Tributes To Great People

There are many things running through my mind. I recall an item on Fox News about the sack of the last Haitian Prime Minister by the Parliament because of rising food prices. I think of the escalating food prices since December 2007, an increase of over 60 per cent and wondered if anyone would accept responsibility and resign.

I thought about Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello saga, and noted how the dominant character-traits of her father are prominent in her behaviour. I recall the comment of Ayinla Ajadi from Ogbomoso on OBJ, whom he referred to as “a fulfilled son of South west”. Ayinla said, “Please, let us forgive him if he didn’t turn the South-West to FCT/New York within those eight years, his achievements are being quickly forgotten. “Let’s wait for another southerner to rule after Yar Adua’s tenure of eight years, then we can compare/contrast/balance, before we destroy OBJ, the architect of modern Nigerian democracy. After all, IBB is still a force and remains relevant among his kinsmen.”

I thought about the various probes going on in the House of Representatives. There is the probe on energy and power, yet to be concluded; there is the headline-catching probe of past FCT administration; there is the talk on Aviation fund and already a plane got missing; there is also the mother of all probes, the NNPC probe. Very soon, we will lose trend of all the probes; we will also soon suffer from probe indigestion.

I am sure very soon all House committees will commence oversight probes of Obasanjo’s era. We are already in the season for it. The easiest way for every unknown House Committee Chairman to become a star or hero is to join the craze of Obasanjo bashing. The Yorubas have a way with words. They say, “you don’t say give way to yesterday’s horse-rider.” What better way to show muscle than to continue to flog a dead horse or lion.

Nobody is talking about the food shortage in Nigeria; nobody is asking why there is food shortage? What is being done about it? How can we permanently be self-sufficient? But we can flex muscles on what should be the bench-price for crude oil? Or what should be the size of budget based on the bench-price? I love Nigerians; they have a way of creating seasons of bashing. In 1965-66, it was Akintola. It was so hot and maddening that innocent people bearing the name had to change their names for their safety.

Today, there is a state university of repute: Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in the name of the man. In 1976, the object of our collective madness was Yakubu Gowon, the alleged master-mind of the death of General Murtala Mohammed. If the British Government had been as mad as Nigerians, and had released Gowon to the Nigerian mad dogs, General Gowon would have long been dead. Today, Gowon’s beautiful face and sweet voice radiate across Nigeria.

In 1987, the object of our collective hatred and bashing was the duo of Buhari and Idiagbon. I did not ever know that Buhari would ever be able to walk the streets of Nigeria, let alone being celebrated as a democrat, or the hope of some democrats. In 1998, it was General Abacha, even those who worshiped at his altar, who spent endless nights trying to make him life President, those who organised and participated in the million-march and galas, those who dined and wined with him , they all pined in the Abacha bashing. Thank God we didn’t rename things after Abacha as we renamed things after Oladipo Diya. I know that given the way to Nigerians, the political resurrection of Abacha will come.

Now in 2008, it is Obasanjo’s bashing by those whose lips were, until a few months ago, lightly closed. Thank God that there are a few Nigerians who could be trusted to count the fingers of a man with nine fingers even in the presence of their powerful owner. One is Gani Fawehinmi, whose 70th birthday is being celebrated. That the Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM) even reached the age of 70 in the face of monstrous domestic tyranny is a tribute to his resilience, and the grace of Allah.

Gani is a lover of the people, a love that drove him into free education, some love that he and his kinsman, King Sunny Ade shared, some love that drove him into partnership with Papa Awolowo, it was the same love that drove him into the defence of our collective human rights. Except for General Buhari who strangely had his favour - I guess because Buhari was sending progressive politicians into 120 years jail for percieved corruption - Gani fought the various shades of military tyranny. Inspite of his health condition, he was ever ready to confront the inanities masquerading as Nigerian military leaders.

When Obasanjo abandoned domestic governance to Atiku and literally became a foreign minister or roving ambassador, it was Gani who painstakingly documented the number of foreign trips this absentee president made. Maybe all these monstrous revelations happened when Obasanjo was on air...after all, we have had instances before, when atrocities were committed when a president was busy praying. Gani Fawehinmi does not fight behind you. He fought the self -styled messiahs when they were in power. He never waited for them to leave; he rarely bashed anyone out of power. He was more interested in correcting those in arrogance of power, holding them within the democratic control of the people. Before I salute him, 70 Alihamdulilais on his behalf. I want to recall that he started this struggle in his 30s ,and for over 30 years, he did not waiver.

Where are the today’s 30 years old? Are they in the struggle? And when they buy their way into power, with their monstrous wealth from questionable sources , what did they do with power? Igbinedon, Ibori, Adebayo, Fayose, etc, are very young people. What did they do with power? We know what Wole Soyinka did for democracy in his 30s. In his 70s, he is still doing it. We know what Tony Enahoro did for this nation in his 30s. In his 80s, he is still doing it.

In the name of God, what are the Nigerians in their 30s, and 40s doing? To Gani Fawehinmi, all I can say is that I love you. And of course, I must salute Pa Abraham Adesanya. I know for political reasons, and such image making reasons, Papa’s home has become a new Mecca. We are going to get all kinds of headline-making statements by those who opposed everything that Pa Adesanya stood for, by those who laboured day and night to frustrate Pa Adesanya, those who constituted the irrationalities, obstructions and contradictions in the Nigerian polity. For reasons of space, I will give my salute next week . I hope by then the headline- catchers will have tired out. For now, just let me say, I salute Pa Adesanya.