My advice to PDP—Outgoing Oyo coordinator, Muraina

Former member of the House of Representatives, Dr Ajibola Muraina, is the outgoing coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State. He speaks with MOSES ALAO on his experience in the office and steps the leadership of the party at all levels can take to maintain peace and cohesion in the party. Excerpts:

 

One notices that the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP has been inaugurating caretaker committees in some states, when will it be the turn of Oyo State?

You are right. Very soon, we will have a caretaker committee for PDP in Oyo State too and my very short tenure as coordinator will come to an end. But it is not how long, but how well. We have worked hard, made sacrifices both financial and moral and God has been so kind to us.

As we leave, it is our fervent prayer that our party – the PDP regains power in Nigeria in 2019 so that our people will be engaged at several positions at federal, state and local levels to contribute their quota to the development of this great country – Nigeria. We thank all those who have supported us to take PDP to this enviable height in Oyo State and we also appreciate those who have joined, rejoined or returned to the party. May Almighty Allah let us reap bountifully the proceeds of this great labour.

 

Now that you are leaving office as the PDP coordinator in Oyo State, what advice do you have to give?

First, we must realise that it is only God Almighty that puts people in positions (although He will do so by making use of some people). Power belongs to God and He gives it to whomever He wants. We should, therefore, tread carefully at all times. Most importantly, those that people put in place as our leaders at federal, state, local and ward levels and those working under them should operate with the fear of God and be just and above board. It should be noted that those working under the leaders are the ones that will make or mar the efforts of the leaders. All those people working under the leaders should not make money their priority so that whatever decisions are taken are genuine, honest and sincere – and implemented in the same manner. The leaders should also listen to the advice of the people working with them.

The analogy below will help our leaders in managing the affairs of the PDP at this point in time. There is no doubt that one’s first wife will know more about the foundation of one’s home or house than the new wife. This is because the first wife will know more about the building of the house, having put in her money, energy and a lot of sacrifices to get the house to the level it is and as a result will never wish that the house should collapse. Whatever makes a person to marry a new wife (who has divorced several times) and bring her to the house to add to the first wife, that new wife (who has divorced several times) already has varying experience and ideas of life. Unless the husband, as the leader of the house, carefully manages the house well, the new wife will make sure that she sends away the first wife and once that happens, the house will crumble, as there will be no peace in the house again. The new wife does not care. What she is doing is what she knows best to do. It is for the husband (the leader) to be careful in the management of the house. If the husband manages the house very well, the first wife will remain and appreciate him and the new wife will enjoy what the first wife had been enjoying and realise and appreciate that she cannot dismantle the house. The new wife will then remain cool and calm and there will be peace and all will be well. The new wife will also respect the leader of the house and all the parties will work harmoniously and enjoy together. So, it is in the leader’s hand whether his house will be a settled house with peace and prosperity (flowing with milk and honey) or one that will crumble easily like a pack of cards and be destroyed.

 

As coordinator of PDP in Oyo State, what has been your experience on the job and why are you giving this advice?

It is as hard as easy. I am giving this advice because when PDP was excellent, I was part of it, when PDP was in deep crisis, I was part of it and when efforts were made to get PDP out of crisis, I was part of it. Now that the PDP is out of crisis and we are praying that it never will be in crisis again, I am still a part of it. So, I know very well what I am talking about and I enjoin all our leaders at the federal, state, local and ward levels to make use of this humble advice.