“The evil that men do lives after them.” — William Shakespeare.
In the great land of Kwara State, where leadership was once a solemn duty, a commitment to growth and collective progress, we now find ourselves trapped in a tragicomedy worthy of Ola Rotimi’s: “Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again.” But instead of a bumbling ex-military man playing politics like a board game, we have a ruler who sees governance as a personal estate, where grudges dictate policies, and progress is sacrificed on the altar of pettiness.
Like Lejoka-Brown, who mistook leadership for a power trip, Ogbeni Alade has mistaken public office for a tool of personal control.
His decisions, instead of being guided by logic or public interest, are driven by paranoia, vengeance, and insecurity. The latest episode in this political farce? The halting of a pavilion project near the Emir’s palace, a structure meant to host royal and community events, and a symbol of cultural pride and unity.
And what was the grand excuse for stopping this noble project? “No permission was given.” This is from a government that rarely remembers due process when it serves its own interests. How convenient! When development is happening outside his control, bureaucracy suddenly becomes sacred law. But when it’s time to award contracts in secrecy or spend public funds without accountability, rules become an afterthought.
But this is more than just another act of administrative pettiness. The stoppage of the pavilion project is yet another direct assault on the Ilorin Emirate, a continuation of a pattern of both subtle and blatant hostilities towards revered traditional institutions. A leader who truly understands the cultural and historical significance of traditional institutions would work to strengthen them, not undermine them. But when ego leads, wisdom takes flight.
As if sabotaging development wasn’t enough, the government has now resorted to punishing citizens for fixing its failures. In the Ipaiye-Maigida community, four representatives of the people have been arraigned for rehabilitating the Weru bridge, a bridge long abandoned by the government despite its importance to the community.
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So, let’s get this straight: the government neglects infrastructure, forcing communities to take matters into their own hands. But instead of showing gratitude, what does the government do? Drag the community leaders to court. A government that cannot build should, at the very least, allow others to build. But when power is used for oppression rather than progress, even good deeds become crimes.
But beyond the pavilion drama and the persecution of citizens, Ogbeni is already scripting the next act in his comedy series, his “third-term agenda”. At first, he promised to return the governorship ticket to the North. Now, whispers from the corridors of power suggest he’s contemplating handing it to a probable business partner from the Central. And for what? To protect his profligacy? To ensure that his financial recklessness, questionable contracts, and opaque governance style remain untouched? Ogbeni is now playing chess with the fate of an entire state because, in his world, governance is not about service but about survival.
Yet, history has no patience for such political theatre. Just as Lejoka-Brown’s misadventures ended in humiliation, so too will any leader who places vendetta above vision. The people see, the people know, and when the time comes, the people will remember. Because governance is not about who holds grudges best, it is about who serves the people most.
Kwarans are watching and waiting while the comedy continues.
. Oba, a journalist, writes from Lagos.
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