Eyi: The best man for the Ondo job

Eyi: The best man for the Ondo job

As I stretched my hand to pick the last garden-egg I had on the tray to my right, my eyes caught an unusual movement by the window.  It was a human figure. And before I could process who it could be, the door slightly opened,  Ibikunle Yemi, my age-long friend stretched in his head gently,  just to be sure he opened the right door. This is his second time of coming here since he relocated to join us up north. ” I almost missed your office” he said, as he stepped in. ” the offices are so alike from outside, I just couldn’t tell which from which” Yemi continued and found his way to the closest chair to me. “You should have called me for proper description before coming” I said.

” I only want to make it a surprise” he concluded,  having seated.

“Ki lo nsele n’sale” ? (what’s happening down there?)  I asked innocently.

“Eyi ni oo” he answered sharply.

I sat up, folded my hands, and gave a demeanour of someone who is about to hear the world best kept secret.

Not minding the number of times we had discussed this same issue on phone in recent times,  for the next 7 minutes Yemi was patiently feeding me why Eyitayo Jegede is the best man for the Ondo job. I acted along as if all he was saying were new to me. While he was speaking,  I intentionally didn’t interrupt him or gave my opinion until he repeated for the 4th time,  ” Paul, I tell you, that man is so humble ehn”

Then I quickly added,  “and he has conquered greed also”.

Yemi went on and on narrating instances when he had interacted with Eyitayo, as facilitated by either his father,  uncles or other circumstances.

I reminded him also of our encounters with him during our days as undergraduates of the University of Benin, how accessible and receptive Eyitayo was to us despite being the Commissioner for Justice and the state’s Attorney General. And also, our countless post-student life interactions with him.

In all these,  Eyitayo Jegede never for once disappointed or failed us. Nor did he ever complain about our ceaseless visits, which were some times without prior appointment.

Ask anyone who has ever had an encounter with him,  and you will get similar descriptions of this fine gentleman.

This points to just one thing,  Eyitayo Jegede SAN is a ‘good man’. No, not the subverted and debauch definition of ‘the boy is good’  that we carry in our minds. I mean he is a man that can be trusted,  a listener,  a man of integrity and honesty, a courageous and visionary leader, an accomplished career man,  above all,  contented and humble.

Eyitayo Jegede SAN is a perfect definition of a refined man, well cultured, with great emulatable characters.

Of all these distinctive attributes, and more, of the person of Eyitayo Jegede SAN, none is more to be desired than his humility and contentment, because those are very rare qualities that are seldomly found together in an individual, especially in a political office holders.

Today, our culture, and the ones we imported have placed an untoward and indecorous relevance  on extravagant and pompous lifestyle,  which has then made humility a less desired virtue and even more,  as a sign of weakness. Whereas in its truest sense,  humility is the expression of strength of character. Because it requires a greater deal of efforts and energy for one to stay humble having attain some societal heights.

Many people today,  public office holders inclusive,  are taking paths that lead only to themselves,  and to me,  nothing is more distasteful than this. They turn the lights on themselves alone,  arrogantly boasting of what and who they are,  always ready to roar and cackle what they have achieved at every given opportunity.

Gladly, Eyitayo Jegede SAN is a different breed,  to me he has come nearest to the great because of his great humility.  Since it’s often being said that humility is a low sweet root from which all forms of godly and admirable characters shoot, it is then of  no surprise to me to find in Eyitayo a greater amount of virtues and moral principles owning to his humble and calm disposition to things.

The world at large,  and coming home,  Ondo State,  at a critical time like this than ever, needs a man who will be humble enough to listen and understand what the citizens and his co-pilots of the state’s affair are saying,  and even what is being unsaid. Someone who would be approachable,  and down to earth enough to listen to advice when it matters.

This increasingly infrequent trait of humility, that is becoming so difficult to see in people today is what has been found abundantly and consistently in Eyitayo Jegede. This, with  many other associated qualities stands him out, and qualifies him eminently for the first seat of Ondo State.

As I mentioned to Yemi,  Eyitayo Jegede has conquered greed.

Take away greed from our society and see how blissful life will get. Separate the greedy man from governance and see how great our society will be.

We cannot however really understand what greed is if we fail to examine its root –  discontentment.  Around us today are people with eyes larger than their stomachs, who are more willing than not to amass wealth (at the detriment of the masses), than they can spend in several lifetimes. Unfortunately, we have them in our state today,  they are everywhere,  every time grasping at everything and yet catching nothing but the wind.

Discussions on greed and discontentment are as old as that on wealth and power,  yet only  few today really understand that something so small could be so beautiful, and worth so much,  and that a man’s life consists not in the abundance of things he has. As rare as people with this understanding are today, here we are in Ondo State,  at a momentous stage presented with such a great opportunity to elect one of the few persons who we can truly say has conquered greed as our next governor.  Make your findings,  ask around,  especially those who had worked with Eyitayo Jegede SAN,  and those presently with him,  they won’t hesitate to tell you that Eyitayo Jegede is a contented man. He has no record of any financial indictment or fund misappropriation.  Eyitayo understands that public offices are platforms to serve the people and not for self aggrandizement.  He has been tested, and we can make bold to say that he is the best man to handle and manage the treasury of our dear state.

Greed as we know it is the mother of financial injustice in all its forms, and will forever be an enforcer of it. That is why we need a man like Jegede  to help drive out all forms of mismanagement and restore the sunshine state to the path of greatness.

Let us join hands and rescue Ondo State from the hands of  men of endless desires for defalcation and fraudulence, the avarice who are never satisfied, those in far away lands who are notoriously  craving and are after the control of our resources with such breathless haste.

Let’s us hand over what collectively belongs to us to the man we can trust- Eyitayo.

Before us is yet another opportunity to set the record straight, right our wrongs,  and put ourselves on the better side of history, by electing a governor who is truly people oriented,  a man of virtues and uncommon finesse, brilliant and sharp. Someone who has been tested and can be trusted.  A man of his words. The hope of the masses. A man that wont see the state like a personal estate. A man we can all be proud of.

As I walked Yemi to the car park,  after we had  agreed to journey together to Ondo State few days to the election so as to play our parts,  I reminded him again ” Eyi o gbodo bale”.. He smiled and gave me a high five.

He entered his car,  ignited it to a start, then slowly meandered the narrow car park, he  rolled down the window and whispered gently,  loud enough for me to hear..  “Eyi.. The best man for the Ondo job..”

Damilola Paul Owoyemi, popularly known as D.P.O wrote from Abuja via [email protected]