickly throw them into the dustbin of history. How then can we ever hold these leaders by their words? We seem to forget that being a follower is equally as tasking as being a leader. We are always the first to make excuses for these lapses and why do we then wonder when the next person comes to inflict a greater injury to our already pitiable state? If you are still in awe as to why this has become a trend, I can say for sure that I am not. This is because the leaders have understudied us and have come to the conclusion that we are a people who forget too soon and quickly move on as if nothing ever happened.

I can bet that some people have even forgotten about the legal tussle which eventually brought His Excellency Dr. Olusegun Rahman Mimiko into power; how then can they ever recollect the words this man spoke in the heat of the whole drama? These are the same words which should be haunting him as we speak but alas! My people have forgotten and the man has carried on as if words of such gravity were never spoken. I doubt even if his opposition have remembered this potent statement which they on their own can use to score political points but I am very sure they are busy cross-carpeting and scheming instead of strategizing.

A number of people have come to the conclusion that I must belong to an opposition to have done a research in order to dig up this archive material but they have simply forgotten that the followers have got the responsibility of ensuring the leader is not taking his people for a ride the same way the leader must ensure he serves the public honestly with the view of being accountable to them.

I for one will insist that if I can’t trust a man to keep his words, then he cannot be trusted with my future; and you will agree with me that we don’t need a Professor of Philosophy to prove this to us. Sounds rigid but on a second thought, has it ever occurred to you that a man who cannot stand for something will fall for anything? So on this issue; I insist that a man who hasn’t stood by his words have proven to me that he lacks integrity. But trust me that he might most likely get away with such except the people consciously play their followership role by ensuring they hold leaders by their words. The pertinent question however is ‘how can this come to be when as a people, we are so quick to forget?’