"Thoughts On Prof. Wole- Soyinka's Advice To OBJ"

Dear Readers, I'd like to once again welcome you to "NB4S" as we move along in the wonderful dialogue aimed towards creating a GREAT & DIGNIFIED NIGERIA. Our Country is truely Blessed with some of the best "MINDS" The Almighty ever created. Of course,such minds include that of Prof. Soyinka, the Noble Laureate. I am proud to announce that he comes from my hometown of Abeokuta just like My Favorite Nigerian President,so far (that will be OBJ). A viable Democracy needs the likes of Wole-Soyinka, Tunji-Braithwaite,Gani-Fawehinmi,Chinua-Achebe,The NLC Leader (whom I can't remember his name at the moment). Unlike many Nigerians who will quickly ""sell-out" once given some money,these fearless types remains the conscience of Nigerians and continues to engage in holding our governments accountable even when their lives are at risk. We can only pray to try and follow in their footsteps. Now,having said this, it does not mean that I agree with everything these heroes of my very humble self and of many nigerians, say. Fortunately, we all have our own minds and we can think through issues and either agree or disagree and remain friends. Such is the beauty of living in a vibrant Democracy such as we presently enjoy in Nigeria. So many viewpoints are thrown out via various medium of information these days. The majority of information are either sensationalized by the media for reasons bordering on profit or otherwise too truthful,thus provoking the ire of the powers that be. In our recent past of military dictatorships that we've "enjoyed" so much since independence (tragicomically speaking,that is),anyone involved would have been subjected to turture or death ( as in Dele-Giwa'd). The irony of it all is that countries like The U.S.A (my adopted homeland) has been engaging in stifling this much-cherished "freedom of expression" all in the name of the "war on terror". Many Americans recently discovered that much eaves-dropping and wire-tapping has been going on . Their's been much talk about a third term ambition by OBJ these days and it's hard to blame Nigerians since promises made by many leaders in the past has not been kept. Nonetheless, i strongly believe Nigerians ought to give OBJ the benefit of the doubt. It is not fair to equate OBJ and Kenya's Arap-Moi who wanted to be President-For-Life. I strongly believe OBJ will leave the scene come 2007. My fear is who should take over as Nigeria's new leader ? It looks like I.B.B wants to be the "come-back kid",but, I'm not sure what he wants to come back and "re-do" after having about 8 years without much to sing about. Please, do not get me wrong since I like his "smile" and he has my late father's beautiful gap between his teeth. But,enough of I.B.B already. Then again,knowing us Nigerians ,money can do and undo. How else can you explain M.K.O Abiola's Brother and wife trying to get a early start on campaigning for the man who obviously shares some responsibility in the tragic death of M.K.O ? My people just love money too much. My wish is to see an emergence of one of the "new-blood" Leaders who are presently working hard on behalf of Nigerians in the present administration. Charles-Soludo is way up there along with El-Rufai & Okonjo-Iweala. Unfortunately, these true Honorables may not have the money they will need to be Nigeria's President unless they have a "god-father". "God-fatherism" is bad for business as we've seen in Anambra & Oyo-States. I do not share My Mentor (Wole-Soyinka's) views that OBJ is to blame for the most recent crisis in Oyo-State. Although,the state is blessed with some of the best minds in Nigeria, it's affairs continues to be dominated by certain elements who are very powerful in the state. As my elders,I truly respect people like Adedibu,Ladoja,Arisekola e.t.c. However, I am afraid some of these types behave as either illiterates or educated fools ( my apologies if the truth hurts,but,we will never be able to progress as a people unless we say it like it is) . Everyone wants to be your best friend when you are The President. Mr. Ladoja was one of such best friends,but,I'm afraid it's hard for any human being to be everyone's best friend. God-willing,the will of the people of Anambra & Oyo-States will one day prevail and they will escape from the grip of "God-fatherism". I certainly hope our leaders and elites that wield much influence will start spending more time on issues such as healthcare,poverty,infrastructure (i'd like to be able to drive on a three-lane highway from LAGOS To SOKOTO)e.t.c Nigerians will be better served by dealing with these types of issues which affect the day-to-day situation of the average citizen than spending every single day talking about some third term agenda. OBJ has been around long enough to know that his legacy will be tarnished if he attempts to do such. Finally, let's continue to hold our leaders responsible & accountable but in a constructive way so that we do not continue to predict doomsday for our people and country. We must all join hands to work with our leadership so that we can realize the dream of a Nigeria we can all be proud of. "UP SUPER EAGLES FOR SPANKING GHANA (1-0) in the on-going African Cup Of Nations Soccer Tournament in Egypt. GOD BLESS YOU ALL & GOD BLESS NIGERIA !!! Sincerely, TOLA-SOBANDE