SK AND THE FUSION OF INTELLECT AND CHARACTER. Written by Kayode AjalaSunday, 01 December 2013 00:00 Students who graduated from the school of arts, Auchi Polytechnic will tell you that they were trained by Dr. Adejumo. He was a tall ultra charismatic professor whose personality profile was so strong that all other lecturers in the school seemed to pale into the background. So influential was Adejumo’s character that he was among the first lecturers who infused into students under his tutelage that artists were not to be trained only to become teachers and illustrators in advert agencies. He taught them to practice what they learned in their studios, to participate in art exhibitions and not to be afraid to ask for millions of naira or their invaluable art works. Within afew years of his churning out highly motivated artists, the Nigerian art scene was changed. His students turned the arts scene in the country around.Today, we have exhibitions in Nigeria, we have arts auctions, we have thriving galleries and a great crop of collectors. In a nutshell, the art industry in Nigeria today is worth billions in Naira, with thousands of expatriates and tourists trooping in annually to buy art works. It all happened because a charismatic man stepped intothe scene and dictated a new trend, effortlessly inoculating his revolutionary philosophies into the system and changing the whole system forever for better. Christians all over Nigeria, and probably non-Christians as well, always grow weak in the knees with admiration and respect whenever the person of Enoch Adejare Adeboye was mentioned. This simple and unassuming former professor of mathematics had the leadership of an obscure church thrust into his lap at the prime of his career. By being his super charismatic self, he was able to transform the small church into the biggest Pentecostal church in the world and by far the fastest growing as well. Sina Kawonise, SK, as he is fondly called, shares one thing in common with these two individuals—charisma. In his simple and unassuming manner, this tall quiet gentleman, with an open face, probably comes across to most people as an enigmatic technocrat. But a close interaction with him soon makes evident his deep intellect, his wide open arm approach in his relationships with fellow human beings. Most people have a limited view of life, caught in a maze and not being able to see beyond the next dead end. Sina Kawonise has an aerial view approach to issues, with a clear view from above the limitations of the myopic, he sees above the maze and his far reaching vision makes the every day petty squabbles and feuds of elementary Nigerian Politics, look childish and senseless to him. To him, Nigeria is more than one single politician’s interest. He sees politics as an opportunity for all to contribute to the betterment and progress of Nigeria in which we all live.Responsibility,as SK sees it, is not the sole reserve of those who win elections, but a call upon all. Winning or losing anelection, is not the most important thing, rather, the crucial issue is the peace and progress of the entire country, fostered through the operations of a mature polity and politicking. SK’s principles, manifested in his recorded actions, leave other politicians wondering if he were not naïve. But the truth is that to him, winning is not a one man’s thing, but an ideological category. It is not the politician that wins; it is the ideology that wins. Thus, everything must be done to make sure that the right set of ideologies wins, and once this is achieved, it matters little who is in the seat of office.. It is this principle that made him to join the labour party, whose ideals he strongly believes in and his politics so far, will leave no one in doubt that his aspiration is the success of the party, and not so much his own success in attaining a particular office.This is why there is no room for bitterness in his politics. His focus on party ideologies and objectives creates no room for personal feelings that could be hurt. To him, the politician must be the source of kindness and succor to his fellow human beings, an opportunity to have his arms wide open to all, irrespective of party affiliations. This singular quality makes him stand taller in profile, than all the other politicians in Ogun State today. Sina Kawonise has travelled to 14 out of the 20 local government areas in Ogun state on consultation with political leaders and elders, and he is still going to others.Everywhere he has gone, he has always been in the habit of opening his presentations by saying that he brought greetings from the other aspirants in the Labour Party in Ogun state, Viz, Former Minister of Solid Minerals, Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola, Mr Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI), who was the Gubernatorial Candidate of PPN in the 2011 general election, and Hon Biodun Akinlade, currently in the House of Representatives. He emphasizes with all sincerity that there is no competition among the four of them and that whoever emerges as the labour party candidate among the four of them must be accepted by the others without rancor.So deep seated were Kawonise’s beliefs in his ideals that when he visited Abeokuta North LGA, to consult with the political leaders there, his first port of call was the residence of Sharafa, a fellow aspirant, after consultations. At Sharafa’s house, Kawonise read his campaign manifesto to his host, right inside the latter’s living room. His aim was to make sure that the best is presented for Labour party.Thus all available contributions must be accepted and incorporated. Before he visited Imeko-Afon local government, the home base of GNI, to consult with the political leaders in the local government area, he called GNI first, to inform him of his intention to visit. The idea being that his visit was a responsibility of GNI as well as himself, not the project of a separate opponent. Recently when GNI launched a book at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Kawonise was the only aspirant that attended the event to give him moral support.One of the unique characteristics of Kawonise’s manifesto, titled “Mission Rekindled” is the creation of ward development councils. He explained that the seven member council will be made up of the representatives from the three leading political parties in the state, as well as representatives of the religious groups, women’s groups and the youth group. This is the ideal of a man who will include anyone that has anything to offer towards the development of the state, not a man who is building barriers based on political sentiments or building an empire for himself. Before the current campaign to be Governor of Ogun State,SK’s image in Ogun State and beyond was that of a loyal, principled and committed person. Key personalities, such as Chief Ayo Adebanjo and his boss and former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, at his 50th birthday last year, attested to the fact of SK being a thorough bred Omoluabi. His razor sharp intellect had also been part of his persona. With the manifestation of this important personality trait of a team player and a broad-minded political actor, it is obvious that Ogun State, nay Nigeria, has an emerging and engaging leader in SK. Ajala, Veteran Journalist and Media Consultant, sent in this article from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 05:26:32 +0000
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