WHAT SERVICE MEANS TO US
“The king should be the servant of his people, and seek to uplift them and their lives – Aleksandra Layland, of Wisdom and Valor: The Art of war. The Path of Peace.
The human nature is such that we are wired with the tendency to be selfish. We always want everything for ourselves and unto ourselves. This is generic. However, in all generations and nations, once in a long while, few people rise and stand tall above these worthless tendencies for materialism, selfishness and flesh greed. They come into the society to influence greatly, positively and noticeably selfless. They deliver a rare kind of leadership through service.
Our entire life is about service. Service to God. Service to humanity. It was Mahatma Ghandi who said that the best way to find one’s self is to lose one’s self in the service of others. It is through serving others, be it  your family, your people, your community, your state or nation, that the best of you could emerge.
As a growing school boy in the ancient town of Igboho, I grew up knowing the culture of volunteering and community service to be an integral part of the social system. The generation before us was of service and development. Their efforts left for us, a lot of beautiful legacies, ranging from schools, hospitals, maternity homes, dispensaries, post-office, town halls and even worship centers. It was a beautiful past for the people of Igboho. The question for us today, is weather we are improving on these legacies or in the reverse, the values are dropping?
The trend where we see elective political positions as an avenue to self enrichment and wealth acquisition is ugly, dangerous, unacceptable and should be reversed and rejected.  Attainment of political position, be it elective or appointed, is a call to service and this is how it should be treated.  We need to, as a matter of urgency, initiate a process that promotes the dignity of service and the honour that it brings, when we discharge it with utmost integrity, commitment, sincerity, selflessness and courage.
Serving others is the most beautiful gift to humanity. Leadership is endangered once it is devoid of service.  As a matter of fact, it is not leadership once service is out of it. In serving, the following three (3) ingredients are supreme:
1.      Identifying with the people
2.      Identifying the problems of the people, and
3.      Solving problems.
Irrespective of your political ideology or partisan alienation, the above three must form the core of your value proposition and offer to serve. Renowned leaders who attained greatness in the call of service applied these keys and their records were unprecedented. Margaret Thatcher applied them, Mahatma Ghandhi, Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Obafemi Awolowo and right here in our very eyes, the late Dr. Abdul-Jelil Amoloye applied them and the results are glaring.
In 2019, there shall be breaking new grounds and a new feel of positive anxiety shall fill our political sphere. Democracy shall be given its rightful meaning, our people shall have a direct impact of dividends of civil governance. There shall be a new social norm where legislative representation and governance shall be wrapped and delivered simply with integrity, dignity, decorum, dexterity, decency and a big aplomb.
The core of all this is service and that is the primary essence of the TASOOLO PROJECT.  May we all be instrumental to building a better Oorelope, Oyo and Nigeria as a whole…….PeACe…..TASOOLO!!

Comrade Adesola Yaqub (TASOOLO)
Sholayaq@gmail.com
Adesolayaqub.blogspot.com.ng                       





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