Loud Whispers
I first heard that phrase from Pastor Chris Okotie when I was still a member of his church. It was his birthday and as usual, members had serenaded him with kind words, wonderful gifts and all they could do to show their love and respect for him. When it was time for the man of God to speak, he told us a story where the subject was told of the sad news of the loss of his whole family in a ship mishap. He sat on the beach and wrote the song which I cannot really remember the title but has become a legendary Christian hymn we all sing at times like these. But this phrase, PEACE BE STILL got my attention and has been my support when the vicissitudes of life hit me as they inevitably do.
Nothing is harder to handle than the loss of a child. I can imagine the searing pain that would be Mr. Abiodun’s lot at this time, as he tries to figure out what has just happened. A lot of questions would be flirting with his mind, the answers he would be too afraid to confront. Images of the handsome lad hitting various milestones would be flashing through his mind. His birth, his first walk, his first tooth, his first day in school, all the dreams and plans now all gone with the sad loss of what could have been a wonderful legacy. As mourners throng his house sending their support, hugging and consoling him, shedding tears and generally trying their very best to hold him and give him the support he would need at this point, all he would be wishing for would be that alone time, where he can ask God some very deep questions.
As the last visitor leaves, he will recede into the deep recess of his room, go to the corner and sit on the floor, staring blankly into space with a huge lump in his throat, he would be waiting for God to speak to him, to tell him why and what he did to deserve such pain. He will be wishing that like a bad movie he could roll back the tape and as tears stream down his face, he begins to quiver, aghhhh the pain just too much to comprehend. The hurt, the fear as he shakes, he feels the hot need to scream, to shout, to strip and just run as fast as his legs would take him. Kai, the loss of a child is the worse pain that can be inflicted on anybody. Aghhhh Dapo kai, be strong. Wherever you are, be strong. I know it is not easy but what can you do. You have to stand firm like the man you are and find strength. A lot depends on you, you cannot crack. This was one passing too painful. As I write, I stare at my system trying to imagine what he would be going through, but the truth is that you cannot feel the pain as much as he would be feeling because he is in the epicentre of this tsunami. All you can do is stretch your hand in fellowship as you send prayers of hope and joy everlasting towards Dapo this morning.
I met Dapo only once at the opening of his Private Club in Ikoyi. Until then I only knew him by reputation and after that spoke to him twice on the phone so he is not my close friend by any stretch of the imagination, but who would not feel his pain today? Which man with a promising son would not share Dapo’s pain and tears at this moment? I feel perfectly his sorrow even as I am encouraged with that phrase, “peace be still†that like all things in life, there is a perfect explanation for this, it is just that we do not know and only God knows why. Egbon, hold on to your faith, this storm too shall pass and DJ Olu’s memory would continue to give you the kind of strength to keep building a strong legacy of love in this world. “Egbon ma fa ra le†only God knows why. You have our prayers. Peace be still my lord. Take care and God bless.
Awo’s Statue: Nothing Do Am
Following the hullabaloo that has been going on about the recently unveiled Awolowo’s statue in Ikeja, I carried myself as a well-known busybody to see the statue and give my own comments to Nigerians. For those of you who do not know who Obafemi Awolowo was, well, no be me go tell you. Someone paid my school fees and it is only him I owe this information. Well, as I approached the statue, I noticed that Awo was seated. That was my first issue. Why would Awo be sitting on such a busy traffic intersection? They should have made him stand so that all those traffic offenders will panic and be orderly. Well, apart from that, a careful scrutiny of the statue showed a perfect excursion into the delicate art of sculpture. A lot of these critics do not understand art. The artist has the creative liberty to depict his subject anyhow he wants. His work is his personal testimony to his subject, the way he sees him and the way he visualises him and what message and story he wants to send to his public. So, all this noise about the statue not looking like Awo is just irritating noise of people who do not understand the delicate construct that is art. If I were commissioned to make the statue, I would have sculpted an Awo on his knees and in tears with a very skinny and gaunt look depicting his tears for what we have turned into and how we have rubbished his legacy of selfless leadership. I would have shown him in tears crying at the destruction of his legacy of an egalitarian society hinged on free and qualitative education. I would have shown him on his knees pleading to this generation to reconsider our selfishness and corruption, I would have shown him naked with just a tiny loin cloth depicting how we have raped the resources of our land and increased poverty to the point where if Awo woke up today, he would literally die of shame as to what we have turned the society into.
So my people nothing do the statue except the fact that the artist in his work did not let the statue tell a story and that is why he is being vilified this way. His work is bland and just sits there in its true beauty but vacuous essence and not reminding us of any of Awolowo’s legacies except the fact that he wore shoes with lace on agbada. Wait for my own statue, it would not only show Awolowo, but it will combine all our founding fathers in tears, naked with nothing but loin clothes covering their shame and bound in chains, weeping for the soul of this country. A country that has gone to the dogs making nonsense of the huge sacrifices they have made for our nationhood. I will do like six of the statues and look for places of high population density within the six geographical zones that make up what is beginning to look like a joke of a country and strategically place them there, so that when our children ask us what the artist is trying to say with such a sorrowful and sad work, we would with shame re-echo Wole Soyinka’s very apt declaration that this generation remains a wasted one. Kai.
Aisha Buhari and the Aso Rock Clinic
When I read this piece where the First Lady – kai, the woman still fine sha – was complaining bitterly of the situation in Aso Rock Clinic, what came to my mind was her Husband’s coup speech when he took over government in 1983. In that earth-shaking speech, he had alluded to the fact that our hospitals had been turned into mere consulting clinics and immediately, I threw back the challenge to her doorstep. Mummy, what would you do about the situation and this time not just the Aso Clinic with their N3billion budget but to the whole consulting clinics that litter our nation? The challenge is now on you to use your huge moral capital to independently galvanise resources and support towards enriching our hospitals for the betterment of our people.
So you see a clinic with that kind of budget directly under your nose not having the basics, then come to Shomolu and see what our hospitals look like. Mummy, I tell you the level at which people are resorting to herbs and quacks for medical solution, you will not believe. So, your Excellency, no be to call press conference alone, what are you going to do about it? That is the question I am respectfully throwing at you. Let me suggest something, why not put a privately structured endowment fund, that would leverage on your popularity and raise private funds with the sole aim of supporting at least six tertiary hospitals across the nation while also building another six well-funded and well-run ones? That way, you would not need to go to any hospital run 100 per cent by foreigners to get your paracetamol. Let’s see some action from your side just this once and you would have written your name in the book of history. Oya mummy, let’s do this, ball is now in your court. God bless you.
Rotimi Amaechi – Are You Sure You Said This?
Dear Honourable, I was just thinking the other day that you have been kinda quiet and this is very unlike you. I am sure maybe you have been on vacation. But anyway, I am just reading a report that quoted you as saying that only Odili can abuse your mother and wife and go scot-free. Well, I really do not believe you made this statement because nothing can be further from the truth and I am ready to prove you wrong. I know so many Nigerians that can carry out this national assignment and not only go scot-free but you will also send them bottles of champagne thanking them for the honour. In fact, I know 10. Should I start naming than? Ok, let me name a few, our President Buhari is one. In fact, you will even give him their full names so he doesn’t make a mistake when he is pronouncing the names. Another person is Ibrahim Magu. Make I continue? Make I stop abeg because I no believe that statement for all I know it could be fake news or that you were misquoted. You remain a great guy, I personally have missed hearing from you. What is the plan o. Let me know o. You know Wike has started warming up. How are we moving so that I start getting ready for action?
Gov. Udom, Super Eagles and The World Cup
My Governor, yes o he is my Governor. A lot of people think that because I am the Duke of Shomolu that I am from that place. I am a true-blooded Ibibio man from Nsit Ubiom In Akwa Ibom. I am a child of immigrants who came to Lagos in search of the golden fleece and settled in Shomolu, intermarried and today have produced a host of descendants with dual heritage. But that is story for another day. Well, Obong Udom had in the recent past promised our gallant boys the tidy sum of $10,000 for each goal scored hoping that the game would end in a goalless draw. But these boys decided to take up the challenge and I think scored about four goals which made my lord rush to the State House of Assembly to seek a budget readjustment to enable him meet this pledge.
Well, this time around, we waited for a pledge. But it was total silence we got from the State House. So I placed a call to my Governor. Immediately, he picked the call, I said, “Ete, are we not pledging anything on this match? My humble suggestion: Let’s pledge like $100 for each goal so that even if they score 100 goals, we would not need to deplete the state budget and start looking for Dangote and the Paris Club to assist us.†My lord smiled and said I should not worry that he had everything under control and that Saraki was coming, that he would push that one to make the pledge guaranteed by the state Government. So my people, you see why we saw only one goal since the Akwa Ibom State treasury was firmly locked against the super Eagles, since we are still recovering from the last one. Anyway, we thank God o, those boys showed us the true essence of our being as a nation. They played in one accord not minding which political party or which region of the country the other player came from and in so doing, united us as a nation in this victory. Obong Udom I think we should do something mbok, nothing is too small for these boys have done well. Thank you my lord as you consider this plea.
Jumoke Odunye: A Shout-Out
I know say you will be shocked when you see your name on this page. Shebi I told you that it is me that write this column that you love so much and you said it is not my Joseph Edgar; that it is another Joseph Edgar. It is me abeg. How many joseph Edgars are in this country sef that went to school and have a title given to them by the good people of Shomolu? The only other one wey try small na Police Commissioner, even that one no fine like me. If you still doubt, then there is nothing I can do. How are you though? Please send the cup cakes now that I have proven that it is me.
