John Mayaki
Nosa Idele-Ogbeide
The saying that “bitterness imprisons life” is given complete meaning by the recent experience and alterations of John Mayaki.
Ever since Governor Godwin Obaseki politely relieved him of the post of Interim Chief Press Secretary (Interim CPS), a position he occupied for about four months, he has been in the gallows, manacled by incurable hatred for the Edo State governor.
He got a chance to prove himself, but he was evidently inadequate for the job.
Although Governor Obaseki did not let him go for any personal reason, Mayaki has been jailed by hatred for two years now.
The unprecedented popularity which the governor and his administration enjoys as a result of the massive improvement of the lives of his people has made the psychological torture and emotional pain to which Mayaki condemned himself grow from bad to worse.
Come to think of it, Mayaki was never qualified to handle communications for Obaseki’s government by any stretch of imagination. His promotion beyond his competence by the then Adams Oshiomhole’s government where he was Executive Director manifested in his dumb approach to the job few weeks into his appointment, hence his redeployment, as he was not qualified to be the spokesman of any serious state government.
The highest position Mayaki ever attained in his career as a media professional was freelance State Correspondent for The Nation newspapers. With all due respect, correspondents are the foot soldiers in the journalism hierarchy, that is one of the most foundational ranks in the profession. No right thinking governor will appoint a substantive spokesman with such elementary experience in media practice.
So instead of drowning in anger and bitterness, Mayaki should have accepted the other positions which suit his experience which Obaseki offered him after scrapping the post of Interim CPS which took him way out of his depth.
Having provided this background about Mayaki, your guess is as good as mine as to why his bitterness against Obaseki will lead him to concoct lies against the governor and government he would still have been serving and defending if he was not relieved of his position two years ago.
No one who knows Mayaki and his antecedent will take him seriously. What does anyone expect anyway, as the dregs of the politics of Edo State have found a new industry in the phantom faceoff between Obaseki and Oshiomhole, Mayaki who is the lowest of them all is also trying to position himself for whatever may be the compensation for the boys after all is said and done. So sad.
However, Mayaki must be counselled and made to understand that the greatest enemy to his present joy and high hopes is the cultivation of retrospective bitterness.
This advise is especially important due to his recent public propagation of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ after his emergency call to the vineyard of the almighty God weeks after he lost his job with Obaseki. True servants of God do not harbour bitterness and hatred as we are counseled not to allow the sun to shine on our anger or ungodly feelings and thoughts.
Nosa Idele Ogbeide writes from Benin City