HOUR OF REFLECTION: A ROADMAP TO A BETTER AND A SANER POLITICS IN ISEYIN COMMUNITY BY Babajide Oniyo

PROTOCOLS

All honour, glorification and sanctification are all due to the Almighty Allah, the nourisher of our lives, the master of the judgement's day, the Alpha and Omega and of course , the custodian of souls, for counting us worthy amongst the living today. We say Alhamdulillah robil aalameen.

What a great privilege being in the midst of elders and youths of our great town, to reflect on the time past, discuss the present and navigate through a better future. It's indeed a priceless opportunity.

It baffles mind when the custodian of meat is found struggling with bones. It’s unfortunate when dealer of clothing appear unclad or tattered. Its worrisome when rich cry. What could have being the cause of the aforementioned? Insanity or self stringiness? The right answer could only be provided by the victim.

One of the numerous questions I ask myself on this land is, Why are we so blessed, but so poor?

Developments pass us by easily on many occasions. And the more I am trying not to believe it is a curse, the more I am getting convinced it could be. Yoruba would say Ina esisi kii Joni leemeji. Which literally means, One don't fall victim of the same calamity more than once". Sadly, the proverb doesn’t for us. We have fall victim of this ugly development on several ocasions, still, we don't seem to have learnt our lessons.

In the better pasts, Iseyin was giant of Oke-ogun and nobody can rival or commonise us politically, exposure wise, in education and of course in Economy. The ugly present is staring at us even as we sit here today. How can we remedies our flaws while hoping for a better future. It takes no lecturer of history to tell all us that we recently lost Oyo state College of Agriculture to Igboora just as we lost a Federal Polytechnic to Ede in Osun State as a result of satanic permutations. The Oyo State Polytechnic which could have been a solace (TOPS) passed us by like A radio station passed us by to Alaga. We also lost a cement company out of envy of, "who is the facilitator?". To God be the glory as He used some Patriots to save the Oyo State NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp from bidding our town a farewell. For there were evil plots that it vacates our land to an unknown destination. Oh ye! Elders and youths of our town, there are histories and all historians can not die at the same time. What then would history say about all of us? 

I put this to us. She tiwon ba n shewa, n je o ye ka maa she raa wa?

Kiloku taa Ni ni'seyin? What have we not gotten as a community that’s responsible for our underdevelopment and marginalization?

Our sons and daughters are not doing bad in the world. We have many people of influence and affluence, but how do we maximize that opportunity? I could still remember! When we were younger, Shina farm used to be the source of income for many households, as you will see people readily assembled to be conveyed to cotton farm by the carrier tractor. And they were doing fine. Where is Shina today? And what becomes of the farm? And how many people bordered to ask after him? He came back to do class hotel. Believe me, if it were other person, he wouldn't come back. Respected Elders of our town, Please let’s look for Shina, he is a patriot. 

Fellow Countrymen, Growing up as a kid, I knew of Olona motors. Where is it today? The owner is dead! May God be pleased with him. But why has another individual not ventured in same? To the children of my age, there used to be a L.A Teachers college in Iseyin. It has crawled to Oyo. Why did we allow it to sneak out? Because it added no value to us or too small for our size? Absolutely only our elders can answer these. We were not too small when a box radio which had its station at Kula Area Oke Eyin was in operation. That was when only Radio Nigeria was the only radio in the whole of Nigeria. Now that the world is now advanced how may radio stations do we have in Iseyin. Not even One. We were also told that Iseyin used to have 3 constituencies which produced tree (3) house of representative members. Today, we can’t lay claim to having a single constituency, for the one we have is jointly shared with Itesiwaju. Incredible! From 3 to ½.

Go to Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and other big cities. You will marvel at seeing what Iseyin people worth. One of the biggest schools in Abeokuta was owned by an Iseyinan. One of the best hotels in Lagos was owned by an Iseyinan. We have one of the biggest tradomedical practitioners of international standard in Iseyian. Some big names you hear are of Iseyin Extraction. Why are they not coming home to invest? They don't come home because we scare them! Well, there is past of everything. Let's agree that that is in the past, what are we doing to correct these going forward? Ilu Eye Kiki Egan. How will this not affect us going forward. People have changed the panagery to Ilu Eye kiki aponle. But does this wipe off the former nomenclature or reflect on our ways of life in any form.

HOW BEST HAVE WE VALUED OUR OWN?

I’m sure if those in diaspora see the way we embrace and appreciate businesses at home, they will be very enthusiastic to follow suit. Only a fool will pitch tent where he’s not valued. After ages of clamoring for Institution of higher learning. We got the very 1st Private polytechnic, The Keke Imo Ati Omoluabi, SAF POLYTECHNIC. How many are our brothers and wards attend the school as we speak? Weavers Association were advised to priortise our Aso Oke international market over any other market like Ero Ibadan, Ero Ede etc. Though, its going to be tough at inception, but becomes very encouraging as time goes on.

POLITICS

Our Politics is the worst of it all. Our political ideology differences should as a matter of fact work in our favour. In a saner clime, members of a family can have different political ideologies, and that would not break the family bond. During electioneering campaigns, they all come home with their party dividends, they use it together and the family is happy. Why don't we embrace that where the love of the town comes first before party. Enough of bitter politicking. Enough of politics of hatred. Enough of politics of self centeredness. And the earlier we believe that any development is our collective Development, no matter through whom it comes in, the better for us. Party A will not want to support the B to achieve a goal, neither would B support A to achieve same for they see it as personal or party success. May this stop and continues no more.

WHAT DO WE LOOSE, WHEN WE JOINTLY FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT? 

NONE!

I know of a prominent Political empire which has its offsprings sympathizing for different political parties. The empire is an agelong one. But at some point in time, out of grievance or envy, a protest vote was cast which sees one out of office. But have the other still in the ruling class. Unsuspectingly, they still voted for the family and subconsciously, it still rules till date. Behold! The empire is happy. We can’t afford to put all our eggs in the same basket, hence, difference politics. And we must live with it.

The time is now to understand that there is a limit to what government can do per time. So putting all burdens on government or few public office holders can not work. With our collective engagements, we can achieve a lot together. I give two samples on the advantage of unity of purpose and disadvantage in the loneliness and enmity.

In the olden days, there lived some warriors known for their perpetual victory. They won many battles together, share the praises and enjoyed the dividends together. At a point, some selected few out of the team want the glory to be theirs alone. So they planned to puncture the side of the ship where other unsuspecting team members are. In their mind, once the ship sinks through the punctured side, they will escape home through the good side and get the glory. Unfortunately, they did not live to tell the story and there were not opportunity of escape for them. They all got sunk.

According to a tale, there was an human attack in a forest Animal harvest . The entire small animals have been captured which seemed not to have spared the wild animals in the rank of Elephant and Lion, should they not take to their heels. Enemies were approaching from behind, and only Lion and its cub with Elephant remained uncaptured. Some believed that Elephant is superior to Lion while some hold a view that lion is not only superior but it's the king of the jungle. But in this case, survival matters than superiority. The weather was so hot such that the cub can not make it if not assisted, this will slow their movement and perharps leads to them being captured. The lion can run to outsmart the enemies, but can neither leave its curb behind nor carry it. The Elephant saw this and offer to assist. It held the cub in it's trunk while they walk miles away. At the end of the journey, the Lion appreciated the gesture And understands that no one is so useless and no one is a master of all. 

Lessons of the 2 stories is we'd better team up to fight our common enemy than being selfish, power drunken, egoistic and end up being perished. We are not in competition with any other. We should always remember that much powerful we could be, there would be things we cannot do alone. We need others just as they need us.

YOUTHS WHY ARE WE SO GULLIBLE?

It's unfortunate that our years in school do not longer help our reasoning. Neither does our exposure assist our mental efficacy. We long forget our responsibility as youths. Instead of being a nation builder, we are fast becoming a nation breaker. Politics is a necessary hobby after work, why do we resort to only Politics for living? In a saner world, politics used to be run part timely not as a core business. The reason why most of the developed countries have working politics and they don't kill or mail like we do. Don’t we think? Why would politics set me against my brother, whom we grew and do many exploit together? Why will I forget in a jiffy the bond of brotherhood all in the name of politics? Politics have weakened our strength to fight a common course. Politics have successfully turned us against ourselves, thinking we are fighting for some leaders. Good thing is that our respected leaders are here. I am so sure none sent us against one another . It’s sure, this generation will pass, others will come. What then would they recount about us?

OUR LEADERS

You are the best that has ever happened to us and we believe it. Just like Omo to ba fee dagba must never say an elder is dirty. You have done so well and we love you so dearly. We are only pleading that you rest your sword, bury the hatchet and make good palliatives of the broken walls of unity and tranquility. It's very difficult for me to say that if this marginalization continues because of the grandstanding between you our elders, it's unfortunate that while elders in other places are making marks, we would say ours are failing us.

In the finality, I want to implore all of us to please let Iseyin development be our politics, for we are first Iseyians before we become a politician under whichever party. If we disagree on politics, lets please agree on development. And in the instance when the 2 collide, lets allow the love of Iseyin to take prominence. It's high time Iseyinans deal in unity and harmony. Our disunity, their happiness. Our enmity, their wants. Our disintegration, their progress and fulfilment. No one can love us than us. When they smile at us, it's because we are dissociated with our countrymen to their advantage. In the world of Abraham Lincoln, America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves”. With everyone doing it right at all times, better Iseyin is very achievable. 

May God bless Iseyin and all of us.

Babajide Oniyo

August 1st, 2020.