Damocles was one of the courtiers of Dionysius, a King of Sicily. He
always flattered the king, saying. “How grand it must be to be a great king
like you! One day, Dionysius said to him, “You shall be a king for one day…
Damocles did not believe his ears. He thought that the king was joking.
The next morning, the king sent for him. He asked him to take his seat on the
throne. Damocles’ heart was in a flutter. He thought he would be the happiest
man in the world.
Dionysius quietly slipped away. Damocles found himself on the throne
dressed in royal robes. The courtiers stood round him. They praised him to the
skies. Their words of praise sounded to him like sweet music.
Just
then, there was a commotion on one side. Damocles looked up. He stood aghast
when he saw a sword above his head. It hung by a thread like horse hair.
Damocles turned pale. What if the sword fell on him! It would be the end of his
precious life. His joy came to a sudden end. He now began to count the hours.
He wished to get rid of the throne. He even sent a word to the king to allow
him to go.
Now
it was dinner time. Damocles was offered the choicest dishes but he had no
appetite for anything. The sword hanging over his head was terrifying enough to
take life out of him. He envied the nobles and courtiers. How happy and
carefree they looked! How glad he would be to change places with them.
The
king took pity on him. He allowed him to leave the throne. He warned him never
to say again that the king is the happiest mortal alive. Damocles heaved a sigh
of relief. He begged the king’s forgiveness. The king thus taught Damocles a
useful lesson. He learnt that —’Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown’.
A
crown is symbolic of leadership. Leadership bears responsibility. Persons with
great responsibility, carry a heavy burden to lead their people. Thus, “Uneasy
lies the head that wears a crown.” Leadership is not easy. It comes with a
great burden of responsibility and many challenges.
No responsible leader sits
idle and watch his people go through pains. Hence the sheer lack of knowledge
sometimes deliberately exhibited by some people is most vexatious. They are
either not aware of the current economic recession or they are deliberately demonstrating
mischief. Rather than see decline in the fulfillment of government financial
obligations as the result of paucity of funds arising from the economic
downturn in the country, they ignorantly and with outright deceitfulness, place
the culpability on the governor.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
possesses the two major traits of leadership success: discipline and commitment.
The main reason why most policies and programmes
fail in this country is because of lack of discipline and commitment among the
Nigerian ruling elite. Discipline is an important ingredient in the successful
implementation of public policies and programmes. And discipline has a lot to
do with respect for timelines.
Development is possible if you are sincere and
you have commitment. Commitment is the other important thing – commitment to development. Governor Okowa is a very disciplined person. He is also committed
and focused towards the achievement of his plans for the development of the
State through good governance.
He also possesses
strong values, honest and upholds integrity. He is someone who strives to make
people better, encouraging and takes genuine interest in others. A creative
risk taker.
In the over one year of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's
leadership, Delta State has witnessed a total turnaround from the recent past
in the way and manner government activities are carried out.
“Uneasy lies the head that
wears the crown” ... leaves
us with the lesson whose implications extend well beyond Delta
State. Socio-political disconnects are everywhere. But rational,
patriotic and well-meaning persons should be able to draw the lines. They
should carry the proverbial wine and water – and be in the best position to
tell the difference in weight.
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