Op-Ed

STRIKER: True Loyalty Defined

STRIKER: True Loyalty Defined
  • PublishedJanuary 31, 2025

Loyalty is Key not only in Politics but in all forms of relationship. Loyalty is not only indispensable but cannot be in percentages; it is needed always in total.

Loyalty is staying faithful and true to a particular conviction, a set of convictions or a person. However, even in marriage that fidelity is like a sanctified pact between two or more partners, a set of conviction still applies. These articles of faith, commonly called principles, are therefore the foundation of loyalty in all circumstances.

Allegiance, loyalty, can be to institutions, organisations and nations. Swearing to the oath is a common ritual when individuals are being inducted into offices and to many institutions. Citizens do sing their organisations’ and nations’ anthems and recite a pledge to it at important occasions.

The underlying importance of loyalty is thereby established, from the family all the way to the nation; much else within political organisations and parties! Even in dark fraternities, loyalty is to IDEALS and PRINCIPLES JOINTLY AGREED TO – the LEADER or leaders only symbolise those ideals; and must not betray them! Not only Followers betray Leaders, Leaders many times betray their followers by abandoning the founding principles of the organisations or political parties!

Sadly, in contemporary times, and especially in underdeveloped countries that offer little else to their citizens than trials and tribulations, the core reasons for loyalty is often thrashed away, at all levels – family, organisations, political parties and country – as BLIND loyalty is demanded, often in exchange for material compensations and vanities; in the face of dire threat to anybody calling for faithfulness to agreed principles and processes.

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The most powerful demonstration of unquestioning obedience, loyalty and faith is to Almighty God, Allah, as found in the story of Abraham, Ibrahim, in the holy books, with only some comparable instances in folklore, mythology and actual history. Even then, it was not blind faith when critically examined, it is rooted in the solid principle of belief by Abraham in the infallibility, omnipotence and goodness of God at all times! Humans, purportedly created in the image and likeness of God, are not God and are hardly ever God-like. Therefore, any sensible human like yourself will candidly advise you not to show the same reverence and total submission you show to God to any human being, it is even believed ungodly.

How come then that majority of “Third World” leaders – family heads, heads of institutions, especially “leaders” in politics and government – expect total and unconditional obedience and loyalty from key disciples, not minding how their own conducts are largely out-of-tune with agreed ethics and procedures that are the founding principles of the relationship? Even a University Head of Department demanding sex from students in exchange for promised marks expects unquestioning obedience from the student, else she be branded rude, disrespectful and disloyal, with threat of dire consequences!?

In this equation, the masses, the poor, the followers, members, the subjects and the weak are usually the ones at the mercy of the elite, leaders, rulers, rich and the powerful. Blackmail and blacklisting of genuine, principled and disciplined followers for demanding faithfulness to principles become the playing cards of the powers-that-be; as “leaders” that betray principles and processes turn truth on its head to make the faithful followers look like the actual betrayals.

For those who genuinely love the survival and prosperity of their organisations, political parties and governments more than they love their pockets and personal interests, they have a clear responsibility to be correctly loyal, and it comes with sacrifices. Being correctly loyal is to constantly revisit and remind self of the founding convictions, manifestoes, ideals and regulations that bind all of you together in that union and demanding that EVERYONE stay true to them.

If and when leaders stay true to the ideals that unite the party, followers are duty bound to be faithful and obedient. If and when leaders betray the lofty ideals on which organisations and parties are founded, asking a few questions and requesting clarifications, with all due respect, can never be read by the leader, or other members, as disloyalty or betrayal; if it is read as such, and repeatedly so, it is simply time to move on: firstly to find like minds from within the organisation in order to rescue its soul FROM THE DARK SIDE, failing which all those faithful to the founding ideals of the original union, organisation or party have to forge ahead and recapture the spirit of those lofty ideal in a new union, organisation or party. That is true loyalty; the leftovers being nothing but sycophantic renegades.

The opinions expressed in this publication are solely those of the author. It does not represent the editorial position or opinion of OSUN DEFENDER.