There are two types of leaders. The first type are leaders who make wrong decisions, and when it is pointed out to them, refuse to accept their error in judgement. They and their followers will twist and bend the facts to suit their narrative but they only end up boring themselves into holes they cannot get out of.
The second type are leaders who are able to look back and see that they were wrong, admit it to themselves and then admit it to the world. These types of leaders are rare and hard to find. The people of Oyo State have found that leader in Governor Seyi Makinde.
If errors were what You counted who can stand?
That question was asked thousands of years ago by a king who was not alien to errors. But what made that ancient leader stand out is that when his errors brought to his attention, he immediately apologised and took responsibility for it.
I have received your complaints about the rally that was held yesterday, and I feel obligated to state in clear terms that we acted based on the information we had at that time. In retrospect, it should not have happened and I take responsibility for that lapse in judgement.
I have received your complaints about the rally that was held yesterday, and I feel obligated to state in clear terms that we acted based on the information we had at that time. In retrospect, it should not have happened and I take responsibility for that lapse in judgement.
— Seyi Makinde (@seyiamakinde) March 19, 2020
When the PDP held its Unification Rally in Oyo State on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Nigeria had three confirmed cases of the Coronavirus and lots of people were still going about their normal businesses. That was to change within a few hours. By the end of that day, five new cases were confirmed. Suddenly, something that seemed far-fetched to many presented a clear and present danger.
Of course, hindsight is always 20:20. When we do autopsies, it is easier to find what the problem is and wonder why it was not so clear before. Yet, we only have autopsies after a person has died. But, the result is user to prevent similar deaths.
So, when is an apology not enough?
An apology is not enough when works that befit repentance do not follow the apology. When a person just says the words but does nothing per restitution.
Each day, we make mistakes. We commit errors either by not doing what we were supposed to do or doing something we were not supposed to do. Sometimes, these errors cost us something and there is nothing we can do about it. But when we take responsibility, and take actions that show we are indeed sorry, we are able to put ourselves back in good standing.
Governor Seyi Makinde has apologised to the people of Oyo State for his error in judgement. Just last night, at a press conference, he reaffirmed his commitment to making things right. He has set up a COVID-19 Task Force to take charge of the efforts already put in place by the Commissioner for Health since February, 2020.
He has stated what he will do going forward regarding the now clear and present danger of COVID- 19. Including setting up within the next 72 hours, a State Diagnostic Center, so that samples do not need to be sent to Lagos. He has also provided a blank cheque to cover expenses related to the fight of this disease. May history be kind to him just as it was to that ancient ruler.
Yes, there are two types of leaders in Nigeria today: Seyi Makinde and the others.
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