As Ajimobi's 'okra' becomes taller than 'Onire.'

Ogbonaya Onu, the current Minister of Science and Technology was the Governor when I was a Youth Corper in Abia State. We were being underfed at the orientation camp and a few of us from OAU, Ile Ife, including my friend Lawal Ademola Abideen spearheaded a protest. It took us just three days to mobilise and on the appointed day, as soldiers stormed in to our dormitory to wake us up, we barked at them to retreat. Grabbed plates, buckets, spoons and anything at all and started to drum with them, accompanied with aluta songs. Destination was Umahia, no stopping us.

The Camp director was determined to stop us. He begged and begged, we wouldn't listen. Then in one last desperate measure, he sent soldiers to block us. "How many people soldiers go kill ooooo? How many people soldiers go kill? Hey! You are gonna kill us tire......" went the Aluta song, as we advanced against the 'Pharaoh's ill-equipped' soldiers. When they received stones on their heads, they fled and we made it to Umuahia on feet, a 30-km journey.

Tired, exhausted and hungry, we flung ourselves on the floor by the entrance to the governor's office. Then the deputy governor came out to address us. Noooo! We screamed. We want your boss, bring Onu here. The deputy governor retreated and later, Onu emerged in his usual white outfit. These were his first words:

"I feel so bad that you people have walked all the way from your camp in Isiala Ngwa to Umuahia. You must be tired and hungry. I will listen to you, but first, you must eat. Go and have your seats in that hall over there (pointing), I have just instructed that food and drinks be arranged for you, after you have recouped your energy, then we would talk and resolve the issue...."

He instantly calmed an explosive situation which later led to the removal of our camp director who, it came to light, had been siphoning our maintenance funds.

Compare Onu's approach to Ajimobi's in respect of LAUTECH students. That encounter counts as a low-water mark of Ajimobi's governorship.

All political offices are occupied on trust. The real owners of power and offices are the people. They are the 'ultra-constituted' authority. That is the beginning and end of democracy. And political office holders are mere 'servants' of the people.

In all genuine democracies, the moment you perch on the apex branch of a tree and treat the trump with disdain,the 'consituted-ness' of your authority becomes shaky. If a river flows so far and forgets about its source, its drying moment is not far off.

Those students are the future generation, the ones who will pick their pens and write the history of those in power today. Their pens and tongues would not be kind to Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Good tongue and good manners are important weapons for a leader. Mr Ajimobi didn't exhibit any of the two in his uncouth address.

Sad!
DOTUN Oyebisi (facebook)