By Olajide Hamzat
Think of the five zones that made up Oyo State and the unique challenges each of them confronts and the kind of opportunities they each bring to the table. To effectively make change happen therefore, it is imperative to understand the things that make both the people and the places unique, exceptional and stand-out in their own right – without shortchanging or sidelining one part for the other. This becomes necessary to address what matters to each other, and to give everyone what truly they deserve.
One of my favourite definitions of justice is to give everyone what they deserve, and by that, it means carving out a solution that is ultimately rooted and reflected in people’s lived realities and experiences. Perhaps, rather than advocate for equality or equity, we must continuously seek justice to build an inclusive society. For a leadership that will make a difference in people’s lives, such must adopt the bottom-up approach instead of top-to bottom approach to tackling challenges. For instance, a bottom-up approach ensures justice and fairness as it addresses issues through the perspectives and lens of the people. A whole lot rests on the shoulders of leaders to rethink their minds, mindsets and state of the mind in leading and service. Ultimately, a challenged mind is one that can potentially experience seismic shift in all facets of life.
A mind shift can only take place in an atmosphere of openness, readiness, humility, courage etcetera. A significant point to note is the difference between changing position on critical matters and sustaining one’s values. Much of what has permeated our leadership circles is one of closed minded, arrogantly flippant, and ignorant groups of people who only think of themselves and their respective acolytes and cronies. To have a new place we can all be proud to call our own, adopting a growth mindset is sacrosanct and that is only possible in an environment of hope, optimism, gratitude, conviction etcetera.
One city, two stories. The implication of this dichotomy is that no two places identify with the same problem. In fact, where that appears to be the case, similarities in features do not translate to sameness in terms of characteristics. In other words, the nearest in meaning is not the same as the exact. Take the cities. Ibadan, the capital city is even divided into two broad categories. We have the inner and the less city. Of the 11 local governments that made up the entire city landscape, only about five belong in the innermost part of the old western region capital, those five are also urban, in that, they have the infrastructure, for instance that gave them out as more appealing, enticing and attractive to the outsiders. They also have more heads hustling to make ends meet and continue to evolve in ways that appear quite progressive, adaptive and disruptive. For the remaining six local government areas, the story is quite different. While the long hands of development might be catching them in terms of road infrastructure, for instance, they are still very far from stepping into the big shoes of urbanization. Basically, they are better described as the outskirts of the city.
A new leadership mind is what separates the wheat of Amofin Beulah Adeoye from the grains of others. It is what made him different: his uncanny ability to engage in intellectual conversation, have his mind shift on issues and sustain his values of integrity, diligence, and compassion. Amofin Beulah Adeoye has an impressive understanding of the comparative advantages in each of the zones. He’s been to all and has interacted with all categories of the people. He’s gained a deeper and profound insights into what makes each standout of the pack. He’s combing through the zones with a view to changing the story and rewriting the narrative. He’s taking the bull of the state’s uniqueness and peculiarities by the horns. He’s unrelenting.
Olajide Hamzat writes about the various prospects and potential of Oyo state while projecting Amofin Beulah Adeoye as a solution provider, problem solver and creative, adaptive and innovative leader and thinker with compassion and empathy.
