By Amb. Wale Ojo-Lanre
I mean it!
It is unacceptable.
Even if it is innate in you.
Walahi
You must purge it out!
No.
No way.
We are not going to agree with this.
Though, so far, so good, you are doing well but, this one is absolute nonsense.
It so in deed, act and in conception.
This is should not be.
And we cannot accept this!
Imagine!
How could the governor of Ekiti State,
Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the brand new governor, who has just spent only two months in the saddle, should be found with this kind of mannerism?
Noo!!!
We are not going to accept this unexpected behaviour from him.
What is even wrong with him?
Although it has been in him, before he became the governor of Ekiti State.
The Yoruba adage that says ‘Èéfín nì wà’ – no amount of pretence can alter one behavioural pattern for long – it is a fact that a leopard cannot change its spots.
You will concur with me, if you can withdraw your emotion and dispassionately read this piece to its end, that this governor needs to purge himself of this old mannerism of his by force and fire.
The truth of the matter is that he is now the governor and MUST up his ante of doing things.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji should be and MUST be gubernatorial in act, deed and in aura.
He must realise that the paradigm has shifted; and he is no longer the Biodun Oyebanji, the son of Baba Teacher of Ikogosi-Ekiti.
He should realise the Lord has placed him above every other person in Ekiti State; he is, as we are talking, above the law.
This is because he is the law, as far as Ekiti State is concerned.
Gov Oyebanji should be confident to sway left, swag right, swing sideways and swivel backwards and forward anywhere in Ekiti, because he holds the sword of Damocles!
He has the Red Biro in his capacity to butcher and scatter anything ‘scatterable.’
And he could, in his gubernatorial excellency, hack off the head of anybody with impunity.
He has the immunity to do so!
He should realise that he is the No 1 person in Ekiti State, who we all now worship.
Thus he should enjoy the momentous tenure and ‘chop the life off his head.’
It is shameful that despite being the governor for two months, Mr Biodun Oyebanji is still wearing the toga of who he was before he was sworn in the executive governor of Ekiti State.
I was ashamed of him on Wednesday, when I was unfortunate to be in his office.
This man has forgotten that he is the governor of Ekiti State, who has the total authority to summon whoever he wishes and to attend to him in his own time.
He has forgotten that, if he gives an appointment to someone for 2 o’clock, he has the unrestricted liberty to attend to the fellow at the time he wishes, the worst the fellow can do is to leave and in that case at his peril.
Is he not the one who wishes to see the governor?
He has forgotten that he owes nobody no apology, if he failed to keep to time.
This humiliating part of the story of Governor Oyebanji is the fact that he still conducts himself diligently as a time keeper who abhors the greatest bile of what we term African time.
Imagine him giving an appointment for some common Ekiti men to see him by 1 pm on Wednesday.
Imagine a whole governor remembering to put a call to them at 1 pm on the dot that he was held down downstairs and will be with them.
Imagine a whole governor, who is supposed to walk majestically into his office, behaving like the Lord of the manor, but humbly ventured into the reception of his office, tendering an apology and explaining why he was 10 minutes behind schedule to some insignificant fellows?
A whole governor!
Why should he carry the time consciousness and timekeeping mannerism, which distinguished him from others when he was the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, to the Governor’s Office?
Has he forgotten that he is the Boss-General, who is supposed not to have respect for time?
Has he forgotten that being the governor is a hallowed status, hence, he needs not to offer an apology for coming late to any occasion?
How can a whole governor of a state be a good listener, who will listen to a common man and refuse to claim that he knows it all?
Who will tell him that he should remove or purge himself of the mannerism of being humble and wear the garment of pride and arrogance?
Who will tell Governor Oyebanji to borrow the name of Dino Melaye – (I never thought I could be great) – and allow stupidity of greatness to rule his sense of reasoning?
Who will tell him that his status has changed, that he has to withhold his natural behaviour of being factual, being down to earth, being in himself and being the homeboy?
Kindly tell Governor Oyebanji that his sense of keeping to time, his robust sense of humility and his natural penchant of giving respect to every human being, who crosses his path is barbaric, outdated unacceptable, embarrassing and unfit for his new post and status?
Inhokun ooo
•Amb Ojo-Lanre, a former Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on Tourism Development to Ekiti State governor, writes from Ibipeju Oniru Chamber, Upper Ogudu River, Irede Estate, Temidire, Usi – Ekiti, and can be reached on 08033490986.
