A Wise Man Knows When to Speak, By Ify Onyegbule

I know how it feels when you think you have something in your hand, you feel you have arrived, you feel the people love you, you feel untouchable and you feel the world should gather at your feet because you are so good but then…right before your eyes you find out all those things you thought about were just in your head!

When I started seeing videos of Hon. Desmond Elliot and how he was firing from all cylinders, my mind told me it won’t end well because how do you just talk talk talk? In one breath you call someone your “father in politics” and in the next breath you say “they have removed my security details and they are trying to intimidated me” who are the “they”???

Too often we forget how we got to where we are or who held our hands to get us there. Too often we feel that we are bigger than the person who pointed the torch for us to find our ways in the dark, we believe that cutting off and wandering off on our own, damning the consequence is the way to go…YES that could work but then, what is the circumstance causing you to untag yourself from the apron strings? Do you have to break bridges by coming on social media to talk?

You are likely to make mistakes when you come online to state matters and shalaye because there is a tendency to misspeak when you are angry. If you cast your mind back to when Ambode had his issues, he was speaking and said things, he lost out and that was it. Today he has returned to the fold but so much water has gone under the bridge.

Did you ever here BRF speak when it felt like there was some ruckus? Wise men know not to go yada yada yada because they know the dust ultimately settle!

Desmond Elliot sounds like a very intelligent man but im not sure he ever read the 48 laws of power, if he did he will understand that

So much depends on Reputation (5)

You win through Actions never Argument(9)

You know who you are dealing with (19)

You use the surrender tactics to transform weakness into power (22)

You master the art of timing (35)

You never appear too perfect (46)

Above all he should have known the ultimate Law 1.

In Igbo, we say Onye isi wu onye isi, there is no controversy about that.

How do you butt heads with your leaders? If someone found you worthy to lead at some point and a time comes when you must step down, what’s the problem there? You have spent a good number of years and there are others who stepped down for you to step up so what’s the problem?

It’s tough to let go when the place already made you comfortable and you were living the life you’ve always dreamed of but then that time ultimately comes when you just have to step aside…whether it’s you walking away or them cutting you off, that time will come and the way you handle it matters.

I thought politicians expecially the young ones understood the need to be patient, to follow the pecking order and obey party leaders because that’s what you signed up for. How do you lead when it’s looking like it’s difficult for you to follow?

As humans we must know when to exit the stage expecially when the ovation is loudest, Desmond was belligerent in those videos online and I tell you, no Godfather will watch those and still want to keep you.

If I were in his shoes, I will show gratitude for the oppprtunity to serve and i will take a bow without friction because there are better oppprtunities and positions to look forward to in the future…and guess what? Those godfathers will be there on that path so burning bridges will be to your disadvantage.

I hope he learns his lessons in all of these! Forget all the people following you o, the boss is the boss and in any case all those people milling around you and chanting your name will ultimately shift base because power has exchanged hands and like bees to honey…they mooooveeeee!

My prayer is that your phone still rings and that your Nollywood family open their doors to you.

How do you think he should have handled the matter?