Loyalty Is Courage

Anietie Usen

Many years ago, as the Sole Administrator and later General Manager of Akwa Newspaper Limited, AKNL, I kept a framed tabletop postcard on my office desk. That was in the 90s. The postcard was bold and impossible to ignore by anyone who visited my office.

No staff who walked into my office ever missed the message on the postcard. Some staff, especially my mentees like Sam Akpe and Udeme Nnana, two great journalists, found the postcard funny and always laughed about it. Some other staff found it provocative and quietly snubbed it.

The message on the framed postcard said:
THERE ARE TWO RULES THAT GOVERN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BOSS.
RULE #1: The Boss Is Always Right.
RULE #2: Whenever The Boss Is Wrong, See RULE #1.

I remember that I first saw that funny poster on the desk of Dele Giwa, my boss and the iconic Editor-in-Chief of the legendary Newswatch Magazine. What fascinated me was the audacity of the message on the postcard. The message went beyond the proverbial ‘papal infallibility’, and demanded unconditional loyalty even to the fallibility and humanity of leaders.

As hot headed as I was then in my early 30s, I was sending a strong signal to the 52 staff of AKNL that I might not be right all the time as your Sole Administrator but you must support and stand by me in loyalty to right the wrongs and get my job done. Many people have often flattered my five-year tenure at AKNL as “the zenith” of the organisation.

Of course, at that time, I was the only Special Assistant to Obong Akpan Isemin, the first civilian Governor of Akwa Ibom State and was drafted, against my wishes, by the combined forces of the Governor and his deputy, Engr. Etim Okpoyo, to take the job as a Sole Administrator.

Isemin was famous for, among other things, his open demand for unconditional loyalty. In his unforgettable words, rendered in his characteristic deep husky voice: “Loyalty is indivisible.” For Isemin: “99.99 percent of loyalty is disloyalty.” That was a tough act. But it was exactly for me the interpretation of the postcard I first saw on Dele Giwa’s table.

Most of the time, true loyalty is tested, not in times of normalcy, ease and stability but in times of challenges, difficulties and trouble. The recent political progression of Governor Umo Eno from the PDP to the APC, the ruling party at the centre, presented in a rather graphic manner a real test of loyalty. If anybody tells you it was easy to secure a buy-in for the exodus, that person is economical with the truth.

It was difficult at the beginning for many politicians and Akwa Ibom people, in general, to accept the crosscarpeting. Eno himself has told us the story of how his children came to him one day and asked: “Daddy, why are you leaving the PDP?” This is to say that it was a very challenging period as well for virtually all PDP loyalists in the state and presented a real acid test for loyalty.

Two of my dear colleagues and close friends in Eno’s team resigned their juicy positions and were hailed as courageous. “This is courage” was what I personally wrote on the Facebook post of one of them who tendered his resignation letter and posted it online. I still believe that that’s courage.

But it doesn’t mean that those who did not resign are not courageous. They are very courageous. “Where the battle rages, said Martin Luther, “there the loyalty of the soldier to his country is proved.”

It means loyalty is tested on the war front. That’s why loyalty requires courage. Remaining dedicated and faithful in hard times even at an inter-personal level is bravery. It is the opposite of a fair weather friend.

At the same time, courage can be seen as a form of loyalty—being brave enough to uphold one’s principles as Ini Ememobong and Chris Abasi-Eyo did recently. True loyalty isn’t just about sticking around for what Nigerians call ‘stomach infrastructure,’ but also having the bravery to stay committed, wholeheartedly, to your target of loyalty.

It takes guts to stand by others in  times of uncertainties, to resist betrayal or to defend what you believe is right even when doing so might be costly. This is when loyalty goes beyond courage and becomes a highly valued and admirable quality. It’s cute and noble.

Historically, loyalty has been associated with kings, queens, and nobility, symbolising honour and unwavering commitment. In monarchies, loyalty to the crown was seen as a noble virtue, essential for stability and order. It reflects integrity, trustworthiness and moral strength. And it  demonstrates a person’s nobility of character.

Akwa Ibom is not strange to the test of loyalty to the crown. The emergence of Eno as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2023 was proof positive of loyalty to the crown and proof positive of courage against all odds.

Thankfully, Eno has not disappointed the Akwa Ibom people. As a Governor, he has not only been outstanding; he stands out in Nigeria. His works speak loudly for him. He is loyal and sold out to the cause of Akwa Ibom’s greatness and is never in short supply of courage to take tough decisions. That’s a true leader that deserves loyalty.

Loyalty and courage by Akwa Ibom leadership and people took Eno to the throne. The same loyalty and courage of Akwa Ibom leadership and people will guarantee him additional four years on the throne, in the interest of Akwa Ibom greatness. This is why his followers, at this point in time, need a high dose of loyalty.