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Bayo Adeyinka

26 Oct, 13 tweets, 3 min read

Monday Motivation: A Letter From Prison That Was Never Delivered

Exactly 3 years ago on October 26, 2017, I was at Kirikiri Medium Prison (now Correctional Centre) where I was handed a letter (see actual letter posted).

It was a letter of anguish. Though written in smattering English, it was meant to invoke deep pity for the author and spur the recipient to action. The inmate who wrote it wanted help in securing his freedom.

@Lamboginny

I was at the Prison with @Lamboginny to secure the freedom of 27 inmates whose fines we paid by raising the sum of N850,000 for them via social media.

As I was informed about the letter, I fought back tears. He didn't know the letter would no longer be necessary. He had written the letter and planned to give it to another inmate who had announced to fellow inmates that his relatives would come to pay for his freedom that day.

The letter reads unedited:

"Hi bros, is me your guy UC (name withheld). Please am in a little trouble and I need your help. On 25 last month, I am with a friend in Festac when the policemen came and arrested me and the other guy ran away.

The next day they send us to court and ask us to call anybody to bail us and U no I lost my phone. Please bros I need your help seriously. Bros please all I need from you is to come with my ATM and your own so that we no what to do. May God bless you. Corprate please and please.

Am in Kirikiri medium prison. When you come Mile 2, enter bike and ask for the prison".

On that day exactly 3 years ago, the author of the letter walked out a free man with the letter undelivered. He was one of the 27 inmates freed after their option of fine had been paid and documentation sorted. He wasn't expecting freedom but God shocked him pleasantly.

I almost cried when I saw him shouting for joy when he was in the Prison Controller's office and he was told that he had become free because his fine had been paid. I can't forget the Controller's words, "This man here has paid your fine. Now, you're free".

It was at that point that he brought out the letter he had written.

Curiously, the man who should have delivered the letter and who was dreaming of freedom ab initio still remained behind bars as his relatives didn't come for him that day.

The one who wrote the letter got out before the person who should have delivered the letter. Amazing grace!

May the Lord grant you a pleasant surprise this week. May you receive good news unexpectedly. May your restoration come suddenly. You will shout for joy. In Jesus Name

Psalm 126: 1-3 New Century Version
"When the Lord brought the prisoners back to Jerusalem, it seemed as if we were dreaming.Then we were filled with laughter, and we sang happy songs.

@threadreaderapp

Then the other nations said, “The Lord has done great things for them.”The Lord has done great things for us, and we are very glad".

Bayo Adeyinka

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Bayo Adeyinka

@greaterbayo

27 Oct

Leadership Reflection : How To Live Forever

One of the greatest abilities of exceptional leaders is their capacity to build for the future. A true leader always thinks tomorrow even though he lives today. The present is too little to contain the exceptional leader.

His realities may be in the present but his sight is set on the future. That is why he is always a step ahead of others. He doesn't live in today- he lives in tomorrow. People can't stop talking about them because of how they lived in tomorrow for tomorrow.

If your actions are just for the present, your memory will not endure. That is why it is easy to forget so many leaders.

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In the first part, I gave a background and referred to the October 1945 Pan-African Congress which held in Manchester, United Kingdom exactly 75 years ago.

In this post, I want to propose a few thoughts on how to move ahead. I believe these are critical steps to be taken if we don’t want the gains of the protests to go into oblivion.

1. It’s Time For Political Engagement
You have echoed loudly but to make that transition into being a voice, you need political power. Real change can only happen through the ballot box.

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Bayo Adeyinka

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25 Oct

Collaboration- Intergenerational Relationships

One of my favorite portions of scripture is 2 Kings 13:14-19. I really love that passage so much and I get inspired each time I meditate on it.

“Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!”

15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows.

16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.

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Bayo Adeyinka

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What Next After The Protest?- The Gatekeeper Strategy & Other Ideas -1

Dear Young People,

Many of you are disillusioned right now. For some, hope has given way to despair. What you thought was an emerging light at the end of the tunnel now looks like a mirage.

You’re despondent because of the energy dissipated. It’s like a bad ending to a movie you thought was properly scripted. The violence the nation is now grappling with is an unfortunate turn of events and stands roundly condemned.

Nothing progressive can be achieved through violence as you can’t build by tearing down. We all must stand against this violence and make all efforts to douse the tension all over the country.

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Bayo Adeyinka

@greaterbayo

15 Oct

Responsibility: The Price of Leadership

Watching the videos of the #endsars movement brought a lot of memories. I recall several struggles, protests and Aluta that we were involved in.

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Bayo Adeyinka

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14 Oct

One of the key things about leadership is that it also comes with structure. For any movement to survive, a good structure is key. Structure is the reason APC and PDP still remain the most dominant parties in our clime. You can find them in all the 774 LGs of this country.
1

Without structure, any movement will fail. With a structure, there are better chances of success.

Leadership will understand that movements go through different phases- street protests should lead to engagements and actionable plans.
2

Leadership will help a movement to understand when to evolve and which causes to fight or drop. They are both tactical and strategic in their approach.

Have National Coordinators for the protest. Have State coordinators. Have Local Government coordinators. Develop a structure.
3

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