By Muideen Olalekan Olatunji
I am not an insider into Wasiu Ayinde’s band operations. I hardly even like him as a musician. If it’s Fuji, Barrister and Obesere are my favourites. So, my take on the issue of Wasiu’s FORMER band members coming out to discredit him about his poor approach to their welfare will be from the standpoint of an officious bystander.
It is not uncommon for subordinates to say about their oga “mi o achieve nkankan lara e”. Trust me, I have been at the other end of the stick before. The questions are:
1) Is there not a wage structure in the band?
2) If you worked with your oga for over 30 years and you feel he was not doing enough about your welfare, why stay that long?
3) If the indices of ACHIEVEMENT while working for someone is the quality of your house or car or clothes behind your back or even your account balance, are the conditions the same with all band members? Are they all broke and live in squalor?
Imagine yourself in a circle of office colleagues. You guys earn the same salary. Is it possible to achieve the same saving capabilities? Your lifestyle, your responsibilities and even your health will determine your savings. If you’re an ophan but your colleague has two parents who depend on him, it is likely that you’ll be able to have more savings. Also, what you eat, drink, wear and your options of housing determine the retention or dissipation of your income. I know civil servants who don’t earn more than their salaries who have more beautiful houses than me. I earn 10 times their salaries. Even in the same government office, you have someone who has completed his house while another has not saved enough to buy land. There is no guarantee that someone who earns 500k per month will be able to save more than someone who earns 200k. It depends on lifestyle, responsibilities and investment options.
A boss is not responsible for how a band member lives his life. While some may be saving money, some waste their income. Some band members are fond of marrying multiple women or spending their income on top fashion to keep up the appearance that they work with celebrities.
I also don’t see anything wrong with seizing international passports of band members when they travel abroad for tours. Band members do abscond abroad especially now that the Japa syndrome is prevalent. If band members abscond, it will disrupt the tour of the musician. Prevention is better than cure. The accuser even left the band and travelled to London where he lived and worked for 6 years before coming back to rejoin the band. Will he blame Wasiu for having nothing to show for that stint abroad?
Those comparing Wasiu’s houses and hotels with the houses belonging to band members are jokers. Wasiu is the life of his band. He is irreplaceable in the band. Others are replaceable. He is the goose that lays the golden eggs. Someone even said Wasiu is sending his children to schools abroad yet the son of one of the band member is a panel-beating apprentice. How is that Wasiu’s fault? Women in Akesan Market are funding university education of their children fah!
I’m not saying a boss should not GO OUT OF HIS WAY to guide his subordinates to better living but it is almost entirely in the subordinate’s hands to get a life.
Perhaps this episode will force Wasiu’s hand to pay more attention to how his boys live their lives so that they won’t be blaming him when they are no longer with him.
A boss can truly be the motivator-in-chief for his employees. A periodic reward system is good. It can come with gift of cars, plots of land or even full or partial scholarships for children of employees. BUT if your Oga is not doing any of that, remember you’re the captain of your own ship.
Peoplesmind