By Issa Itopa Lucky
January 24, 2025
Ordinarily, we would expect that respect be given to whom it is due.
We all accept that mutual respect is key to a healthy society.
Also, there is a saying that “fact is king”.
It is a well documented fact that Chief Dele Momodu was a key figure and a patriot during the struggle for Nigeria’s democracy back in the 90s.
Chief Dele Momodu fought the General Sani Abacha-led Nigeria Military to a stand-still.
Chief Dele Momodu was willing to pay the supreme price for our dear Nigeria and the necessary return of democracy in Nigeria.
Chief Dele Momodu went into exile in the heat of the struggle for the return of democracy in Nigeria. Even in exile he continued to advocate for the return of democracy in Nigeria till indeed democracy was returned in Nigeria, a democracy that Lere Olayinka whose biggest national achievement is that he is currently an SSA to a Minister, enjoys everyday since the day back in the late 90s that the likes of Chief Dele Momodu saw to it that democracy returns to Nigeria and that democracy is never again interrupted by anybody whatsoever.
If achievements are placed side by side, Chief Dele Momodu will dog-walk Lere Olayinka any day any time. Even in Lere Olayinka’s wildest imagination, he still will be of no match whatsoever to Chief Dele Momodu or to even have the privilege of mentioning Chief Dele Momodu’s name in any way.
Chief Dele Momodu is a brand in terms of the discussion of democracy especially in Nigeria.
Even business-wise, Chief Dele Momodu built a brand from scratch, a brand that is today an international brand, which is the Ovation International.
Indeed, I now accept that a prophet is celebrated but not in his own country.
Or else, what gave Lere Olayinka the impetus to dare mention Chief Dele Momodu’s highly respected name in any way that seeks to denigrate the person of Chief Dele Momodu?
Countries like Ghana will offer a million Lere Olayinka, and it will still not be enough just to deserve somebody in the image of Chief Dele Momodu to be a part of their nation’s journey.
Two truths can co-exist. It is a democracy. Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, in Government or not.
If Chief Dele Momodu says that a particular person was not in the picture of a history made during a certain moment when the history was being made, logically, I expect that if Lere Olayinka while in the line of duty as per SSA media to the person, wishes to respond, he should respond with fact and not with diss comments.
Ordinarily, nobody would have been bothered as to who did what as the credit of the struggle is to the fact that today we practice democracy, however imperfect it may be, in Nigeria; but Lere Olayinka trying to turn it into an avenue to diss who said what, well, we will not accept that.
We want an issue-based conversation on the subject matter, as students of history.
We are a decent people, practicing democracy, and in a democracy, credit to the efforts of prominent people like Chief Dele Momodu, two truths can co-exist, in Government or not.
In fact, if anything, Chief Dele Momodu is at the same level as Mr President, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as they fought side by side with other patriots to help restore democracy in Nigeria back in the 90s.
Logically, there is no any evidence that suggests that Lere Olayinka, an SSA to a Minister has earned a right whatsoever to be throwing any form of diss at Chief Dele Momodu, a former Presidential aspirant.
If you don’t agree with a person’s assertion, provide facts to show why you disagree. Don’t try to respond with a diss. We are having a conversation, not a “diss tournament”.
We the young generation are watching and we advise a person like Lere Olayinka to respect his old age and stop acting like one of those upcoming social media influencers who tweet illogically for the purpose of trending on Twitter.
Chief Dele Momodu is a national icon; if people like Lere Olayinka don’t agree because of what to eat from his employer, it is perfectly fine, but as young people, we insist that Lere Olayinka should start learning to tweet like an elder that he is. Lere Olayinka should dedicate the energy to communicating to us what his employer is doing for the FCT.
We insist that Lere Olayinka must stay focused on what his employer employed him to do for the people of FCT. The job is not an excuse to be dissing anybody.
This young generation is more interested in facts and not in diss. We have a nation to make work. All focus should be on making Nigeria work and not to be a group of jesters.
We are a serious people. Lere Olayinka should bear that in mind ahead of his next tweet. Enough of his social media jests. I am not aware of what type of social media job Lere Olayinka is doing but he is doing a very terrible one.
Lere Olayinka should submit himself to any of Chief Dele Momodu’s latest interns to learn the job of communication or whatever exactly Lere Olayinka does for the FCT Minister and by extension, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
For the purpose of fostering unity and common sense, we the young generation encourage Lere Olayinka to be issue-based on his social media job for the Government of the day.
Two truths can co-exist without anybody trying to abuse anybody for any reason whatsoever. That is how democracy works. Lere Olayinka will not be allowed to re-write facts, history, or how democracy works. This young generation will not accept that from Lere Olayinka at all.
If you disagree with a person’s truth, provide your own truth to counter the person’s own truth, match fact with fact, while yet keeping the conversation issue-based without turning it into an avenue to diss anybody or the teller of the existing established truth.
God bless democracy,
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
