TOUN DIALOGUES WITH HON MULIKAT AKANDE- ADEOLA

• By Toun Okewale Sonaiya
  
  
  Hey Sister, I truly salute you.
  

  
  

  History, in my opinion was made on Tuesday 6 June 2011. Some said you lost; others said you failed. It has also been reported that you got 90 votes and conceded to the new speaker of House of Representatives.
  Mulikat, I say you dared to walk the very walk others dream and think of. You ventured into a terrain, yes, into a territory most people are jittery about and scared to go into. You journeyed and went on a trip into a land many other will only dream of, and to me you came out the winner. 
  
  
  Mulikat, you won because you dared. You won because of your courage and braveness. You won because you made an effort that many could never make. You won because you tried and only those who try and try and keep trying can only achieve. Yes, you won because you acted where majority talked, are still talking and will continually talk without taking any action. You had a dream; you thought of the dream, you acted on the dream, and you did it. You just didn’t sit on your dream but took reasonable steps to actualise it. 
  
  Sister, I hope you understand that this is just the beginning of the very many hurdles you still need to cross to achieve what you’ve set your mind upon; the beginning of the many mountains you will have to climb to get to the top; the beginning of the many rivers and oceans you will have to cross to get to your promised land; the beginning of the many pot holes you have to manoeuvre, jump or fill to master the game meant for best players; the beginning of you gathering the wealth of knowledge and experience you require to be the leader you have been destined to be. This is the masterpiece.
  

  
  Tuesday 6 June 2011 may look like the end of the road, rest assured it is not. It’s just a little pause or in your language, a recess, to prepare you for the next round when you will simply walk into the seat which you have secured for yourself through the effort you put in this time. If paying more and extra dues and bidding more time is what you require to achieve perfection, why not? But please remember these two vital words: integrity and accountability and do your best to adhere to their principles at all times. Many have been found wanting in these areas and I hope you will succeed
  
  Mulikat, we should take very good note and not disregard the various schools of thoughts that said women bicker; that women don’t support their own; that women are jealous and envious of other successful women; that women are pretenders; that women are… What we need to show the world is that some women are already working tirelessly to ensure that the few women who have chosen to serve the community, like you, are backed up; that some women are ready and already working very hard infront and behind the scenes to support the few women standing; that some women are and already using their time, resources, pen, and voice to support other women. 
  
  
  Let me quickly seize the opportunity now to any and every woman reading this, you can either be part of this positive movement or be square. You can be part of this, by talking positively about supporting the woman, writing positively about backing up the woman, singing positively about helping your sister, donate positively to finance and sponsor the cause of the sister, push positively –Pray Until Something Happens, joke about it, act it, until it becomes a reality and most importantly vote for the woman when the opportunity arises- to ensure that every and any woman that chooses to serve is supported in any little way. 
  To the naysayers and the cynics, I recommend that you continue to whinge, whine, complain, condemn, criticize, snare, find fault, revile, attack till you drop dead!
  
  
  Mulikat, I salute your elegance, intelligence, determination and confidence. I respect your poise as you congratulated Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal the new speaker of House of Representatives. Thank you for exhibiting professionalism, maturity and that this is not a do or die game. You have just proven to womenfolk and the men fold that you are the better team player and so long as the race remains one for the good of Nigeria, you are prepared to support whoever is willing to serve and has been given the chance to serve in any capacity. . 
  I think the likes of you, Sarah Jibril ( even though scored her own goal, sorry vote- at least she tried) and others as you serve the people of Nigeria, should be respected and admired for your COURAGE… and for me this is one of the reasons why you are the winner.
  
  Hey Sister, I truly salute you… and on a personal note, keep working and learning very hard to improve on all those tricky areas that require improvement. Keep making yourself relevant both at home and away and believing that tomorrow is another day and that day is yours. Keep talking to and mingling with the "right people" and my best wishes on this enviable journey you have chosen.
  
  I am ’Toun Okewale Sonaiya. Proudly Nigerian.
  tounokewale@hotmail.co.uk
  June 2011