Kayode Fayemi’s blunder, by Dele Sobowale

“It takes twenty years [or more] to make a REPUTATION and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that; you will do things differently”- Warren Buffett, 2022.

“To murder one’s reputation is a kind of suicide; a detestable and odious vice”-  Henry Fielding, 1707-1754, in TOM JONES.

Former Governor of Ekiti State and Federal Minister, Kayode Fayemi, has always been on my very short list of Nigerian politicians highly regarded for intelligence – despite my low opinion of the nation’s leaders in general. But his rejoinder of Friday, August 15, 2025, titled, ‘Tackling the danger of a single story’, was a blunder.

The article was meant to refute two articles previously written by Lekan Sote and Senator Babafemi Ojudu criticizing a statement Fayemi had made as a keynote speaker. Instead of disputing what Sote and Ojodu wrote, Fayemi committed a blunder – worse than his own worst enemy could have done by ignoring wise counsel carved in stone. I will quote extensively from Fayemi’s response to charges made against him; in order for Nigerians to know the real Kayode Fayemi. It was such a revelation for me; it brought tears to my 81+ eyes.

WHEN TO STAY SILENT

“Silence is golden, when you don’t have something good to say.”

“Once you are matured, silence is more powerful than proving a point.”

The two critics accused Fayemi of being two-faced about fuel subsidy removal in 2012; when President Jonathan proposed it. For someone eminently erudite and logical, his answer was more emotional that reasonable and betrayed more political self-interest than patriotism. To be honest, having always admired him for the perceived qualities of leadership he possessed, I was pre-disposed to believing him once he introduced the subject. He was given all the benefits of doubt – before reading his submissions. Now, that the scale has fallen from my eyes, a different Kayode Fayemi has emerged. Read.

“Now for context and clarity, I was a member of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, which championed the removal of subsidy under President Jonathan in 2012 on the basis that it was corruption-laden and that the expected savings could help address social security pressures in the country. Having taken that position at the Governors’ Forum, our party, ACN, which was in control of six states in the South-West Nigeria and Edo, took a different view by opposing subsidy removal on petroleum products…

“We [ACN Governors] urgently convened a meeting hosted by Governor Fashola in Marina, Lagos, on January 8, 2012, and aligned our position with the party [led by Bola Tinubu at the time], contrary to our collective position in the Nigeria Governors Forum.”

Those who might be slow to understand when important matters are explained to them should read that astonishing confession by Fayemi again. But, for the highly intelligent, nothing could be clearer. Fayemi, Fashola, Oshiomhole and three other SW Governors had attended a Nigeria Governors’ Forum, where it was collectively agreed that the fuel subsidy removal proposed by Jonathan was in the national interest. In fact, as Fayemi later admitted, at least three of them agreed with Jonathan on fuel subsidy removal. Afraid of the backlash from members of the ACN and their leader, they convened a meeting and joined others in denouncing the decision. Fayemi called their position “ambivalent”. I call it diabolic, subversive and unpatriotic. They were Nigerians before they became Governors; and they are still Nigerians; now that they are no longer Governors. Nobody, President, Governor or Minister, divinely elevated to that position, can deliberately work against the nation’s interest and hope to escape condemnation.

Nigeria was not created in order that the leaders of ACN or any other political party can willfully stand in the way of our collective progress and development as Fayemi is now claiming they did. They knew the truth; they told Fellow Nigerians blatant lies for selfish political gain. That is just inexcusable. Just in case you think I am being too harsh in my criticism, let me briefly discuss the economic implications of delaying subsidy removal from 2012 till 2023 – only for the policy to be implemented by those who opposed it.

POLICY DECISIONS AND CONSEQUENCES

“Wisdom in people consists of the anticipation of consequences” – Norman Cousins, 1915-1990. 

Patriotism in elected officials also demands that on matters destined to drastically impact their nation’s economic and social development in the future that they cast party, ethnic, religious or sectional considerations aside and let their conscience and intellect dictate their position. Fuel subsidy removal was such a defining issue in 2012 when Jonathan proposed it. Every elected person, in a position to determine the outcome, was expected to support or oppose it; and the majority would determine the outcome. Generally, Nigerian leaders failed the nation. The consequences will be explained later. Of all those who misled our country, the fence-sitters, exemplified by Fayemi, exhibited the worst form of political cowardice and treachery; which has landed the nation in the debt trap which Tinubu is burdened with now.  In many respects, Fayemi has confessed that the ACN was the architect of Tinubu’s misfortune as President. They forced the nation to compromise and ended up with what I call building half a bridge instead of either building a whole bridge or none. Let me explain.

A community was once faced with the choice of building a bridge across a river or not. Some of the leaders were in favour of it; some very vocal, few were opposed to it. Meanwhile, a few fence-sitters were against it during the day and quietly in support after dark. Passionate appeals were made to the people to reject the proposal. “The voice of the people is the voice of God” was their battle cry – while forgetting that “the turbulence of the mob is close to insanity”. (Alcuin, 735-804). In the end, half a bridge was constructed as a compromise. By his own confession, Fayemi and the ACN actually went to great lengths to promote the turbulence of the masses against a measure which they knew was in the national interest; and then turned around to use that excuse to assail the Federal Government’s proposal. 

Unfortunately, what happened was not total abandonment of the idea of fuel subsidy removal. Unwilling to be totally defeated, the FG partially reduced the subsidy. Nigeria ended up in the quagmire of the community which built half a bridge as a compromise. A lot of money was wasted constructing a structure which was absolutely useless.

Consequently, from 2012 till 2023, the nation operated with fuel subsidy which drained national resources into a few pockets; increased the national debt progressively and which has now landed the country in a situation in which we are now borrowing anew to repay loans which should not have been incurred if only Jonathan’s initiative had not been sabotaged for political and personal advantage.

The national debt is now racing towards N150 trillion and will certainly exceed that record by 2027 because Nigeria, in 2012, lacked statesmen who were willing to put national interest above personal and partisan interest.

LESSON FROM OTHER LAND

“I shall stand by the Union [country]… with absolute disregard of personal consequences. What are personal consequences … in comparison with the good or evil which may befall a great country in a great crisis like this…No man can suffer too much, and no man can fall too soon, if he suffers or falls in defense of…his country” – Senator Daniel Webster, 1782-1852, in PROFILES IN COURAGE by US President, John Kennedy, 1917-1963.

America is great today because, at any one point in time, a few elected officials were willing to sacrifice their brilliant political careers for the national interest. Webster was not the only one to do this. Senator Edmund Ross said, “I …looked down into my own grave”, as he proceeded to cast the vote that saved the young nation from early disintegration. Only Gowon will go down in history for keeping our nation united. Only Victor Attah sacrificed a prolonged political career for RESOURCE CONTROL. Our oil-rich nation is poor because Presidents, Governors, Senators, etc, have been selfish. Fayemi just confessed his contribution to our backwardness.

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