13/01/2024
This generation RESPECT result more than age
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 KJV
During the last election in Nigeria, I watched an interview with the deputy national chairman of the Labour Party, lamenting his experience with Peter Obi during the campaign to Ibadan. He said they all planned to go from Abuja to Ibadan on the date of the campaign, but just at the time they were supposed to take off, the airline company said the big aircraft was under maintenance so it couldn’t fly. But they provided Peter Obi with a smaller aircraft that could take about ten (10) persons. The deputy national chairman said Peter Obi didn’t honour him by adding him to the list to go based on his position but rather dropped him to look for another means of getting there.
When I watched the interview, I realised how far the deputy chairman was from the current reality. I believe that if his presence was of great significance to the campaign he would have been considered first. But I think the people Peter Obi picked weren’t based on sentiment but on value. Nobody will respect you out there just because you are older, or because you have a title or position that should be respected. But rather you are respected based on the value you bring to the table. Even in our text, apostle Paul told Timothy to command respect by his conduct and not depend on it to be freely given.
If you make your presence significant, then your absence can be felt. But many of us are present but not useful because we add nothing yet we feel bad that we are relegated to the background. Don’t demand respect, command it by being extremely and relatively valuable.
I am E. O. Godfrey
