- By Usman Issa
She fought but lost the battle along the line. He voiced out but his voice could not be heard by colleagues. We all gathered to post Rest in Peace. We all could have done better to raise our voices against tormentors. He is dead but the light is on. No excuse, we are all hypocrites.
The above paragraph was my first reaction to Mohbad’s death pointing accusing fingers at all of us, sudden mourners who could have ordinarily prevented many brutal attacks and threats against his personality while he was alive. The massive video footage that flooded the media after his death described the debilitating and attenuating status of his existence. He lived in fear and always seemed to be dread of his former record label.
The death of Mohad has further exposed the hypocritical level of human nature. The dead in most instances faces rejection and most times gets exposed to mockery and reproach from friends, families, and colleagues, and witnesses unprecedented celebration after demise; this is the exact scenario of Mohbad’s public sympathy and echoes of Justice all over the world.
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The major background of Mohbad’s problem is the family. His first agent of socialization was wobbled and disjointed and affected his subsequent decision to secure a better life for himself, and probably, his family. Mohbad’s family issue is obvious in one of his lyrics, titled ‘Sorry’ where he referenced the situation of his broken home and poor parental upbringing.
He sang:
“This kind life e tire me
Daddy no get salary
Ten years I no see Mummy
Stepmother no care
Landlord e dey worry
My brothers are hungry
Daddy gather money make I go poly
I go poly but I no go class
Daddy, I am sorry”
The above lines are a metaphorical picture of his family’s predicament which is liable to push him to take a step further. A step further from this confine led him to the Marlian music.
Going further with his lyrics, the subsequent lines depict the steps he took further to join the bandwagon of Yahoo, drug lords, and cult cliques. He depicts this by saying:
“ I don dey do Yahoo
I don dey chop banku
Omo pastor ti wonu aye”
Mohbad said at the end of the lyrics that,
“Mummy just dey pray
Daddy just dey pray for me
Make e better for me
Me I no go school
The thing I fit do
Music me I choose”
While the end of his verse explains the prayers being said by his parents, it equally shows the parents were praying after he had already joined the wrong caucus.
Obviously, the parental failure contributed to his ordeal and that’s exactly what is affecting many who are victims of hard drug cliques, robbery gangs, cult groups, and other social vices. Broken homes always tell on the children in negative. Family is the first agent of socialization, if a family fails, it endangers the lives of the children and that’s why the children matter in all decisions to go on separate ways with a spouse.
Going back and forth, Mohbad’ is gone and still alive. This reminds me of the Indian thriller movie, Bahuballi who died as a result of conspiracy from his family and resurrected through his son who avenged the injustice meted to his parents.
Like Bahuballi, Mohbad is survived by a son, Liam Imole. Mohbad’s light is on and the light should be guided. The Justice for Mohbad movement should be more focused on his son. That’s where his parent’s happiness lies and that’s the most important thing.
Let Mohbad’s spirit continue to rest in the Lord. He has resurrected by giving the world the lights, Liam Imole. Rest on Legend…the whole world pays tribute.
•Usman Issa,
Ilorin, Kwara State.