KAYODE FAYEMI AND HIS OUTSTANDING ARTICULACY; YET, SHOULD ELOQUENCE OR ACADEMIC FERVOUR BE USED AS BENCHMARK FOR EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE IN LEADERSHIP?

By Deji Oso

I have dispassionately read with keen interest the diverse opinions rocking the postmortem of Kayode Fayemi’s grill as a Ministerial Nominee at the Senate floor yesterday and I must incontrovertibly admit to his fantastic presentation; although garnished with amplifications of improbable information such as the figures (N30Billion) left behind by Engr. Segun Oni, the Procurement of super-bed worth of N1.5million and so on. Even when history has taught us that leadership sagacity is not a garrulous asperity but a symbolical jingoism; yet, like the Ekiti instructional proverb “omo eni pa buru, omo eni pa suan; omo eni lomo eniise”; therefore, on this note, I think we must give it to JKF, he is our brother and indeed, he did us proud yesterday. Nevertheless, I consider the summary of the revelations being divulged at the instance of Fayemi’s appearance at the Senate floor as very paradoxical upon the queries that had followed hitherto, such as probing into Fayemi’s CV: as a Consultant to many countries/ bodies of reputable organizations, as a prolific researcher and as the architect and chief operator of the illegal radio kudirat that was supposedly operated from an undisclosed burial ground to fight the tyranny of military junta under the Military Interregnum in contrast to a picture of out-of-context policies and vision statements that were pursued by the Jkf-led administration between October 2010 and October 2014 as the Governor of Ekiti State, resulting into high-handedness, misplacement of priorities, wanton wastages at the expense of the common populace; which therefore resulted into his outright rejection by his own people and his consequent failure as palpable in the all round 16-0 defeat at the poll in June, 2014. More importantly, whilst the foregoing had continued to bother my mind, let me ask: - What use is it when you have a Fayemi as Consultant to countries and other international/corporate organizations, yet, fails in his own state as a Governor? - Why should a revered Academic like Dr. Fayemi, who specializes and seemed very versed in Governance, Democratic Studies, Domestic and International Relations fails in adopting suitable, workable and most desirable policies for his people? - What has taken Fayemi this long to tell us about the sum of 30 Billion Naira debt inherited from Segun Oni-led administration and how genuine is this information? - What commonsense or logic does it portend when a Ph.D holder justifies buying a bed worth of N1.5million naira to furnish a cash-embroidered Government House worth of over 30billion Naira when his people languish in abject impoverishment simply because he saw a covetous Government House in Akwa-Ibom and wanted same in his state even when Ekiti and Akwa-Ibom are as far as heaven and earth in terms of proportional income with respect to the Federal Revenue Allocation and IGR; thereby nailing his state to a crucifixion of huge debt of over N86billion? - Do all of these make any sense at all? Without any fear or favour, it would suffice to admit that Dr. John Kayode Fayemi is highly cerebral as a researcher and an Academic Scholar who could have been more efficient and productive in the four walls of the Classroom. Ironically, those singing encomiums for Fayemi on his outing yesterday forgot to note that academic excellence or over-sophistication of eloquence is not a yardstick or precondition for good governance and effective/appreciable performance in Leadership position! I strongly doubt if they realize that there exists a wild margin between theory and practice or between Power and Legitimacy? Nonetheless, I wish Dr. John Kayode Fayemi the very best on his proposed portfolio as the Minister Representing Ekiti State. I wish him and his teeming supporters best of luck! A very good morning to you all. Deji Oso (Mr.) (A Social Crusader and Public Policy Analyst) @adedejioso on twitter