Re: Lagos – “Mr. Governor, This Sacrifice Must Reach Olodumare”: Fouad Oki Replies Funke Egbemode
Dear Ms. Funke Egbemode,
Profound Appreciation for Your Courageous Voice and Timely Admonition
I write to you with deep admiration and gratitude for your incisive, thought-provoking piece, “Lagos: Mr. Governor, This Sacrifice Must Get To Olodumare.”
Your words resonate not merely as commentary but as a clarion call for introspection, reconciliation, and wisdom in these politically charged times. Your mastery of allegory, Yoruba proverbs, and historical parallels illuminates the gravity of the current rift between our revered President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while also sounding the alarm on the APC’s precarious dance with political entropy.
Your invocation of the Olodumare myth, the rebellion of the Orishas, the drought, and the sacrificial journey of the peacock captures the essence of leadership, accountability, and the humility required to mend fractured bonds.
By framing Governor Sanwo-Olu’s path to reconciliation as a “platter of pottage of appeasement,” you evoke a cultural ethos that transcends partisan politics. It is a reminder that leadership, at its core, is stewardship: a sacred trust between the governed and the governor, the father and his children, the source and the river.
Your admonition to the APC, likening its swelling ranks to Alaafin Jayin’s doomed household, pierces through the veneer of political opportunism. The warning that “strange bedfellows will soon break all the beds” is prophetic. In an era where power often blinds its holders to the whispers of history, your voice stands as a beacon of clarity.
You have artfully juxtaposed the APC’s present euphoria with the cautionary tale of a kingdom undone by hubris, reminding us that no political structure, no matter how formidable, is immune to the toxins of disunity and greed.
Most compelling, however, is your appeal to President Tinubu’s paternal instincts: “Omode kii mo eko je ko ma ra lowo.” This proverb, like the parable of the prodigal son, speaks to the redemptive power of forgiveness and the wisdom of tempering discipline with grace. Your call for the President to “draw Governor Sanwo-Olu close with the left hand” is not merely political advice, it is a plea for the preservation of legacy, unity, and the very soul of progressive governance.
Ms. Egbemode, your piece transcends journalism; it is a work of cultural preservation, moral philosophy, and civic love. In a media landscape often cluttered with sensationalism, your pen has carved a path back to “ìwà rere” (good character), ‘òtítọ́” (truth), and “ìmọ̀tẹ̀lẹ̀” (foresight). For this, I thank you.
Invitation to Collective Supplication
You concluded with a stirring appeal to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic and the APC.
I now humbly invite you to join me in lifting this matter to Olodumare and the ancestors. Let us pray, as you so poignantly warned, that those concerned “harken to our cries lest the issue become *Ao mu Erin j’oba eweku ewele* tales.”
Let us intercede for:
Wisdom for President Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu to prioritize reconciliation over pride.
Discernment for the APC to navigate its “voluptuous bosoms” of opportunism without suffocation.
Unity that transcends the “cold war” and secures Lagos and Nigeria from becoming a theater of political egungun (specters).
Your piece has already ignited crucial dialogue. Together, may our prayers and advocacy ensure it also ignites healing.
With utmost respect and solidarity,
Fouad Oki
