By Dr Andrew Ojiemhenkele

Chrysostom describes patience as the queen of all virtues. It is the brave and courageous acceptance of everything life can do to us, and the transmitting of even the worst into another step on the upward way.

Patience is however the courageous and triumphant ability to bear things that enable a man to pass breaking point and not to break, and always to greet the unseen cheer. It is of course the virtue that makes a leader somebody who can relate with all categories of people. 

In His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ demonstrated a very high level of patience in handling matters relating to His relationship with His disciples and all others that came around Him. He handled persons like the doubting Thomas, the unstable Peter, and the traitorous Judas with a lot of patience.

With patience, you can frustrate and disappoint the imaginations and expectations of your enemies. They, your enemies can be completely disarmed because your actions and inactions are weapons that could dismantle all forms of battle targeted at derailing your efforts.

The word patience in Esan orthography means “IZIEGBE”, which is a synonym for perseverance, endurance and resilience.  AZIEGBEMI being a derivative of IZIEGBE as its route word means having the patience to bear. As the name Aziegbemi implies, Dr Tony Aziegbemi is Aziegbemi indeed. No wonder the saying goes that the name you give to a child is what the child will live.

Today,  I join millions of Tony Aziegbemi’s well-wishers, friends, relations, and colleagues all over the world who are pouring congratulatory messages with every sense of humour and honest show of love on his return back to the office as Chairman of PDP in Edo State.

As a just and upright man, Aziegbemi has again demonstrated that he has no axe to grind, yet he possed a compelling personality.

The events of today, in which those who hitherto said he should be crucified now later turn around to sing Hossana for him clearly justifies that Dr Tony Aziegbemi is a man of high moral principles and a convinced philanthropist. 

He is a man of competent character, morally upright, technically and administratively sound, and has the right motivation to do the job of state chairmanship of PDP in Edo state.

As a true and effective leader, Dr Tony Aziegbemi is seriously guided by his attitude of being responsible and accountable to the laws regulating and governing his party (PDP), his own conscience, his primary constituent, and those for whose interest he was elected to serve as state chairman of PDP in Edo.

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He is equally conscious of the fact that he is not a law unto himself but should uphold established laws and treat others with respect. He understands the importance of two-way accountability and acts accordingly. 

Dr Tony Aziegbemi possesses a humble spirit, which of course is the surest evidence of greatness. Like Peter Marshal, a world-class gospel preacher rightly said in his prayer, ” Lord when I am wrong, make me willing to accept my mistakes and change from that act of wrongdoing, and when I am right; make me easy to live with it” cannot be more demonstrated by the demeanour and humility displayed by the man who has all it takes to fight and win any battle. 

Yet, he humbled himself like our Lord Jesus Christ, who in His humility died disgracefully at the cross. Aziegbemi received all forms of humiliation, embarrassment and disgrace for an offence he never committed.  He was vilified and treated like a common criminal. People he least expected cast aspersions on him.

They called him names and described him with all sorts of indignation. Yet he remained focused, calm, unprovoked, and resolute. No wonder, Chinua Achebe said, when the evil spirits beat the drum for the downfall of an innocent man, God will not allow the drum to sound.

Finally, God has vindicated Dr Tony Aziegbemi and has proved his distractors wrong, whose intention was to bring Aziegbemi’s track record of transparency, integrity, and trustworthiness to a state of disreputable ignoramus and dishonour.   

Once again, I say a very big congratulation to you my LEADER, my CHAIRMAN, my BROTHER, my FRIEND,  my CONFIDANT, and my MENTOR.

Vanguard News Nigeria