The Nation Newspaper

Tag: The dead

  • Kudos to the dead, challenge to the living

    Akinwunmi Isola, professor of Linguistics, actor, playwright, immense man of culture and icon in the deeper realm of Yoruba contemporary film industry, perhaps did as much as anyone to mainstream the Yoruba cosmos, in a hostile contemporary world of cultural imperialism and actual capture.

    His collabo with ace film maker, Tunde Kelani of Main Frame (Opomulero) in films like “O Le Ku”, “Thunderbolt”, “Saworo Ide”, “Agogo Ewo”, all classics in themselves, is abundant proof of his passion for the Yoruba universe.  He shared that passion with the late Ayo Faleti, seasoned broadcaster, public administrator and fervent soul mate in that endevour of high culture propagation.

    Prof. Isola died on February 17 in his Akobo, Ibadan, Oyo State, home in the loving hands of his wife, Adebola.

    Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State, chartered accountant and public administrator, is a man of numbers, hardly of letters.  Yet, he just pulled off perhaps the most decisive punch for Yoruba, as an active medium of the future, in the life of Lagos, a Yoruba city which is nevertheless Nigeria’s prime cosmos of business, culture and opportunities, into which other Nigerians pour in numbers.

    By that law, a candidate must have a credit in Yoruba language before qualifying for admission into any of the state-owned tertiary institutions.  It’s as audacious a push as any, to mainstream Yoruba in Nigeria’s prime economic hub.

    Could another Akinwunmi be challenging the present and the future, on the Yoruba cause, continuing where the old Akinwunmi stopped, in a stellar campaign for a Yoruba cultural renaissance, in the context of a federal Nigeria?

    That somewhat reinforces the wisdom in Prof. Isola’s life-long activism, that one’s culture is one’s life; and how dead you are without it.  Ironically, Prof. Isola’s first degree was in French, before embarking on his life-long Yoruba campaign, so much so that his widow recalled that a few days after their wedding in 1969, he gave out his wedding suit.

    He said he wore it to please his bride!  Left to him, he would have had both of them wear “aso ofi” — a Yoruba native garb — in all of its traditional flourish and majesty, despite that the couple numbered among the modern elite.

    There are different sides to Ambode’s new language policy.  It would further boost Yoruba consciousness among the native speakers, so much so that it could curb the empty conceit of many looking down on their own mother tongue, as it is common among not a few families.  That would be very good, for it is a strong blow for ethnic federalism.

    But it could also limit the cosmopolitan outlook in Lagos State-owned schools.  If non-speakers cannot gain admission into these schools without a credit pass in Yoruba at the O’Level, it could well mean that less and less non-Yoruba would gain admission into them.

    That might not be too good, although many have raised the point that when Nigerians travel to non-English countries to study, they first study the local language of instruction.  That could well be.

    Still, Prof. Isola’s cultural activism clearly showed you could be proud of your essence without becoming a bigot or irredentist.  That is the prime essence of his legacy — showing off the best of yours without being offensive.

    That is the challenge to the living, as Lagos State starts implementing this new language policy.

    Adieu, foremost ambassador of Yoruba culture.  The living will drink deep from your rich — and ever living — well.

     

     

  • The dead don’t need jobs

    Obviously, it was a blunder that shouldn’t have happened.  How did the dead appear on the list of appointees to the boards of Federal Government agencies?

    Here is a report of what happened: “Some of the dead persons on the list released included late Senator Francis Okpozo, who died in December 2016 but was named the chairman of the board of the Nigerian Press Council. Another was Donald Ugbaja, the late Deputy Inspector General of Police who died in November but was listed as one of the members of the Consumer Protection Council. Also on the list was the late founder of Fidei Polytechnic, Rev. Christopher Utov, who died in March but was listed as a board member of the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research.”

    The report continued: “Included on the list was the late Alhaji Umar Dange, an APC leader in Sokoto State, who was appointed as a board member of the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta. Similarly, Kabir Umar, a former Emir of Katagum in Bauchi State, who died on December 9, was on the board of the Federal Medical Centre, Azare, Bauchi… another appointee, Ahmed Bunza, died at Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, and was buried May 22. Bunza was reported to be a staunch supporter of the APC. He served as the sole administrator of Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State.”

    This evidence of confusion was bad enough and hard to defend. But Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, tried to defend the indefensible in an interview with journalists in Abuja. Said Shehu, the defender: “This is a historical list. It dates back to 2015. The President asked all state chapters of the APC to forward 50 names for appointments to the SGF through the national headquarters of the party. The then SGF, Babachir Lawal, presented the report in October 2016, one year after he was commissioned. The report was disputed by state governors, who said they were not carried along or the list was not representative enough.”

    Shehu continued: “So, the President constituted a new panel chaired by the Vice President… The panel did its work and turned in its report early in 2017. The President had his health challenges during that period. Now that he is back and strong, he asked the SGF to go and release the list. There is nothing scandalous or extraordinary about what has happened. If a list was compiled over about two years ago, obviously some people would have died. Nobody can stop that from happening. Whoever is dead will be replaced. There is nothing extraordinary about it.”

    What a simplistic defence!

  • The quick and the dead in NAF

    The quick and the dead in NAF

    THOSE acquainted with church history would have heard or read about Polycarp of Smyrna, in Asia Minor. A Greek by origin, Polycarp was accounted to be a disciple of John the Apostle and ally to others who had seen the Lord. Given his apostolic affinity, Polycarp was said to be an ardent believer of the gospel, having lived in harmony with the scriptures. He later became the Bishop of the church in Smyrna (in modern Izmir in Turkey) during the church formative stage, and at a time that its persecution was rife. As a church leader, Polycarp opposed many of the Roman traditions such as idol worshipping, and heretics of the Christian faith, hence he was denounced to the government, arrested, and tried on account of his faith. Failing to renounce his faith, Polycarp was sentenced to death by burning. Because his captors were not done with him, history has it that Polycarp was also stabbed even as his body roasts to the great beyond. Today, it is told of Polycarp, on account of his death, that he became the first martyr of the post-new testament era in Smyrna. Polycarp, till date, is admired as a significant church leader and his death celebrated every February 23 especially by the Eastern Orthodox Christians.
    To borrow the words of Napoleon (1769-1821), what makes one a martyr is not the death but the cause. The Cambridge, and Oxford Advanced Leaner’s, Dictionary, defines ‘martyr’ as someone who suffers much or is killed because of his/her religious or political beliefs, and is often admired because of it. While, historically, martyrs appear to be synonymous with religious faithful, today it is no longer an expression that is restricted to the religious parlance. The word, in actual sense, can be used to describe a wide range of people from all walks of life including the military. The distinctive attributes of a martyr, which include personal denial, selfless sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to a noble cause, even in the face of danger or death, are all found in the profession of arms. So, like Polycarp, there are many martyrs among the men and women of our Armed Forces, whose demise and unquantifiable contributions to our nation building are worth celebrating. Each year, the Armed Forces Remembrance Day (AFRD) provides such opportunity to remember these gallant men and women who, as members of our Armed Forces, died serving our fatherland. For us in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), today’s remembrance celebration reechoes the sweet memories of our fallen heroes in blue uniforms who, at the expense of their lives, have paid the huge cost of preserving our sovereignty as a nation as well as the freedom and security of the rest of us.
    The NAF, in recent past, has lost a number of gallant officers and men to the counter insurgency and counter terrorist operation in the North East, as well as to other internal security operations across the country. The very first NAF casualty of the Boko Haram insurgency was Sergeant Umar Abubakar slaughtered by the insurgents on 25 July 2013 in Maiduguri. This heart wrecking incident was followed by the death of Flight Lieutenant Akweke Junior Nwakile who died in a helicopter crash on 21 July 2014 while on a training mission south of Bama, Borno State. The missing Alpha Jet (NAF/466), involving Group Captain Abdulrasheed Bamidele Braimoh and Wing Commander Chinda Hedima, is also a case to remember on this special occasion. The aircraftwent down on 12 September 2014 at Kauri while undertaking an air interdiction mission against the Boko Haram Terrorists. Whereas the death of Wing Commander Hedima has been confirmed by own soldier who witnessed his killing by the terrorists, the fate of his co-pilot, Group Captain Braimoh, is yet uncertain for now as nothing definite points to his demise. While earnestly pray and hope for his return, the air of uncertainty about his whereabouts necessitated the current stance by the NAF that he is still missing in action.
    The NAF again recorded the unfortunate loss of Group Captain Ubong Akpan and Master Warrant Officer Hosea Zabesan in another helicopter crash on 13 November 2014. The duo had embarked on an operational flight against the insurgents but went down near Yola, Adamawa State. The painful death of Flying Officer Duke Toryem on 21 May 2015 is another case to remember. The young officer was on patrol when his vehicle stepped on landmine planted by the Boko Haram Terrorists. Furthermore, one cannot but appreciate the role of Flight Lieutenant Ebitimi Owei in the collective effort torestore peace to the North East. Late Owei, an F-7Ni pilot, crashed due to bad weather in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State while returning to base after successfully undertaking an interdiction mission against the insurgents on 28 August 2015.The victims of the ill-fated Dornier 228 aircraft that crashed in Kaduna is another death too many to remember at a time like this. The crew, along with passengers onboard, had gone down in the line of duty on 28 August 2015 while on flight from Kadunato Abuja. These heroes include Squadron Leader Adekunle Suara, Flying Officer Kehinde Olaniran, Warrant Officer Akpan Etim and ACW Naomi Abegunde.
    While we can only pray as colleaguesthat God will grant repose to the souls of these departed great Nigerians, it is hoped that their deaths will not be in vain as fellow Nigerians continue to appreciate their sacrifice while the government remains committed to cater for the welfare needs of the families they left behind. In this regard, it is gratifying to note that the NAF is doing a lot to immortalize its fallen heroes. The NAF, under the leadership of Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of the Air Staff, has undertaken a number of developmental projects, some of which are named after the fallen heroes. The NAF has also continued to provide befitting houses to the families to live in, in addition to prompt and timely payment of full benefits. The NAF, of recent, has also introduced skill acquisition programmes for widows and orphans of deceased personnel in order to empower them for self-reliance. These gestures are no doubt commendable as they are pointers to the fact that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day is much more that wreath laying or mere ceremony to offer respect to the departed. While, in addition, it reminds us of our collective responsibility towards the families of those who have paid the supreme price in their service to our nation, and it is indeed another avenue for boosting the morale of those still serving.

    •Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa is the Director of Public Relations & Information for the Nigerian Air Force

  • The dead also speak

    Introduction

    Apropos of the foundational crisis of the Nigerian nation, it is meet to report that it is not only in scholarly tracts, passionate polemics and jaundiced jeremiads that the trouble with Nigeria is openly discussed and analysed. It has also found its way into fiction and literature. A person who gives birth to a misbegotten child must be ready to carry it on her back. Many affronted nationals and concerned sympathisers have questioned the wisdom and efficacy of the originating colonial clause of amalgamation. This morning, we publish a brief excerpt from Bulletin from the Land of Living Ghosts first published in 2004.

    “I can assure you, Mr Pemberton-Gilbey, and without any fear of contradiction, that General Waja did not die on that day of the bloody coup which swept the National Salvation Council from power, and he may very well not be the man that was buried in the Cemetery of Patriots”, wrote Professor Ignatius Alawiye, notable crank and retired Professor of history in the nation’s premier university who had lost his own mind while plotting the historical narrative of the nation’s decline into lunacy and anomie.

    James had met the infamous hell-raiser running rings around government officials and top civil servants at an official seminar at the nation’s administrative capital. It was on the seemingly safe and sanitised subject of why Generals could never be revolutionaries and the impossibility of a State carrying out a coup against itself.

    They had reckoned without the scrupulously shabby autodidact who shambled in lugging a huge box bursting with hansards, official gazettes, war memos, classified and declassified documents and British parliamentary reports from the governments of William Gladstone, Benjamin Disreali, Authur James Balfour, Herbert Asquith, Lloyd George, Stanley Baldwin and Ramsay Macdonald and was eyeing everybody with neurotic scorn. A top government official made the mistake of grasping at the cobra’s tail.

    “Is it possible to carry out a coup against one’s self?” the bland bureaucrat asked.

    “Why not? Isn’t that how the nation itself came into existence?” the old bruiser suddenly shot out after a testy silence.

    “Professor, how?” the bureaucrat asked with a smile thinking it was time for some comic relief. He was profoundly mistaken.

    “The amalgamation of the protectorates was an act of violence against separate states carried out on a whimsical impulse by Lord Lugard after a night of torrid passion with an Irish journalist”, the professor growled.

    “How?” the civil servant stuttered.

    “I have searched all the declassified documents, the correspondence, the memos, the hansards and the letters. I have not seen the instrument of authorization. So, Lugard carried out a coup against himself or committed what the Latin Americans call an autogolpe”, the professor noted.

    “But…”

    “There is no but there. The founder of the nation is also its first coup maker. A congenital cripple can never carry a straight luggage. Lugard must first be brought to justice before we try other coup plotters.  This nation was born of a coup and it will die of one”, the professor screamed as he was carried off by security agents.

    The professor was a study in apostasy. Before he recanted and became a born-again-democrat, he was in fact a defender and apologist of the military oligarchy. When the old General was overthrown, he had put together a caustic biography of the war-hero. Titled, The Lion That Squeaked, it was full of the fireworks of scurrility. It was meant to demystify the General and put him in his place. Shortly after the launching, he experienced a conversion of Saul-like proportions and started shouting himself hoarse that the General was the greatest hero of the nation and that he had been paid to undermine his memory. It was alleged that he had been accosted as he hurried away from the hovel of a woman of easy virtue by the ghost of the General which gave him a sound beating. Thereafter, he became persona non grata with succeeding coup-makers and gradually sank into penurious oblivion until he was dredged up by the soldiers once more.

    • Bulletin from the Land of Living Ghosts, published 2004.