THE EVILS OF SYCOPHANCY -By Richard Akinnola

Over the years, l had interacted with quite some close aides and beneficiaries of the largesse of some public office holders. Interestingly, you would be shocked by what they said about their principals in private, yet, in public and in the presence of their principals, l saw them fawning all over the place. 

I know a guy who was my friend many years ago, who substantially benefited from a Governor who made him a billionaire through contracts. He said then that if the Governor asked him to go kill someone, he would do it without hesitation, adding that he would have done it before asking the Governor what the person had done.

A few years after this Governor left office, my friend just “fashi” the Governor and even deleted his contact. It was about five years after the man had left office that he was now begging another mutual friend for the number of the Governor when that mutual friend confronted him for abandoning his benefactor. That is how sycophancy works. 

Funny enough, most of these people in power don’t realise that most of the people around them are only after their personal interests, couched in the interests of their principal. Only a few leaders surround themselves with a set of people who are not after contracts or appointments but the success of the principal. 

I have such a friend, who was very close to a governor many years ago. He went to visit the governor late at night. As they were gisting in the Governor’s office, my friend saw a copy of an address the governor was to deliver the next day. My friend, who had attention to detail, started reading the paper and at the same time, started editing until he cancelled some pages. 

He now turned to the governor -“Is this what you want to go and read tomorrow? You’ll just make a mess of yourself. Better speak extemporaneously”. The Governor agreed and had a wonderful outing. That is the job of friends who are not sycophants.

I think I had stated it here before about one encounter I had with my friend, Raji Fashola, when he was a governor. He increased the fees of LASU students by over 200 per cent. There were serious protests. I engaged him a couple of times to have a rethink. He refused. So, one day, I sought another appointment with him and we met at Lagos House, Marina. We debated this issue for one hour, and he was still adamant. 

So, suddenly, I just told him -“I consider this meeting over” and I walked out. He said, as he followed me, “O de ti binu niyen” (So, you are already angry). He saw me off and barely a week later, he reversed the fees, to his credit, and that didn’t affect our relationship because he knew l meant well.

Leaders, at all levels, including those in the private sector, even churches, should therefore be wary of sycophants around them, who sing the kind of songs they want to hear. They are more dangerous than those who either constructively criticise or disagree with them.