Nigeria, Nigerians and the Buhariyah syndrome: Oloyede should be freed!

I was woken from my slumber last night when I heard that our darling former Vice chancellor of the better by far University has been made the new Jamb boss. Alhamdulillah! I shouted, knowing fully well the antecedents of the astute disciplinarian. Not just because his legacy of ‘’it must be done’’ and commitment to service, but also because- which I would be forever thankful for- of his doggedness in seeing to the fact that Unilorin doesn’t go on strike and has always been so. His policies see to it that the University of Ilorin stands tall in the league of universities in Nigerian and even in the whole of Africa in terms of innovation and other stuffs that are the envy of all other educational institutions. All these are not just to brag about a product of my alma mata but a proof to the fact that during his era, Unilorin became the oba awon university- the king of all Universities.

Actually I am definitely and grossly unqualified to start eulogizing the Islamic scholar as other Ogas at the top have justifiably done so. My aim, I think at this juncture should be revealed from the quiver I have kept them. And as I dole out the pin pointed arrows, never desist in cutting me short of my points if they are off the grid.

In my little experience in life, history if I am not wrong, do and always repeats itself. And as OBJ had said, ‘’we never learn from it’’. I wouldn’t consider that as anything related to time travel for everything that would or has been done had already been done in times past.

Football, as foolish, easy or complex as it seems, depending on how you view the round leather game teaches a lot of lessons. But as unarguably the most popular game in the world, many fail to learn indelible lessons that lie therein. In order to catch your attention and be poignant in my assertions, the just concluded Euro 2016 finals that was held in France is a match that I and many amongst football lovers would not forget so soon. In the finals, the world echoed with the call of Christiano Ronaldo’s name as the savior of the almighty Portugeuse team. He is fit, capable, hot, skillful, and no doubt the right man, by human standard, fit to collect both the golden boot and the championship trophy. No sign of fatigue was recorded during his training sessions with his team mates and even the France national team were shivering to their spines with the presence of Ronaldo on the portugal team. Fans worshipped him, haters respected him and even his arch rival, Lionel messi I know, would have no option than to wish him well.

The match started as envisaged and our almighty Ronaldo was nowhere to be found in most of the twenty minutes he spent on the field. Finally the ball came to him and all the fans in the stadium I know would have whispered in their hearts, ‘’the champ is on’’. With a slight tackle from Payet who GOD had used in rewarding those that payeth attention to the fact that he, the God of the universe, is the only omnipotent, Monsieur Ronaldo was left limping all around the field. After few minutes of struggle, he had no option than to give up and be carried off the pitch. What a pity! All the hopes of Portugal winning the trophy and Ronaldo’s fans seeing him destroy France went off with just a minor tackle. Although they later won the tournament, but it was all without Ronaldo!

I am sure the world would not forget so soon our own Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, popularly known as MKO, who Nigerians and even the world believed would be the ultimate saviour of Nigeria during those harsh and perilous times. Despite the fact that I was still young when the whole imbroglio was hot, yet I met, was told and read how phantasmagoric the polity was in a country of many hopes. In fact, if anything had happened to Abiola before the election, Africa would have stood still for decades! He, by general consensus won the election and the world expected him to take over the mantle and be the messiah we have all expected in Nigeria. But Alas! The then richest man in Africa died a bondsman. Rumours had it that he died a slow death from poisoned tea. He couldn’t take Nigeria to the promised land. What an heartbreaker!

Dear reader, Yorubas have it in one of their sayings that ‘’epo epa lojo posi eliri- the shell of the groundnut hold no resemblance than the coffin of ELiri (an insect)-forgive my translation. I would continue to draw examples from the political history of Nigeria and those referred to as being its messiah. I would remember vividly the comment made by a British journalist in a documentary titled, ‘’The real story of Nigeria-(green passport)” during queen Elizabeth’s visit to Nigeria. He reportedly tagged Nigeria the hope of Africa as that was the general feeling of the world to us, for he said:

‘’great hopes are centered on this new Nigerian leadership. Nigeria, a country as big as Pakistan is rapidly becoming self governing, many expected to become the foremost Negro state of the continent’’

Unfortunately, that’s not what happened!

Arisekola Alao – for the examples wouldn’t stop-the Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land and the former vice president of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, was no doubt a great philanthropist. A father to many and a succor to uncountable. Many had regarded him as their savior as without Aare, as he was fondly called in their issue, the matter remains unsolved. He was instrumental to installing governors and removing some. He was powerful and influential, but in the end, he died even without getting sick of a major ailment. Many thought they wouldn’t survive, as a day without paying homage at his residence meant hunger and starvation. Alas these same people are still alive, hale and hearty today.

Maybe you haven’t gotten the gist. Now I am coming out clear. Whoever it might be; From Ronaldo to Abiola and Arishekola, none holds the qualification of being taken as a savior in the midst of calamities for God despises such thought.

I am a lover of Sai Baba to be candid and factual. To be precise, I am also not a pessimist. As a writer had said – as i paraphrase-that sustaining a wound requires going through hardship and pains for it to be cured. Hoarding or keeping it to yourself wouldn’t heal it. You need to be taken through a ‘’heat therapy’’. He buttressed his assertions about this era as one going through such unbearable but necessary therapy for it had sustained greatly deep wound over the years, to which I would agree. But come to think of it, Human beings who were created to be impatient and hasty in our attitudes to occurrences are naturally prone to complain when things are not going their way. To confess, on a personal note e no easy at all at all, for the rise of dollar go surpass mountain Everest. I would, without mincing words base my assertions on the current hardship we have found ourselves in the loss of trust in the almighty, who holds the affairs of man in his hands. In a very authentic hadith (Qudsi) of the prophet where Allah says “the son of Adam offends me. He curses time. For I am time. For in my hands are the night and day.’’
We accept and reject things based on the way we see fit forgetting the fact that we are nothing but pencils in the hand of the creator.

Man tends to forget that it is Allah that can make or mar situations. He doesn’t care what you think about a person or what you might seem right. He is our overall creator.

So in case you want to eulogize Prof. Oloyede as the messiah of Jamb, always remember that it was Allah that took away Yaradua from our Midst without Amnesty and he is the one that subdued Abacha despite his ill gotten fortune as he had done with the pharaos of the past. So if you love Oloyode that much and you don’t want to kill him so early, pray he delivers don’t say he is the deliverer.

Pray for him, don’t pray to him!

Yours sincerely,

Ashraf Akintola.