There’s this popular belief that no matter what you do, not everyone will like you, even if you are the world best, some people will still call you a fool. That assertion is proven by the acts of some disgruntled and irrationally aggrieved elements within the Ogun state Nigeria Union of Journalists, especially the Chairman, Scribe, and co. Indeed, it was the unanimous and popular opinion of the people, like Mr. Wole Shokunbi, Mr. Sina Oduntan, Mr. Rasaq Ayinla Esq and co, that made him (Wale Kabiti), sorry Wale Victor Olanrewaju win, not a landslide as Chairman of the able council and be that as it may, his success depends on all of us, both those that voted for or against him.
Therefore, with the winning of the elections three years ago, ”politics” over then, instead of him to collectively work with the aforementioned names and others to continuously take the council to greater heights. The normal antics of selfishness, self aggrandisement, self centred and winners take all started by the so-called Wale Kabiti, which led to the present division in the Ogun State NUJ council till date.
Through, the support to ensure the success of Wale Olanrewaju (Wale Kabiti) or Pious popularly called by the members of the Union and our council can be done directly and indirectly. Directly by the contributions and innovations from his constituted teams (His followers, elected officials and members of the union etc) in their various functions, and indirectly from those not having direct support or vote roles in his emergence as the council’s boss.
Direct contributions towards his emergence can and will be in the area of ensuring that new committee should be constituted for the betterment of the union and members in designated roles in order to positively change the whole and or initiation and implementation of new ideologies/ responsibilities while indirect contributions will be in the area of members living up to their responsibilities by ensuring regular training and retraining of the members. Suddenly, the Chairman turned deaf ear to all these advice, he now became an enemy of those who helped him into office, tagged them with different names.
Why have I mentioned the above forms of contributions towards the development of our council? I made mention of same because for me the primary role of man is beyond wealth accumulation, selfishness, self centred, ego and self aggrandizement, our primary role as humans is to serve for the good of all and usually this is the superficial guiding principle of union, association, or organisation.
It is no news in Ogun NUJ council and to its members that the likes of Mr. Wale Kabiti and co, dastardly running the affairs of the council as their personal organisations, and who dare call them to order will automatically become their enemies and I can’t fault them on the premise of pretentious members of the union, who continues to keep mute and fear of hitting the nails on head or face them with facts and figures, how they manipulated the union’s funds.
Perhaps, it is their fundamental right to act as they like, but they need to act well their part, but I will continually fault their third columnists utterances, their disgruntled views dressed with spite, evil, hate, envy and selfishness. In the opinion of one Hakeem Adegbenro, which is not legible to vote or be voted for, not because anything but he is a freelancer with Blueprint newspaper. In fact, there are many of them like that, which would be mentioned in latter and subsequent write-ups.
Is it a crime that your brother, our brother is Chairman of NUJ Ogun State Council? Is it a crime that he is setting and breaking records and that he should be extended a hand of fellowship in love? No, with capital response. I have read several public statements made by these overnight “change” Wale Kabiti’s footsoldiers and his media dogs who can only bark, but not bite, as to why the ‘Omi Tuntun,’ group is no longer the platform for their aspirations this time around. They were full of jesters and comedians. Their propagandas can not even hold a water. How the council secretariat is running or championing by one man show will soon be made to the people, and will even shock most people to their marrows.
Mind you, their regime are be championed by few of us, Their complaints are summarised thus: High handedness, closed doors and corruption, favouritism, nepotism, deceit, self centred, self aggrandise, and showing no commitment to the member’s welfarism among others. And their response to these questions above is spawned with falsehood, betrayal and selfishness. Imagine, a whole NUJ Chair and his Scribe being detained by police for mismanagement of clients funds who they rented shop/space to, manipulation of shop rentages fee and others. With clear evidence of collected close to 300k from an individual and refused to provide her a shop at Iwe-Iroyin, which made him almost past night at Zone 2, near his office! Why now running an image makers to that disrepute and despair.
Ask your amiable Chairman and his Scribe, where are their records of value added or reforms or attempts to reshape the Union’s image? He is the one with track record of No 4, Wale Kabiti street, Ikereku Village, Laderin, Abeokuta, used that address with Fidelity Bank, with the Account No; 4110123100, and withdrawn N5million NAWOJ’s fund given to them by the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to his personal account. Where is the address situated in Abeokuta? What about 10 million given to us by the governor? How, and 4 million missed in the purse of Press Week and transferred to the Chairman’s personal account? Where is integrity and accountability?
“This is likened to an adult spitting on the breast of his mother whose breast he suckled just because he was properly fed in his childhood.” Curses!
Let no one deceive our sensitivity and sensibility, these men (Wale Kabiti & co) mean us no good, these men wanted the council to be controlled by them and since the tides have positively changed from their colloquial and selfish hold, their best option is not to team up and build but to oppose and scatter our best dream and opportunities, and chances of rebuilding the Ogun State NUJ council to the world standard. Let’s continue with our good vision and mission of resuscitating the council.
Can we all be Chairman or Scribe at the same time or be Chairman and Scribe to contribute to service? Must we have our way all the time and haven’t we heard of the rules of times and seasons? Now if truly it is service that drives the quest of many into this direct and indirect role to contribute to the advancement of our council then we must understand that not everyone can serve in the direct and indirect category. So, Wale Kabiti must go, especially for the betterment and advancement of our great council.
If I intend to do a chronicle of Mr. Chairman (Wale Kabiti), gains and pains during this period of less than three months, it will be too long and divert our attention from the topic of this discourse. In fact, it is disastrous, delusional of funds for their personal gains. The Chairman has mismanaged millions of naira meant for union and used it his personal gains and his coherent. If possible to audit the account of the state council since inception of Wale Kabiti, no doubt, he will be rot in jail. No court of law will grant him pardon or fine except jail terms. One question, do we have auditor/treasurer in that council? What are they auditing/doing? The auditor of the council and treasurer should be held responsible for some these abnormalities and mismanagement.
Now, to those who may have been misguided by the whines and whims, and sugarcoated mouths of these “disgruntled” few, I will make bold to make clear their grudge which is now faked into the “change” mantra of the group. Wale Kabiti pleaded with some elders within the union for help and support to become chairman of the council, Ataba and co, including Rasaq Ayinla, so as to serve for one term. Once now seeing juicy and rosy of the position, forgotten the promised he made earlier, now turned back to those elders and tagged them as “bad elements.” Ask him, are they not those that helped him to become the Chairman, not by his power but by God’s grace and those elders.
I will ask certain rhetorical questions that will embolden your stance against these elements.
Do you know that they have several agreements, and arguments concerning the state council before his emergence?
Where were they Hakeem Adegbenro, Emmanuel Oke, and co, when the Chairman and elders were grappling to rejig the council and make a peaceful resolution?
How many of you people, “Wale and his coherent” have empowered members of the council, except share the goods and share the money syndrome?
Have you noticed that you never heard from them until election periods or gatherings and they come around with their peanuts and disgruntled ideologies to deceive the gullible amongst us whom they contributed in depriving of emancipation rights?
How many of them are true advocates for our council and in what way or ways have they contributed to develop us with the opportunities available to them? For close to three or thereabouts, no meaningful capacity training for the members of the chapels through the state council, except sharing of money syndrome that ravaged the council’s leadership.
A man, Rasaq Ayinla Esq who ensured that in the spirit of transparency and sincerity for a greater and united union, those who fought tirelessly against him made it into his folds and some have been benefitting from him now, including his Correspondent Chapel treasurer, yet colluding with his enemies, is now the man that isn’t accommodating? Imagine, all these lies and fabricated story to malign his image.
Should I talk about Mr. Hakeem Adegbenro who is now part of the “change band” that collected monies and went against agreements? He is prostrating and kneeling down for Rasaq Ayinla on the day of our two days training at the Park Inn, calling several name, my boss, my oga, and many others.
Yes! We must criticise them, they were ingrates and ungrateful, but we must do so constructively, we must advice but in love and our arguments must be solution based. Since, Wale Kabiti has turned down the hand of fellowship from the elders and others, I appeal to Rasaq Ayinla Esq, to remain focus and to the chapels to continue with their unalloyed and unfailing support for this campaign team to take us to greater heights.
So, Rasaq Ayinla must understand too that there’s nothing he can do to get love from those whose heart lacks love and must continue to raise and empower “his” own while delivering on his promises.
To our brothers and sisters on the other side, Ogun state NUJ’s interest is bigger than individual interest. Name calling or baseless allegations will not do you or your side good, for union is more informed than you thought. Therefore, don’t bore us with stale gist, tell us your vision for the NUJ state council and how you intend to achieve same etc.
Rasaq Ayinla Esq, is our new Chairman, not incoming and this is a bitter fact you must embrace and nothing you do will change this, at least he has the ability, capability, visions, missions and plans to uplift our people and council. Let no one bamboozle you with lies and sugarcoat mouths, we knows them with their antics of malign people character and campaign of calumny. Their attitude connotes of their behaviours and selfishness.
We appreciated the good people of chapels for their love and undying belief in his leadership (Rasaq Ayinla), and outrightly condemned the campaign of calumny of “elements against our collective progress as a district”. That’s what they know them for. Blackmailing, backbiting, gossiping and the rest. Yes, we have challenges but we are positively evolving. Now that the rain and sun is down, come join the family that made you, to make you more and to build others, as well as to build our great uinion together.
Really men face challenges, weak men run away from same. We are strong, innovative and fluid… We are TeamRasaq!
God bless Ogun NUJ Council!
God bless Nigeria!!
Ibrahim, A columnist, prolific writer, and member of the Ogun State council, Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Can be reached via; balogunibrahim1777@gmail.com
