Former President, Olusegun Obasajo, has said that a successful leader must steps on toes to achieve success
Obasanjo stated this on Sunday, 9 February, 2025 while playing host to Dr. Dayo Israel, new Chairman, Board of Management of Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
The familiarization courtesy visit had the Centre’s Medical Director, Prof Adewale Musa-Olomu and members of his Management team on the entourage.
The former President, who charged the new chairman to brace up for the challenges ahead and be ready to step on toes, if necessary, maintained that doing so would yield a successful tenure of office.
“if you’re doing a job and you’re not stepping on toes, then you’re not effective.”
Obasanjo, while citing an incident that happened some decades back shortly after he left office as Head of State, said he had to “sack” his daughter from his farm on account of late coming to work.
“Shortly after I left office as Head of State, my first daughter, then at University of Ibadan studying Veterinary Medicine was engaged on my farm to gain some practical experience during long vacation,”
“On day one, she resumed a quarter past seven in the morning as against the usual 7 O’clock. I warned her reminding her that she has an obligation to be of good example to other workers.
“I told her I will not hesitate to wield the big stick should the same be repeated going forward.
“To my amazement, the following day she was late to work again. I did not hesitate to send her back right from the gate.
“Not surprisingly, this had an indescribable effect on all my employees, saying ‘if Baba could do this to his daughter, who are we?’” he said.
However, Obasanjo counselled the new Chairman to be “just, fair, and humane,” just as he also commended Prof. Musa-Olomu, the Medical Director, for the tremendous accomplishments of his administration over the past seven and half years at the Centre.
Earlier, the FMCA Board Chairman, Dr Israel had described Baba Obasanjo as an international Colossus, full of wisdom and wits.
The Chairman restated his goal of turning the Centre into a premier medical facility where individuals from all over the world will come to get complete medical care.
