by Bayo Oluwasanmi
QUALITY leadership is a product of deeply bred traditions. It’s not shaped by odd historical accidents, but by communities that nurture talented and gifted persons.
I’m proud to be of Yoruba stock, one of the most civilized and cultured ethnic groups in the world.
Ahmadu Ali’s sweeping denigration of Yorubas as ingrates in defense and praise of former President Olusegun Obasanjo exposes Ali as a classical example of ignorance and error.
No one should be surprised at the sudden appearance of Ali in the public glare.
Having been consigned into the remote dustbin of irrelevancy, Ali is undoubtedly suffering from a life of horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness, and more importantly loneliness.
Ali’s voice of mysterious import was echoed in a recent interview with Duro Adeseko. He accused Yorubas as “ungrateful kind of people,” who do not appreciate what others have done for them.
Ali berated Yorubas for not given due recognition to Obasanjo for what he did for the Yorubas.
“And you people still don’t recognize him, especially the Yoruba people who are totally ungrateful kind of people in this country… the Yorubas are another character,” said Ali.
It is true there is an indignation that is justifiable. But in this case, Ali’s effrontery lashing out at Yorubas amounts to a blind and boring purpose.
His lash out, round up condemnation of Yorubas as unappreciative people shows Ali’s wavering and half-hearted in allegiance to truth, and his choice of darkness of error and satanic delusion.
Ali’s statement is a foolish distraction. Nothing is too insane to say by an Igala – the antelope.
Do Yorubas need any person of Ali’s depraved and convoluted admonition to help pick our leaders and heroes/heroines?
Do we have to go by Ali’s prejudiced warped rubrics in selecting our leaders in Yoruba land?
Do we have to be coerced by Ali’s hysterical nonsense to pay homage and gratitude to Obasanjo? God forbid!
Of what benefit to the Yorubas was all the eight years of Obasanjo as president? The Lagos-Ibadan road could have been transformed into a 21st century high way. But, he didn’t give a damn.
We still remember the political subterfuge and sabotage employed by Obasanjo to starve the Tinubu administration of funds all in an attempt to force the ACN government to its knees.
The Yorubas are not so gullible, manipulable, and downright callous. We have a long and enduring memory.
Ali served three administrations as minister of education – Gowon, Murtala, and Obasanjo – without any remarkable achievement. Rather, his tenure was marred with cruel, crudity, and murder.
Ali is another name for injustice, abhorrence, and intolerance.
His tenure as education minister was a festering sore at the center of scholarship and civilization.
As minister of education, his signature achievement was the erosion and suppression of academic freedom.
His incompetency, blindness, rashness, inadequacies, and high handedness ruptured the fabrics of student unionism which fomented, brewed, and bottled “Ali must go” saga which among other things snuffed out Akintunde’s life.
The decimation of our university education was actively initiated and pursued by Ali.
He made sure the quality of our once enviable university programs was diluted with mediocrity and mendacity. He wrecked the system.
As director of NYSC, Ali didn’t perform better. No innovation or any relevant reforms were made to the program by Ali.
He has never been an impressive personality of sterling performance. He’s known for his cantankerous marginal ability.
Though, we’re proud of Ali for one thing: he never missed any opportunity to show case the plague-spots in his character. His personal and public life reveals much.
Ali’s hostility to the Yorubas demonstrates that the world loves lies and hates truth. While Ali is punctilious, his life mirrors basest hypocrisy.
That the Yorubas reject Obasanjo as a leader or hero or ungrateful to him says what type of character fiber and finesse we’re made of.
We Yorubas do not anoint thieves, fools, saboteurs, traitors, and hoodlums as leaders or as heroes/heroines.
We of the Yoruba stock stand out distinct from the brute Igala man as midday in contrast with midnight.
We vehemently reject Ali’s philosophy of Pharisees known for threadbare and hoary emptiness. His Pharisaical righteousness belongs to Igala Kingdom and not Yoruba Kingdom.
If Ali wished to direct others in the path of righteousness, the principles of righteousness must be enshrined in his own heart.
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*** We cannot drive a car forward by looking at the rear view mirror. We cannot use shoes for hammers, newspapers for umbrellas, and a finger nail to tight a screw!