Festus Adedayo, relatively unknown to sound readers and practicing Journalists, seems to have been one Adedayo, who embarked on an advisory role as Special Adviser to former Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who advised the then Governor to failure. A 53 year old boy from Oyo State, described as one who like a “hired assassin,” has hung around the cabal in power, seeking his own share of the bounty.
Is one Festus Adedayo, the same, described as one who has penchant for crumbs falling from the table? It is sad, how Festus Adedayo laboured so much in traversing the nooks and crannies of Ivory Coast, describing an ancient building which was built over 40 years ago. It is sad that despite describing in his piece that Houphouet-Boigny had stated that, “the Basilica was privately funded,” Adedayo still found a means of surreptitiously tying the building to public funds.
The self-styled Journalist, who attempted to take a swipe on Governor Umo Eno, said, “He spoke like one of those pastoral conmen.” Only Adedayo who has been a conman in his lifetime, can clearly describe how “pastoral conmen” talks or behaves.
Adedayo did not also establish if the Governor had stood in the international worship centre as a presiding pastor, or in his capacity as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. To allow boys like Festus Adedayo continue to litter our media space with garbage, I feel sad for the next generation of readers, who Adedayo should be mentoring in his so called wanton journalism voyage.
Adedayo who in his warped knowledge said, “Many feel that in a state ravaged by squalor, hunger, underdevelopment and gross lack, were Nigeria, a country with repercussion for governmental mis-judgment and profligacy, all those behind the construction of this wastage should be made to cough out every farthing- the product of their greed and indiscretion.” For emphasis sake, I had to reproduce one of his paragraphs, and ask Festus Adedayo the following questions: Festus, when you said that “many feel,” who are this many? Are the many, Lagosians or Yorubas? Are they his friends or his sponsors? Are the many, Adedayo’s family members? Where did this “many,” see Adedayo to complain to him, and thereafter, appointed him their Spokesperson, if Festus Adedayo did not embark on a yeoman’s job to curry political favours?
When characters like Festus Adedayo writes, an average reader should be mindful of what he exerts his energy to read, so as not be rendered jobless by a man who desperately seeks for the attention of the men in power.
I ask Festus again, if in his ill-conceived feeling, because Festus seems to have found a niche of feelings for himself, how many times has Adedayo taken a swipe on the looted funds on Maina and then Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, that the looted funds be accounted for, and utilized effectively? How many times has Festus Adedayo been concerned on the economic policies of the Federal Government that Nigerians are crying out against? How many times has Festus demanded that Nigeria be restructured?
Since according to Adedayo, Nigeria is not a country where repercussions are taken for governmental mis-judgments, is Festus also not witnessing the heavy looting that had bedeviled the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, right from the last administration? Is Festus “feelings” of fantasy or pen exuberance, blind to the above?
He had also inferred that, “The Atheists Society of Nigeria had sued Akwa Ibom State Government on ‘his’ imaginary wastefulness of the church project.” All over the world, governments have come under litigation, it has sued and has been sued, so, Adedayo making an attempt to promote his Atheism in guise of buttressing a needless point, is in itself, a hogwash.
I think that, from the practice of Adedayo’s atheism, they do not believe in God and its existence, so, why should his religious organization, be concerned with the worship centre that the people of Akwa Ibom State, have given a thumbs up for? I am tempted to deduce that, if the Akwa Ibom State Government had built a religious place of gathering for Festus Adedayo and his Atheist movement, there would have been no uproar on it.
It is sad, that Festus Adedayo still lives in the pre-colonial era, where according to his description of Akwa Ibom people, “they are known for prostitution hooliganism and candidates for menial jobs of gatemen and househelps in Nigeria” how condescending can a 53 year old boy describe a people and a race, other than what Adedayo has done? An era Akwa Ibom people had long left and bequeathed to Adedayo’s native Oyo people? Has Adedayo moved the streets of Akwa Ibom State, to rescue his Oyo people, who litter the landscape of the town, begging for survival? Is Festus Adedayo aware, that his native people are now maids to Akwa Ibom people?
Festus Adedayo should come to Akwa Ibom State, let me take him round the state, so I can show him Oyo people, from Ogbomosho, to Iseyin and Ibadan people, who are on the streets of Akwa Ibom, pleading to be taken as Care Givers, Security Guards and Brothel Attendants and House Keepers.
Is Festus Adedayo, ignorant of the agberos’, the alayes’ and the omoniles’ of this world in Oyo State? Where is the headquarters of hooliganism, if not in his native Oyo State? The many wars that took place in Ibadan, where factions of National union of Road Transport Workers had caused mayhem, with killings and destruction of properties in the state, did Festus encourage his brothers to stop killing themselves?
One would have thought that, Festus Adedayo, who contributed to the failure of the Abiola Ajimobi’s administration as its Special Adviser, would have rather been useful to the administration he served, and should have advised the then Governor, out of failure, but it is sad that today, the government Festus Adedayo advised as a neophyte Special Adviser, is today, ranked as the worst government to ever happen to Oyo state by the people of the state.
Getting back into government, or ’hustling’ for a media consultancy job from Governor Umo Eno, will not be done through Festus’ futile attempt to throw jibe on a man Akwa Ibom people have celebrated, since his inauguration as the state Governor, and Festus should know that, Governor Umo Eno has never encouraged pettiness, and will not begin with Festus. The days of Festus Adedayo’s hatchet job are long gone.
But like a hospitable people that Akwa Ibom people are, the day Festus will denounce his atheism, and purge himself of bitterness and self witchcraftcy, we will always cleanse him and welcome him. When the flyovers were built in the state, when the roads were built, people had complained, and the international worship centre won’t be the last project that will be criticized.
For a state named after God, would the building of a coven or a shrine, have given Festus Adedayo and his ilks the happiness they truly crave for?
A REPUTATION FOUNDED ON INTEGRITY, MUST BE NURTURED BY TRUTH.
Eneh John, PhD, a Communication Scholar, writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
