Kunle Adelabu
A young innovator and community mobiliser, Mr Oluwaseun Abolaji Elesho who suddenly appeared in beards some weeks back, a look which is very unsual of him and which has kept many people asking questions, has explained why he decided to have such a look.
Seun, who is the General Secretary of the Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), in a chat with THE IMPACT, said that the look was actually developed to enable him get across to the three young men in the new generation referred to as ‘Gen Z’.
The community developer who, while explaining the journey relative to his new look at the weekend, said that he was able to achieve his intention by imbibing his targets’ ways of life and conducts.
“I changed my look to save three Gen Z lives… Many have asked me why I started keeping beards. Many have actually looked down on me while some were able to have the courage to talk to me about it”, he said while explaining his experience.
“The truth is that I noticed that three of the very good younger friends were taking a decision I knew clearly was leading them the wrong path. I sent someone to talk to them, but I quickly noticed that their thinking and perception of life value are clearly different from mine and that of my generation.
“I needed them to see me as part of them, relate to the way I think and, most importantly, understand why they would not listen to me in spite of our closeness. I figured out that they needed to see me as one of them and, so the first thing I did was to grow my beards”, he explained.
“The first day they saw me in beards like them, our discussion changed, and they started relating with me. Let me save the details of the story…”
He charged political elites on the need to fully grasp the ways of the younger generation if they are to have their attention.
“It is my belief that the political elite needs to understand this generation so that they can be properly communicated to. For instance, some of them do not just like and relate with Buhari because they claimed he is too old and he has not done anything for them, but I asked them about the likes of Hon Jimi Benson and Senator Abiru, and they were positive towards these set of politicians”, he further explained his experience.
“Now that we can relate, I began to educate them that all the projects that the duo were able to carry out had the blessings and approval of the President… Funds were released by Mr President that you don’t like. And that the likes of Benson and Abiru were only able to put their own ingenuity into their representations and how they get across to them, which makes the generation to like them.
“I also charged them to imagine Jimi and Abiru who are today, members of the National Assembly and delivering quality representation, without the support of Mr President, a question that they are unable to provide answers to”, he said
Seun, who is the son of former Commissioner for Information, Sir (Otunba) Ayodele Elesho, also said that he was also able to let them see the reason why Gov. Babajide Sanwo – Olu is not their enemy, and why they also have to critically and objectively assess him.
“I further charged them to imagine the distinguished Senator Abiru and distinguished representative Benson, both of whom are not only close to the outgoing President Buhari, but also members of the inner cabinet of the President – elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and what they will be able to facilitate and cause to happen in their constituency if the new government comes to power”, he said.
“Moreso, l engaged and opened their eyes to the fact that our distinguished Senator and amiable representative are also good friends of Gov. Sanwo – Olu, with the three of them as critical members of Tinubu’s political dynasty, they should, again, imagine the implication of that on Ikorodu and Lagos in general, if the governor is re – elected.
“I also explained to them that LASU, unlike every other University, did not stop academic work throughout the COVID-19 period, a situation that has enabled the students of the University to be two years ahead of their counterparts in the federal university, and that, the ASUU strike did not also affect LASU, which is a deliberate work to educate the younger people.
“You can also look at the primary school system. The Eko Excel program is also another deliberate attempt to give quality education to Lagosians. For me, anybody who educates his people will always have it good with me”, Elesho said.
Elesho charged the political class to ensure that the new generation are involved more in politics, and are spoken to in languages that they understand and not the usual ‘command and obey’ style, which he said has yielded nothing.
“The more this generation contributes and participates in mainstream politics, the better for the country. Life in their generation is so interesting and engaging, but needs proper guidance”.
“For the Gen Z, I was just trying to say that there is a way to communicate with them and not the usual way of commanding them to obey the rules without explaining things to them…”.
“Along the line, they started agreeing with me because I came down to their level of thinking, behaving and acting, and I made them see me as one of them and also having their interests. Today, I have been able to reorientate them and they are ready to support those politicians that they like more as well as also those that they are elated with, because that is the only way for those that they see as part of them to be able to continue to facilitate more infrastructures and other benefits to Ikorodu”, Elesho said.
