Liberal Mind

Kashamu: OBJ’s letter of witticism

By Adetunji Ayobrown
If life is a race, the dead had beaten us to the finishing line. And if it is a boxing bout, we are the one standing. Either way, life is a great deal, so let no one despise another over death. Beyond the count of all grieves, many loyalists, friends and family were seen to have defiled all protocols during the burial ceremony of their beloved former senator. To them, the death of Kashamu was more than a million deaths.
Writing with good conscience, good timing seem to be in accordance with his existence, like many pleasant things in his life, he learnt to use it, though I don’t expect less from a retired general. Understanding the mind, the way it react to things never cease to amaze me, if not some people like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, OBJ for short, ought to know better. Though, many feel quite the contrary of Obasanjo’s stances most times but such is his condolence message to the Ogun State Government over the late senator Esho Jinadu (Buruji Kashamu).
Whether he was speaking the truth or just making a compliment, the former Nigerian president, Chief Obasanjo said Senator Kashamu’s passing was sad however he did added his usual flavour of sort to what the bereaved were going through. According to OBJ, Kashamu in his lifetime used the manoeuvre of law and politics to escape from facing justice on alleged criminal offences he committed in and outside Nigeria’. Except if such can ease Kashamu’s guilt, some of the contents many not be necessary. But critical analysis of Obasanjo’s letter showed he meant no offence and it is in public knowledge that the deceased was wanted US.
United States of America, known as the best place of aces, if Kashamu indeed was wanted and was able to escape, then something bigger than US intelligence is on the deceased side. The dead has no guilt, it is a global belief that the creator is the Supreme Judge and not for any man to cast blame on another fellow human.
Mr Obasanjo, in the condolence message, said the late Kashamu was wanted in the U.S for alleged drug offences but escaped justice however he could not evade death. This may seem offensive but are these allegations correct or not? That is the question. May be the documentation of his condolence letter raise dusts on the allegations.
But believe it or not many considered him a hero. Described as a worthy ambassador of Ogun State, the former lawmaker was a controversial politician, who for years was though wanted by the United States’ government for alleged drug offences but managed to beat repeated extradition attempts because of kind heartedness.
Described as a loving personality, a generous giver and someone who lived for others, despite his sins. His exit is much more than the end of an individual, as he was to many a beacon of hope of a better tomorrow like many other Nigerians, am bewildered.
Yes it is true, ‘no legal, political, cultural, social or even medical manoeuvre could stop the cold hands of death when the creator decides that the time is up’. An offensive statement to some people. What Obasanjo said though was the truth but may not be too suitable at the time about the dead. His death may be a blessing in disguises.
Many openly condemned OBJ and never praise him for even saying, ‘may Allah forgive his sin and accept his soul into Aljanah, such tangible and necessary prayers needed for the repose of the dead. ‘May God grant his family and friends fortitude to bear the irreparable loss’, perhaps to be to accept the shock of such truthful his statement.
In the study of revenge, it was discovered that revenge has so much to do with the courage to never submit or yield to something, many are of the opinion that OBJ’s letter on Kashamu’s death was in bad faith. That such action prefers rather to ride in hell than to serve in heaven. Whatever the deceased sins all should have been forgiven by now. Some went on to say that it had shown that aggression in correcting someone comes with a lot of flaws. Such was the case, that stepping into such aggression requires peeling back a lot of yourself, a path Obasanjo ignored.
The world is a dynamic not a friendly place, learn to live, it is unfortunate that Kashamu did what he thought was necessary, some were of strong opinion about this. Among many other Nigerians who condemned the Obasanjo’s condolence letter is a former governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose, who asked Obasanjo to also remember that ‘his own end will come too and nobody knows how the end will be’. This is also a statement of fact, which Obasanjo’s statement also agreed with.
As a matter of fact, what Fayose said about Obasanjo is not bad either. He said on his Twitter that the former president was not a saint and should therefore, stop behaving like one. Some other Nigerians are of the opinion that OBJ’s statement on Kashamu, couldn’t have been intended to offend anyone. Everybody evolves in different ways or maybe the former president used wrong test mode to quantify Kashamu’s qualities.
You can’t change where you’ve been but you can change where you want to go. Our culture is that every fight ends once one of the parties die, a stance of another school of thought on Obasanjo’s comment, stating that he cannot say in good conscience that he did not at some point collaborated with Kashamu and that most of the things he (Kashamu) did politically were with his collaboration. A good poser to OBJ.
Kashamu, who died from coronavirus complications, Mr Obasanjo did prayed to God to forgive his sins. Actually, Obasanjo is faithful to his principles and convictions so much that even his critics attested to his tenacity of purpose. Kashamu was a true phenomenon.
Also, Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, in his condolence message, said people should be kind to the dead since every man would die someday, but only that the tone of statement shows he never expected OBJ to be that blunt.
The world breaks everybody, the good, the bad, the gentle, the very brave and those it doesn’t break, it kills. OBJ should let God be the judge, after all a man stole from Nigeria, today, he’s a minister in Buhari’s cabinet, attacked by OBJ unwarranted and many were in defence of Kashamu.
It is true, better not be reminded of it, when you are responsible for the death of your brother, how else would his kinsmen look at OBJ’s letter rather than with disdain. Many believed OBJ’s knowledge of Kashamu were from pages of newspaper.
To forgive is a choice made by the ordinary but much more courageous man than what we think. His larger than life disposition, posterity may accord him his due recognition for his legacies of services and forthrightness. Hoping for love out of depravity. But trust Obasanjo, he responded to the criticisms the controversial condolence message on the passing of Kashamu induced in his usual way.
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via [email protected]

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