1.Our dear President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, members of the Federal Executive Council, members of the National Assembly, our Governors, and all parents. We have an unusual opportunity with the #ENDSARS protests. #SARSMUSTEND
2.Many of us in government were protesting on the streets 26/27 years ago after the annulment of a free and fair election. Some had to escape out of Nigeria. Our heroic acts birthed this democratic dispensation to a large extent. The young ones are only continuing the journey.
3. It is therefore totally deplorable that we would lead a government under which the police would spray water, throw teargas and shoot at peaceful protesters. Please order them to STOP THE ATTACK ON CITIZENS PROSTESTING PEACEFULLY IMMEDIATELY. They should rather protect them.
4. For the avoidance of doubt, the old templates for shutting down dissent will not work anymore. Most of this young generation did not grow up under colonial or military rule. They have tools and mindsets we did not have. They will solve problems differently.
5. Only true leadership that serves the people will work now. Feeling superior to citizens will lead to leadership failure. Same with refusing to change our institutions beginning with the police force. Let us side with and guide the youth to build a developed Nigeria.
6. The Nigeria Police is a mini Nigeria. Most of the allocation of funds doesn’t trickle down. Officers earn wages that are not livable and are compelled to extort money from citizens. We must change the way police officers and most Nigerians earn money and meet basic needs.
7. Mr. President, please listen directly to these young citizens. Yara n ka suke. Feel their pain and frustration. Make firm decisions and act. Then speak to the young ones from your heart as a father. God will help you. SARSMUSTEND

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More from @sam_adeyemi

13 Oct
1.Rarely does a generation have the opportunity to lead change as the one handed the youths of Nigeria right now through #SARSMUSTEND. It cuts across the fault lines that divide Nigeria.
2.My dear young citizen, you must use this rare opportunity to secure deep changes that will lead to Nigeria’s development. The systems you confront are strategic and tactical. They may be steps ahead. You need to think long term and pace yourself.
3.Speak forcefully but peacefully. Don’t be provoked to violence. Don’t act somebody else’s script. Lightning has enough power to light a city, but it destroys because it has no structure. Shift gear into participation in the political process when the time comes soon.
Read 6 tweets
10 Oct
1.It is totally unacceptable for the police to fire teargas at young citizens attending non-violent #ENDSARS protests. We cannot sustain the idea that the voice of the African youth is not to be heard.
To our young citizens, please continue to speak. Please speak as leaders, not as victims. Leaders respond, victims react. Press the point to negotiate for a win/win. The police/public officer is also sometimes a victim of a warped system. Change everything. #ENDSARS
We are not going to be leaders tomorrow, we are leaders already. Leaders lead with vision and broad perspective. #ENDSARS is a beachhead. The war is bigger. Have a clear picture of a developed Nigeria. Push for a change in values and in the power equation.
Read 7 tweets
6 Oct
1.I fear that the life of the common man may not improve if Nigeria restructures into regions or even if it breaks up now. The culture of leadership that makes leaders to consume most of the resources and to leave most people impoverished will likely continue.
2.The first restructuring we need, and this is true for much of Africa, is for power to shift from political leaders to the citizens, so leaders become accountable, citizens have esteem and are empowered to prosper, and occupying public office is for service, not money-making.
3. This requires responsibility on the part of citizens. We must rise beyond religious and ethnic prejudice to have collective vision for development, and to adopt values like honesty, value for life, equality, excellence, etc.
Read 4 tweets
14 Sep
If honesty is a major requirement for the long term success of your organisation/nation, but your members/citizens believe cutting corners is the smart way to go, their behaviour will ultimately sabotage your well-crafted strategies and your success. #leadwell
As a leader, knowing the beliefs and values of your team members and shifting them to align with the values of your organisation/nation is priority. With time, common behaviour becomes culture. Leading with clear values removes the mystery from decision making. #leadwell
Organisational leaders should employ people whose values align with those of their organisations. However, elected officials don’t employ citizens. We need to sell the values needed for success with stories and policies, and to, most importantly, model those values. #leadwell
Read 4 tweets
11 Sep
1.I had a classmate in high school who decided beginning of one term to leave his old friends and to move with the brightest students in class. We were surprised.
2.His old friends saw it as an act of betrayal. At the end of the term, though, he was at the top of the class with his new friends. His former pals stayed in the “Association of Average Performers.”
3.Likewise, when an African adopts values that make western nations prosperous, it is common to people say he/she is now behaving like a white person. Some see it as a betrayal of African culture. It takes courage to make such changes at personal and community levels.
Read 10 tweets
11 Aug
A Nigerian immigrant took his dad to the US on a first visit. After taking him on sight seeing for 3 days, the son said; “Daddy, you’ve not said anything. You’ve just been sighing”. The old man replied; “Our people are suffering at home but they don’t really know how bad it is”.
2. When we are raised in an environment where low quality living is the norm, (which happens in both rich and poor countries), we develop unconscious bias for mediocrity. Our normal is terribly abnormal but we don’t know.
3. Our expectations are so low leaders get away with anything. Even a good leader can’t achieve anything meaningful with such people, especially in a democracy. This is why the vision of a beautiful future is a critical need in leadership.
Read 9 tweets

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