Beware Ogun Central: SAS is a Ticking Time Bomb -By Temidayo Akinyele

 “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by RESULTS not attributes.” —Peter Drucker

At the end of February 2003, there was an epidemic outbreak that emerged in China and spread to four (4) other countries. Although it was quickly contained, It was a contagious and sometimes fatal respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus; it was labeled “SARS” Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.

By the time the Nigerian Youths would go berserk and began the #ENDSARS protest in October 2020, it was because they could no longer cope with the inhuman treatment and unprofessional conduct of “SARS” Special Anti-Robbery Squad, one of the numerous units within the Nigerian Police. At the moment, the combination of the deadliness of the aforementioned SARS, a stronger variant, “SAS ” is now on the prowl and he is ready to attack Ogun Central Senatorial District in Abeokuta, Ogun State if not contained as soon as possible. 

SAS, which means Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, is the political sobriquet of the All Progressives Congress flag bearer in the Ogun Central Senatorial District. Inept, docile, invisible, inert, indolent, inefficacious, indifferent and incompetent are some of the adjectives that best describe the political personality of Alhaji Shuaib Afolabi Salisu.

Whatever a man sows, he reaps. And it is only good trees that can produce good fruits. We should and would begin to ask questions: from his being a deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Ibikunle Amosun to being the Chief of Staff to Prince Dapo Abiodun which has totaled 12 years, what has Alhaji Shuaib Afolabi Salisu done for the people of Odeda Local Government where he hailed from let alone Ogun Central or canopying it to the whole of Ogun State? Nothing! A man who directly benefits from the funds of the state for 12 years and did not deem it fit to give back to the system is equivalent to someone whom we helped but could not appreciate it: our forebears will say such a person is a burglar. 

When a man seeks employment, he submits his curriculum vitae which contains his dossier of achievements that are in line with the position he seeks. Alhaji Shuaib Afolabi’s public/political life is an arid land where an irrigation that is powered by the Pacific Ocean would be incapable of allowing common corn to grow; even in this season of sycophancy, there is nothing concrete to hail about Salisu Afolabi! Disheartening. Little wonder Peter Drucker, an eminent Austrian-American management consultant and author said “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by RESULTS not attributes.” SAS is bereft of  those four condiments of effective leadership—— Speeches, likeness, result and attributes— that can be deduced from Peter’s submission, especially RESULTS!

Like reactions, elections also have consequences. The consequences of focusing our searchlights on just our governors and the president are the rot we court at the grassroots level. We do not hold the chairman responsible for the negligence in our local governments, we allow representatives at the lower house to go Scott-free and we shut our eyes to the sins of our senators! A country that operates as we are doing would not experience progress and developments. 

These reps and senators have become “Abuja Politicians” who have handed their constituents to the governors alone yet they collect fat amounts as salaries and constituency allowance without any impact or initiate any constituency project.  Whereas, the uninformed constituents will direct their grievances and insults to either the governor or the president while their local government chairmen, representatives and senators are feeding fat on their rights and cash. 

Whatever a man sows, he reaps. And it is only good trees that can produce good fruits. We should and would begin to ask questions: from his being a deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Ibikunle Amosun to being the Chief of Staff to Prince Dapo Abiodun which has totaled 12 years, what has Alhaji Shuaib Afolabi Salisu done for the people of Odeda Local Government where he hailed from let alone Ogun Central or canopying it to the whole of Ogun State? Nothing! A man who directly benefits from the funds of the state for 12 years and did not deem it fit to give back to the system is equivalent to someone whom we helped but could not appreciate it: our forebears will say such a person is a burglar. 

Sadly, if SAS could have served at the state level which is closer to us and remained non-functional, it is crystal clear that if he goes Federal he would become non-existent yet enjoys the perks of office. It would be unjust at best to democracy and disservice at worst to the people of Ogun Central if this awaiting and devastating disaster happens to us.

In any modern human society, some of the basic indices of human development include access to quality education, sanitation and clean water, healthcare and roads as well as social inclusion. Just as water is life, education is the pathway to liberation from poverty. As a practicing Muslim, Alhaji Shuaib knows that “Allah doesn’t leave anyone out, rich or poor, from contributing to a good cause. Everybody must do so according to his capacity because it remains a flowing charity after we are long gone.” Yet, there is a public school Orile-Ilugun Comprehensive High School, Orile-Ilugun, Odeda, Ogun State in his very own local government, that is unbefitting for rearing pigs let alone an academic environment. No Toilet system. No water system. Dilapidated building. And this is a school that produced the best graduating student, University of Ilorin, Saka Oreoluwa Ismail, in 2015. It is Saka Ismail who donated a significant amount of money last week that is being used to give the school a little face-lift at the moment. We cannot live everything to the Governor and that is why we have what is called community service! The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun is like the proverbial hen that is sweating but the multi-layered feathers wouldn’t make it visible. 

That Salisu is coming is nauseating and deeply concerning. If people like him who have benefited from the past administration and benefits from the current administration could do what an ordinary Saka Isma’il had done in ODEDA, significant progress would not just be recorded, the governor would also have other beneficial projects to do. But SAS does not have enough time and money to engage in community service; he only has enough war chest to run for public office at any time. Greed! 

Overall, with leadership comes great responsibility and a Yoruba adage says a generalissimo leads his infantrymen from home to the war front. A man who cannot handle his home cannot handle a senatorial district. SAS is a socio-political blunder and this awaiting disaster needs to be averted before it happens. 

Temidayo Akinyele writes via Temiakins4@gmail.com