I AM writing from the temple of absolute sincerity this time, which of course, is not uncustomary to my usual appearances and analyses. I feel seriously concerned about this issue because, when a people are being led by a leader whose political approach is anathema to the real concept of quality leadership, their silence in the face of such anomaly is tantamount to sheer hypocrisy, which may plunge them into wallowing in the hallucination of realities of genuine progress and development with no remedy in sight.

Undoubtedly, failure of Prof. Robert Boroffice to secure a second term in the Nigerian senate is just an accident waiting to happen, for what stands at the core of his political world is undue sentiments and manipulations, which are evident through the length and breadth of his political undertakings.

However, I have clearly discerned from the works of various great political philosophers a common denominator that; political authority has its rule in the service of freedom, and its perfection in its movement away from mastership, from proud sovereignty, from idiotic egocentricity, from apathy and segregation, and all qualities of mediocrity and authoritarianism.

Qualities of mediocrity

Authority in its actual sense, exists singularly for the service of the society and the governed subjects, and not a tool of oppression, not a tool of machination, not a tool of manipulation for capricious interests and whimsical desires.

Bode Olajumoke

Senator Robert Boroffice has been representing my senatorial district, Ondo North, since June 2011, but all our expectations that the revered Professor will create a science out of the study of governance have been visibly defeated.

He is better placed as a teacher in a Zoology class than a senator in the National Assembly, for he does not really understand the intricate tapestry of legislative business and cannot hide his apathy and segregation in the execution of constituency projects.

Every man by nature, is selfish. But when a man becomes extreme in his quest to cart away the larger share of a collective item, he is said to be unfairly selfish and greedy. In view of this, I make bold to say justice, fairness and equity which are supposed to be major pedestals upon which political culture is transmitted have been carelessly destroyed by Boroffice.

I bring an instance here for you out of many. As a senator representing six local governments of Ondo North, Boroffice has built six different three-classroom blocks through the people’s constituency entitlements.

Going by simple logic, somebody would expect each local government to have one, but alas! apart from the one at Ikaro Primary School, Ose local government, the remaining five are situated in his own local government, Akoko South West. He built only one six-classroom block, and as well, this is sited in his hometown.

As if that is not enough, while he has executed projects that run into hundreds of millions of naira in his admiring hometown, notable towns in the senatorial district like Afin, Ibaram, Ighasi, Eriti, Gedegede, Okeluse, Auga, Uso, and Idashen have been completely ostracized from his list of consideration. I challenge anyone to walk through these beautiful towns and point out a single project executed by Boroffice! Just two weeks ago, a horrendous windstorm hit Sosan and Ifira communities in Akoko South East local government area, where 277 houses were affected.

Displaced victims

I got there and saw buildings whose entire roofs were removed by the wind.

One could easily feel the heartbreaking pains of displaced victims. But when the people cried out to Boroffice for assistance, he told them he was not the Director General of NEMA, and as such, took no concrete steps to alleviate the people’s plights.

What an unprofessional way of treating constituency members! Would he have uttered such statement if he was a native of Ifira or Sosan community? How can he draw a complete map of Ondo North senatorial district without these two important towns? Why did he not give hope to the helpless on whose behalf he is accorded the giant status of a senator?

However, the people will forever be grateful to God-sent Bode Olajumoke, who came to solidarize with them, and made a case of the unfortunate disaster to the state government and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.Most legendary in the political records of Senator Boroffice was his hasty hobnobbing with the opposition ACN and his eventual defection to the defunct party less than six months he was elected to the senate.

Then as a Labour Party senatorial candidate in 2011, Boroffice, while describing ACN as lacking in internal democracy and a party of unrepentant buccaneers, promised to help take the LP to its desired height.

Desired height

And with unrelenting efforts of the State Governor and committed members of the party, rookie politician like him was able to secure victory at the poll.

However, after he had repeatedly debunked all insinuations that he was going to betray the people’s trust and commitment, Robert Boroffice jumped fence to the said ACN in December 2011, leaving the Labour Party members feeling robbed and disappointed.

A man of no principle is a man of ridicule, he needs moral rectitude to reach a great altitude. If our politics is to be 21st-century compliant, leaders must be made to give adequate account of their dealings and actions.

The message I got from here is that, someone who lives in glass house has thrown stones, I therefore urge pedestrians on the streets to avoid being hit again and again.

The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it. Now that another opportunity has come for us to change the mantle, we surely need to opt for a replacement.

We need a man of heavy presence, charisma and gravitas, in whose personal qualities we can reliably invest confidence. A man of tacit intelligence and political calculations. An evangelist of moral and financial probity. One with smooth unblemished records. A man who has adequate experience of law making and enviable political relevance.

We need a representative who can move motions in the National Assembly and sponsor genuine bills. One who will put a stop to visionless leadership and abolish this growing idea of segregation.

A leader who can help reduce the level of poverty and illiteracy in our land. Behold, people of this land, let us unite and put an end to this pervasive ethno-community demagogy, by voting Dr. Bode Olajumoke for Senator, Ondo North Senatorial District. He is the man for the job!

Samad Abd’Fatah Orijeminiyiwrites from Oba-Akoko, Ondo State.