AKETI’S DESERVE OUR SUPPORT IN OWO DESPITE HIS APPOINTEES ABSENTEE LEADERS
By:Oyegoke Olaposi (a.k.a Experience)
Akeredolu led administration is a super blessing to Ondo state and OWO in particular, given the unprecedented infrastructural developments that greeted the ancient kingdom in the last three years of his administration.
President, Owo Youth General Assembly
It is on record that Owo has never had it so nice like this since the return of civil rule in 1999. Surviving victims of the crisis that ravaged the ancient kingdom during Adefarati’s regime are yet to recover till now while too many who died in the tussle were vulture buried. The ancient town was militarized and small and medium scale investors ran for cover in the neighboring towns and villages.
The political agony the kingdom went through during Agagu’s administration is unprecedented. Owo was left out of the state cabinet for the entire six years of Kokuma’s tenure in office. The only slot that could have been used to accommodate Owo interest in the government was cornered to Ondo Machiavellianist by Owo political war lords, hence, the neglect of the ancient town in decision making capacity.
Mimiko came with his joker of uncompleted township dualized roads as the only major project in Owo. Sad enough, the first phase remained uncompleted after eight years. Thanks to the ever gallant members of Owo youths under the guidance of Owo is One who stopped him from commissioning the yet to be completed road project on the eve of his handing over. Where were you wailers when all these were befalling us?
It is worthy to note that in less than three years, Aketi has successfully completed and delivered the 2nd and 3rd phase of the dualized road and many other adjunct roads that linked the communities. Also, considering the army of principal and high-powered appointments the Senior Legal luminary bestowed on the kingdom, one should have expected the kingdom to be agog and their subjects to be happy and comfortable with all human necessities in terms of dividends of their efforts in launching their own into political fame and prominence most especially now that COVID 19 is threatening to swallow the entire world in utter darkness. Sad enough, too many of them hardly identify with their ward chairmen let alone relating with their constituents.
The strong efforts of Mr Governor in Providing a robust, functional, impactful, eye-catching leadership in Ondo state is superb and sine qua non but these lieutenants (appointees) needed to complement Aketi’s efforts in making life bearable for the good, the bad and the ugly in our kingdom. They all know everyone is in disarray and their subjects were not happy. Aketi was giving it his all, but he needed more supports and better feedback than he received. He needed appointees who would be around when he needed them, and who would give him substantive advice, not platitudes. As a measure of my frustration, “I would rather have had an appointee who yelled at me or made unrealistic demands for their constituents than these ones, who provided empty praise.”
I have studied their leadership derailment — or their dark side of leadership. The key derailment characteristics of these appointees are well documented and fall into three broad behavioural categories:
(1) “moving away behaviours,” which create distance from others through hyper-emotionality, diminished communication, and skepticism that erodes trust;
(2) “moving against behaviors,” which overpower and manipulate people while aggrandizing the self; and
(3) “moving toward behaviours,” which include being ingratiating, overly conforming and reluctant to take chances or stand up for one’s subjects. The popular media is full of examples of bad leaders in government, academia, and business with these characteristics.
However, majority of these Aketi’s appointees can best be describe as something arguably worse than an incompetent follower.
These appointees were not overtly misbehaving, nor were they ranting, narcissistic sociopath. Rather, they were a leader in title only — their roles was leadership, but they provided none. We are experiencing absentee leadership and unfortunately, they are not alone.
Absentee leaders are people in leadership roles who are psychologically absent from them. They were promoted into management, and enjoy the privileges and rewards of a leadership role, but avoid meaningful involvement with their subjects. Absentee leadership resembles the concept of rent-seeking in economics — taking value out of an organization without putting value in. As such, they represent a special case of laissez-faire leadership, but one that is distinguished by its destructiveness.
I have come to know over time that being ignored by one’s leader is more alienating than being treated poorly. The impact of absentee leadership on political satisfaction outlasts the impact of both constructive and overtly destructive forms of leadership. Constructive leadership immediately improves political patronage, but the effects dwindle quickly. Destructive leadership immediately degrades political patronage, but the effects dissipate after about six months. In contrast, the impact of absentee leadership takes longer to appear, but it degrades subordinates’ political patronage for at least two years. It also is related to a number of other negative outcomes for electorates, like role ambiguity and increased bullying from party members.
Many politicians don’t confront absentee leaders because they have other leaders whose behavior is more overtly destructive. Because absentee leaders don’t actively make trouble, their negative impact on governance can be difficult to detect, and when it is detected, it often is considered a low-priority problem. Thus, absentee leaders are often silent party killers.
Left unchecked, absentee leaders clog an administration’s succession arteries, blocking potentially more effective people from moving into important roles while adding little to productivity. Absentee leaders rarely engage in unforgivable bouts of bad behaviour. As a result, their negative effect on party politics accumulates over time, largely unchecked.
Nonetheless, the adhesiveness of their negative impacts is slowly harming the government that has good intentions for the entire masses of our great kingdom and Ondo state in general.
Common sense should beckon on these elected and appointed political office holders that they are to make their subjects and party faithfuls feel their impacts. Except for a selected few, reverse is the case. This is sad and outrageous. It is idle and vain to expect Mr Governor to carry out acid test on anyone before being appointed but undoubtedly, he has gave us more than what could be mentioned in terms of appointment. I stand to be challenged by any authority. Are these appointees not from Owo? Anyway, their silence on most of the platforms where their principal’s personality are been attacked and shattered gave credence to my stand and position. Few among them who tried to educate the public on the doings of Aketi were tagged Public Relations Officer by other passive appointees.
Aketi has done his bit and he deserve second chance but you these appointees from OWO should change your way so that you wouldn’t struggle to get people’s mandate come October.
He who has ears should listen
