By Akinjide Adebowale
As a member of the last electoral committee, one of the most common promises made by many of the candidates was to intentionally orientate the new freshmen on the tradition of Zikism. I suspect that the prejudice that outsiders thought Zikism embodies has gotten to even their own notice.
For the most parts of last session, Zik Press gathered many opinion of outsiders, mostly females, who thought that the tradition of aroism is all there is to Zikism, and that aroism is nothing more than just verbal attacks on passers-by.
For ample time last session, Zik Press churned out many pieces to prosecute the saber-toothed tales of the ugly side of aroism.
In lieu of this, the former hall secretary (although, would not have come earlier if not for our call for it) had to share pamphlets to the effects of the nitty-gritty of what aroism entails, explicating that how it was then practiced mostly does not synergy the essence of Zikism. .
Dear reader, please, hold on, I am just not done with my tales yet.
The Zik hall rally that was held last week was a grand movement aimed to dispel the erroneously preconceived notion of Zikism, as most people who harbor these bad notions see it not as the quality of greatness (as the motto states) but as cultism or whatever the case may be. The movement was not just an activity to celebrate Zik at 60, it was a premeditatedly thought-out movement to shape the public perception. What could be more intentional intentional PR than naming an office after it— the office of the ‘Information and PROPAGANDA Minister?’
On Friday, the Zik hall common pot was held, a ceremony meant to mark the popular oneness, togetherness and brotherhood Zik hall is known for.
Unfortunately, at the same time the preparation for the common pot that feeds all was put on fire, another bad PR cooked simultaneously in the background.
It is a common practice that few hours before the common pot kick-starts, volunteering Zikites would be seen at the basement picking beans. However, the last common pot did not go without a very unusual drama.
As the boys gathered to pick beans for the event, passers-by were lightly asked to join in the picking of beans to show a sign of solidarity with the tradition. This picking could be as minute as the passers-by picking just a bean kernel.
However, this correspondent firsthand witnessed a female refusing to pick the beans, the reason—unknown to this correspondent. Her refusal to pick the beans saw gathered Zikites denying her passage access to her destination, forced to take a longer route to wherever her destination was.
The image of prejudice of coarseness that quite a number of females who have been victims of bad aroism or other sorts have against Zik was being manifested in reality. What civility is there in denying a person access to her destination just because she refused to pick the beans she would not eat out of?. That was undeniably an act of bully.
All efforts by this correspondent to reach out to the said lady was shunned by her.
Efforts towards a positive image like the recent rally to prove what Zikism is not would just be a lot explanations with no evidence if our explanations do not match our actual conduct. Let me say this emphatically, this bad PR has to stop!.
