From Fountain of Knowledge to Political Dependence

By Amb. Tosin Owonifari

There is a conversation Ekiti needs to have with itself, especially at a time like this.

For years, Ekiti has been known as the Fountain of Knowledge. That reputation came from a culture that valued education, discipline, and independent thinking. It was built over time and it meant something.

Today, that identity is gradually being weakened.

A growing number of young people now see politics not as a space for service or ideas, but as a means of survival. That shift should concern all of us.

Politics is not the problem. The problem is what it is turning into. Instead of encouraging ideas, productivity and contribution, it is beginning to reward access, loyalty and dependence.

Too many young people who should be building skills, creating businesses, or developing themselves are now tied to political structures. They spend their time supporting individuals, defending positions and waiting for opportunities that are often temporary.

This does not build capacity. It does not create value. It does not prepare anyone for the future.

Over time, it changes how people think. It lowers ambition and replaces initiative with expectation. Instead of asking what they can build, many begin to ask who they can follow.

That is not how a serious society develops.

We also need to be honest about the system. When opportunities are tied to political access rather than merit, people will naturally organise themselves around power. When survival depends on proximity, independence becomes difficult.

In that kind of environment, people stop asking questions. They become careful. They defend what they should question. They accept what they should challenge.

That is where the real problem is.

A society should produce citizens who think, question and demand results. When it produces followers who only align and defend, something has gone wrong.

This is also a moment to ask questions of those in leadership.

What have they built that will last beyond their time in office?

What opportunities exist today that are not tied to political connection?

What have they done that allows young people to stand on their own?

These are simple questions, but they matter.

At the same time, the youth must also reflect.

We cannot complain about leadership while organising our lives around dependency. We cannot say we want change while refusing to ask difficult questions. We cannot reduce ourselves to political relevance when we are capable of much more.

Ekiti has always had the capacity to produce thinkers, professionals and people of value. That has not changed. What needs to change is direction.

We need to return to a culture where people build, not just align. Where work matters. Where independence is possible.

If we do not address this now, we will continue in the same cycle, with the same conversations and the same results.

This is not about criticism. It is about responsibility.

As elections approach, we should slow down, think clearly, and ask better questions.

Amb. Tosin Owonifari