Hi Folks,
Friday is a great day to catch up with events around the world. “Omicron” is busy dealing it’s blow across the world; topic for another day.
Lagos is currently experiencing a mix of events from government to individuals and communities, my friend Edgar is also there getting sponsorship like someone who is been bathing with the wizard’s “soap”, decided to jump on the debate and I this can only be the best Friday gift I can give you. Enjoy!
“I had just finished a piece on Gov Sanwo-Olu for my thisday colunm when I went on Instagram and saw him braving covid and singing campus solidarity songs with the students of LASU I want to guess.
His gleaming black suit and beautiful red tie sharply contrasting the dour and demure clothing of his audience
It was like Davido on stage. His mannerism, his comfort on the mic and the way he controlled the audience suggest a campus life filled with activism and fun for the young Sanwo-Olu
I have watched this particular Governor from afar and a little bit closer much more recently.
His urge to quickly dymstify the position. Bringing the aura of the Governor from its heavenly heights to a touching distance of the average Lagosian is commendable.
As he arrived for my Play Awo, I stood in expectation. His Special Adviser on Culture, Bonu Solomon prepping me. Duke, His Excellency wants to know when he can start coming
I say which Excellency o. Which Excellency is taking permission to start coming. The one I am used to just come, throw their security into the Hall, stop my actors- the same actors they have come to watch- from accessing the stage in the name of security and bring Ogas chair and ogas mantle to speak.
So I was pleasantly surprised to hear Bonu say – Duke, His Excellency has blocked other activities and wants to know the exact time he should come.
I said, ‘ Bonu my brother, mbok let him come o’
He arrives and playfully shakes me. Duke Baba he says to me. Your Excellency I say to him. He shakes me the way you shake your paddy and says in yoruba, what is expected of me.
I say let’s go to the green room. He says oya. Then as he walks up the stairs, he playfully ask for toast bread from my girl.
The girl almost faints. He says ‘ shey toast bread ni yen’ and we all laugh.
Now this is different from that displayed by my other brother Fayose. Fayose was the ultimate populist Governor although his, came with rough edges and reminded you of the motor park urchin.
Sanwo-Olu’s style comes with refined class. A sophistication that is unharmed but still retains the elegance that is needed for a City State like Lagos.
He has so dymstified the position to the point that you begin as a citizen to understand that power is truly for the people and not a platform to preen and move around like an overfed Roman Emperor
This is why his instincts and natural proclivities have led him into the seeming albatross that is Endsars.
At the very start, he jumped on it trying to wrestle the bull away from its initial ‘scaterdnes’ and giving it more bite. He grabbed the leadership as he identified with the vision behind the movement.
I remember him at the toll gate addressing the crowd like an energized Student Union Activist. I remember him fly into Abuja with the demands of the agitators and I remember him being at the centre of it all
Then it took a dive and he pulled back. An orgy of violence was unleashed on his state and he came out burnt.
Today the Report has been released into another storm and His Excellency’s instinct is to jump in again and direct the course of action
He has asked for a peace walk to heal the wounds and as expected he has been stoned by the activists who still feel that justice is a long way off.
Is he perturbed? I doubt. Cos from what I see, is the fact that Sanwo-Olu’s mien is not a put on.
I see and feel that he is genuine in his intentions. Yes inexperience and a little bit if naivety here and there but he still with a clear conscience wants to heal the wounds and tell Lagosians that it’s ok.
I see a lack of fear for job security on his part. I sense a lack of fear for the structures that put him there being bouyed by the need to do good and assuage the pain of his people.
As he jumps on the collapsed building at 2am straight from a trip abroad, you sense the need to be on top of things. Not standing and giving orders but leading in front and folding his sleeves and literally carrying the huge blocks of destroyed dreams.
Sanwo-Olu’s style is different. It’s not aggressive and arrogant. He doesn’t look at governance from the pulpit of spite and goes about his business like the servant leader he has said he is.
His playfulness hits the right chord with the people making his public appearances a sight to behold and strengthening his popularity away from the demented structures that threw him up.
Will this be sufficient to push for a second term? Remains to be seen . But from where I am seated, I think he deserves much more than a second term.
I think he should arrow head a new crop of young leaders stripped of the suffocating hold of tired and aging power structures who do not really understand the growing desires of a vivacious population majorly housing a vibrant army of milenial idealists.
Sanwo understands them and can reach them but will the powers that be give him the leeway to do that?
This is the question that needs to be answered . For now, I say welldone my Play Play Governor and God bless.
Edgar Joseph
Duke of Shomolu”.
Quite frankly, no one has described his excellency in his true element as Edgar has done. Babajide Sanwo-Olu makes governance seem so easy and he is getting jabbed for it. Wetin our people want sef?
Remember to make someone smile today through your act of kindness as you rock to the weekend.
Yours,
Ilupeju B