Posts

Awolowo and Tinubu: When Vision Meets Strategy

Image
It is difficult to discuss Yoruba political leadership without eventually comparing Chief Obafemi Awolowo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Their political trajectories share striking similarities, yet their approaches to power could hardly be more different. Both built their political fortunes from the Southwest. Both understood the importance of political organisation. Both created formidable political networks and eventually sought to translate regional influence into national leadership. But here is where the story gets interesting. Awolowo was the visionary; Tinubu is the strategist. Awolowo wanted to transform Nigeria according to a clearly defined political philosophy: Federalism, Education, Social welfare, Regional autonomy and Disciplined governance. He built an organisation around ideas. Tinubu, on the other hand, has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for political calculation, coalition-building and adaptation. His genius, whether one admir...
Post a Comment
Read more

When the Numbers Keep Improving but the People Are Still Suffering

Image
Each time I think about Nigeria’s worsening socioeconomic reality while listening to the Tinubu administration celebrating improved macroeconomic indicators, I am tempted to ask a simple but profound question:  Who is deceiving whom? The government may point to GDP growth, rising foreign reserves, increased government revenue, exchange-rate stability and other macroeconomic indicators as evidence that the economy is recovering. But the fundamental question is: recovering for whom? Macroeconomic statistics may be reassuring to economists, international financial institutions and foreign investors. But what meaning do they have to the ordinary Nigerian whose income buys less every month, whose food bill keeps rising, whose rent is becoming unaffordable, whose children’s education costs more, whose healthcare is increasingly out of reach and whose sense of security is being eroded by the day? An economy is not an abstract spreadsheet. It is ultimately about people. What is...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Widow Who Gave Everything

Image
Jesus sat quietly near the temple treasury and watched people as thry brought their offerings.  The wealthy came and gave generously, and the sound of their substantial contributions must have attracted everyone's attention.  Then came a poor widow who placed just two tiny coins into the treasury. The amount was so insignificant that, by ordinary standards, it could hardly be called a meaningful giving. Yet Jesus saw something others did not. The wealthy had given from their abundance. Their gifts were large, but giving them did not threaten their wealth. The widow, however, had almost nothing. She was poor. Those two coins represented everything she possessed. Her gift was small in quantity, but immense in meaning. Therein lies the philosophical wisdom of this timeless biblical story. Human beings have a natural tendency to measure worth by quantity: wealth, status, possessions, achievements, influence and numbers.  We often assume that the person who gives t...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Wisdom of Distance

Image
“Igi gógóró má gun mi lójú, òkèrè là ti ńwò ó.” “A tall tree should not poke my eyes; it is from a distance that we behold it.” There are people in life whose behaviour, words and attitudes can become toxic to our peace of mind. We may wish to understand them, change them, or remain close to them because of affection, history or obligation. But wisdom sometimes lies not in confrontation, but in distance. Just as we admire a thorny tree from afar without allowing its branches to wound us, we can learn to keep a healthy psychological distance from those whose toxicity repeatedly hurts us. Distance is not always hatred, resentment or rejection; sometimes, it is self-preservation. We cannot always control how others behave, but we can choose how close we allow their behaviour to come to our hearts. Some people are best loved from a distance, some understood from a distance, and some simply left at a distance. Keeping psychological distance from toxic people is knowing that prot...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hunger Is an Invitation, Not a Command

Image
When we feel hungry, the stomach is not simply sending a command to fill it with whatever will silence the hunger. It is an invitation to nourish the body with the right food: food that will help the entire system function at its best, providing strength, health and wellbeing. But, I see a deeper lesson here. Not everything that satisfies a craving necessarily serves our wellbeing. In life, we are constantly confronted with appetites,  not only for food, but for money, recognition, power, success, pleasure and acceptance. The temptation is often to satisfy these appetites with whatever is immediately comes our way, without considering the consequences. Yet, just as the body needs the right nourishment to remain healthy, the mind, character and soul need the right values to remain strong. Hunger may tell us that we need to eat, but wisdom tells us what is worth consuming. Perhaps this is one of life's greatest lessons: learning to distinguish between what satisfies us mo...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Story of Socrates and the Lamp

Image
In my search for a truly just and righteous person, one of the most inspiring narratives I have encountered is the story of Socrates and his lamp. It is said that one day, in broad daylight, Socrates was walking through the streets of Athens carrying a lantern in his hand. His unusual behaviour caught the attention of those around him. A passer-by, curious about what he was doing, stopped and asked: “Socrates, what are you looking for?” Socrates continued looking around with his lamp and replied: “I am looking for a just man.” The man, surprised by the answer, asked why he needed a lamp in broad daylight to find a just man. Socrates' response was, in essence: “Although Athens is filled with people, I cannot find a truly just and honest person.” The story is thought-provoking. Many people may appear good, honest and just, but how many genuinely live by those principles when tested?  The same make-believe lifestyle that Socrates observed among some of the people of his ti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Integrity Is Teachable

Image
Integrity is a subject I believe should be taught from kindergarten through to university. Children should learn from an early age that integrity means doing what is right even when nobody is watching; keeping their word; taking responsibility for their actions; treating others fairly; and having the courage to stand by what they know to be right. Academic excellence may open doors, but character determines what a person does once those doors are opened. If we want to build individuals, institutions and societies that can be trusted, integrity cannot be left to chance. It must be deliberately taught, modelled and reinforced throughout a person's education.
Post a Comment
Read more