Letter to The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)

N.B: Letter adapted from a comment made on a note written in my FB page.
Ref:  http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=468407947086

Dear Friends & Compatriots; thanks for your contributions on this note. I've read through all your comments twice trying to understand both the CONTENT & CONTEXT of your comments.

It wasn’t easy writing this note as I perceived some of my id...eas contained therein might be misunderstood, if taken out of CONTEXT; but yet I knew I had to write it to call our attention (especially that of all the key stakeholders in ACN) to the need to begin to urgently align/re-align the Party towards PROGRESSIVELY meeting the needs of the electorates all across Nigeria as the Party of choice which puts the best interest of the people first and foremost and not a Party just like any other "Owambe" Party where so called Political Leaders are only jostling for Political Offices for their own selfish aggrandizement/benefit to the detriment of the people we are supposed to be serving and making life and living much better for on a daily basis!
I am not a flawless "Saint" as I have my personal/human flaws and shortcomings and I give allowance for others to have theirs too and I don’t expect anyone to be a "Perfect being" either. Months ago, long before Mal. Nuhu Ribadu was "drafted" or showed interest in contesting for anything on the platform of ACN, I had cause to disagree with a supposedly "Progressive" friend of mine who said Mal. Ribadu & El Rufai and others like them who have "wined & dined" with the conservative PDP should be excluded from any "Progressive" platform. I told him then ( and I still stand by my comments made months ago) that "we" have to work with folks like Mal. Ribadu, El Rufai, etc in the "Progressive Camp" for "us" to get to where we desire to be down the road

I am irrevocably committed to working with those who shares similar aspirations with me all across Nigeria and the Global Community as far as the rapid PROGRESSIVE + SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ( HUMAN & INFRASTRUCTURAL) OF NIGERIA is concerned and while we might disagree on the strategies to be used, as long as we agree on the same CORE VALUES & PRINCIPLES, we can find a COMMON GROUND on which to operate going forward.

I am neither "insular" nor interested in practicing "ethnic based/regional" politics as I dont ever want to make the mistakes those ahead of me made by putting "Regional Politics" ahead of "National, Continental & International Politics"!

On my being "tempted" to vote for and mobilize resources for Alh. Akinbade, the former SSG in Osun State under the Oyinlola PDP Government despite my being a "Progressive to the core"; I sincerely believe as a man of PRINCIPLES myself, that Alh. Akinbade's decision to stand with the Party that "made him" is a good one for our political development/evolution. It portrays him as a man who has VALUES/CONVICTIONS alongside LOYALTY to his IDEOLOGICAL foundation and I do believe it is by celebrating qualities like this in our leaders that we will be able to get to where we desire to be as a nation going forward. I remember making a comment sometime ago that if PDP (the Party & her members) can find it within themselves to TRANSFORM and become a platform for SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT of Nigeria that I will support them in their effort to move Nigeria forward rapidly!

Like I have always said; I'm not a "Politician" in the strict sense of it. I am a DEVELOPMENTICIAN ( with a "Progressive" tilt) who is using the political platform to advance the rapid socio-economic development of my people, nation & continent and I will always be open and willing to collaborate/network with folks/Parties/Organizations or even nations around the Global Community who shares my aspirations for my people and nation + continent and people of African origin too.

It is going to be a long journey to get to where we desire to be down the road; but as the saying goes "a journey of a thousand mile starts with a single step in the right direction". The journey is going to take each and everyone of us committing to do things right, first time and always and becoming "Partners in Progress" who actively seeks out and promotes the good of each and everyone and are not self centered/self seeking. I do believe that we can all achieve success/our dreams and not see the success of another (especially the less privileged) as taking anything away from our own success!

I believe it is only by becoming our brothers keepers/helpers that we can break the vicious cycle that has stunted our growth/development and kept us where we are right now!

I do believe it is time to TRANSFORM the way we do things ( Leaders & Followers alike) and begin to promote each others BEST INTERESTS in the scheme of things.
Thanks and God bless.
Sincerely,
~ 'Gbolahan 'Gbolaga Oyeniyi Oyebamiji Olubowale MSW,
President & CEO,

Nigeria & Africa Renaissance Initiative Inc,
Maryland, USA.