Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi (JDS), who supported Governor Seyi Makinde’s re-election bid in 2023, has raised fresh concerns about the administration, urging the governor to embrace constructive criticism and listen beyond the voices of praise singers
Full statement below:
PUBLIC STATEMENT BY OKANLOMO ODUA / GBONKA OLUBADAN
A GOVERNOR SURROUNDED BY PRAISE SINGERS IS ON A JOURNEY OF DOOM
My dear people of Oyo State,
There is an old wisdom that every leader must never forget: the greatest danger to a man in power is not the voice of his enemies, but the silence of those who should tell him the truth.
A Governor who surrounds himself only with praise singers, sycophants and people whose livelihood depends on applauding every decision may enjoy temporary comfort, but he risks losing contact with the reality of the people he governs.
Government is not a theatre for endless applause. Leadership is a responsibility to the people.
A wise Governor must have people around him who can say “Sir, this policy is wrong.”
He must have advisers who can say “The people are suffering.”
He must have officials courageous enough to say “This project is not working.”
And he must be prepared to listen when ordinary citizens complain.
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The tragedy begins when every criticism is interpreted as hatred, every question as an attack, and every opposition voice as an enemy.
That is the beginning of isolation.
The official Oyo State government website identifies Engr. Seyi Makinde as the Executive Governor of Oyo State. His administration has also publicly presented a number of programmes and initiatives as part of its governance record. But history will not ultimately judge any administration by the number of speeches, ceremonies, awards or praises it receives. History will judge it by the condition in which it leaves the people and the institutions of the State.
My message is therefore not one of hatred. It is a message of responsibility.
Oyo State belongs to all of us.
The Governor may have loyal supporters. Political parties may have their interests. Government officials may defend their principal. Praise singers may continue to sing.
But beyond all of them are the traders struggling with the cost of living, the farmers battling insecurity and rising costs, the workers whose purchasing power is shrinking, the young people searching for meaningful opportunities, the parents struggling to educate their children, and the communities demanding roads, security, healthcare, electricity and genuine economic opportunities.
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Their voices must not be drowned by political praise.
A government that hears only applause eventually mistakes applause for reality.
That is a dangerous journey.
The Governor should therefore welcome independent voices, strengthen institutions, encourage constructive criticism and create an environment where competent people can tell him the truth without fear.
No leader is infallible.
No administration is beyond criticism.
No political achievement is greater than the welfare of the people.
And no Governor, however powerful, should forget that political power is temporary, but the consequences of governance can remain for generations.
As an elder of Ibadanland and a stakeholder in the future of Oyo State, I have no interest in destroying anybody. My interest is in ensuring that the State does not lose its way.
We must choose truth over flattery.
Performance over propaganda.
Accountability over personality cults.
Service over political celebration.
And the welfare of the people over the comfort of those surrounding power.
Let nobody misunderstand this message.
I am not asking anyone to hate the Governor. I am asking the Governor to listen beyond the praise singers.
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For when a leader hears only praise, he may not know when the people have stopped applauding.
And when the people stop applauding, history begins to ask difficult questions.
Oyo State must not be taken on a journey of political self-deception.
Let truth speak.
Let conscience speak.
Let the people speak.
And let every leader remember that power has an expiry date, but legacy does not.
Signed:
Chief Jubril Dotun Sanusi
Okanlomo Odua / Gbonka Olubadan of Ibadanland
