Hello,

How are you today? I hope you have been staying safe. It’s time to share lessons I have learned from the book I have been reading.

In my previous newsletter, I had shared excerpts from Moises Naim’s book titled ‘The End of Power’. One thing I have noted is that the new dynamics of power is leading to a struggle between traditional systems and ‘micropowers’. The author asserts that if these dynamics are left unchecked, it could lead to chaos and destruction. This is because for human society to thrive, structures need to be put in place. These structures require a measure of power to function as expected. If, for instance, the parents cannot call the shots in the home, the family will end up without direction. 

Today’s leaders must find the right balance between putting their foot down and permitting certain actions. I will give you two examples from my stay in office so far.

People have often complained about the menace of motorbikes in Ibadan, and they have felt that the best option is to ban them. Yes, I agree that this form of transport is not ideal if we have an efficient transportation system. But it would be futile to ban motorbikes without providing a viable alternative.

So, my decision was to let the motorbike riders be. But to add some sanity to their operations, hold them accountable, and contribute to the state’s economic development. We have now started registering motorbike riders in Oyo State. 

My second example is the recent cancellation of a loan facility to the Oyo State Government by the World Bank. I believe that when a leader sees that a project is not bringing value to the citizenry, he should put his foot down and say, ‘enough’.

I had to stop several contracts that were awarded before we came into office and re-award them. For example, we re-awarded the Moniya-Iseyin Road, the Idi Ape-Basorun-Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Road and more recently, the Ibadan Circular Road. When a road contract is re-awarded, the original contractors will definitely not be happy about it. 

So, for the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP), we had conducted a review, and I was not convinced that the good people of Oyo State were getting value for their money. If we are to repay dollar-denominated loans at this time that exchange rates have hit the roof, then we should extract the most value for it.

My decision was to ensure that the flood management projects are awarded to competent contractors only. Apparently, this did not sit well with a lot of people. But for me, this is what leadership entails. As Naim puts it, “The more slippery power becomes, the more our lives become governed by short term incentives and fears, and the less we can chart our actions and plan for the future.” I choose not to be ruled by “short term incentives and fears”. 

We may have “lost” a loan, but we definitely have not lost any projects. Whatever is left undone because the World Bank decided to hold back the last tranche of this loan, we will take it up, as a state, and complete it to the benefit of the good people of Oyo State.

In conclusion, one of the strongest attributes of a good leader is to be reasonable. And that is my takeaway from Naim’s book. Leaders who will survive the power dynamics of the 21st century must learn good judgement, be fair and sensible in all decisions.

Until I have another opportunity to share with you again, don’t forget to Own Your Action. COVID-19 is still very much with us.