By Adetunji Ayobrown
A wise man once said, the true history of the world is a history of great conversation in an elegant gathering, but the question on many lips without any cogent answer is how did a community progressive union turned out to become a political gathering were urchins successfully disrupted Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressives Union (IEDPU)’s 53rd annual conference on Christmas Day. Better explanations and answers may not be gotten but strong condemnation of such act should be sought.
Ilu to jina sina, a popular saying….I choose Ilorin, the Kwara state capital over many other states and towns in Nigeria, reasons, wisdom and closeness to God that the town is known for from generations… It is a known secret.
At about the time to be discussing progress and development, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressives Union (IEDPU) conference came to an abrupt end where the Sarakites and All Progressives Congress (APC) trade blames over the event’s disruption.
Many people wondered how psychology will make sense out of the madness that coloured and characterised our Nigerian politics. Imagine our society is nothing but has become a masked ball where everyone hides his real character and unknowingly reveals it by hiding. Politics should not only be about holding good cards but how well those cards are played before, during and after the election is what should matter to us if we must make meaningful progress as a state or nation.
Little wonder, my mother never wanted me to have anything to do with or in politics, her reasons is the notorious political brouhaha tagged operation ‘Wet eee’, the 1st republic political mayhem which took place in Ibadan, the centre of fracas is in nearby Oyo state…many lives and properties were lost, my mum witnessed it all, it was no good tale, Kwarans should please ask history.
And as a good citizen, it is not only pertinent on me but also necessary civic duty to my country to lend a voice to state and national important issues. So also, my beliefs is that any place I lived and not just grow alone, but bloomed then, it is a must for me to pray for continued growth, peace and harmony for this ancient city of Ilorin. So also, our two major religions scriptures, Bible and Holy Quran was clear about these directives.
Although, some people are of the opinion that the Senate President Bukola Saraki and PDP supporters and not APC governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq or his supporters are to be blamed for the abrupt end of the annual convention of IEDPU but as the event turned out the entire claim to this is based on illegitimate claims.
Now, too many similarities from unconnected sources, when I saw what Abdulrahman Aliagan and many other eye witnesses said, prominent Kwarans and even some members of the opposition also agree that the Sarakites are certainly faultless.
Aliagan said, “I was quick to react on the disruption of IEDPU programme when I have not gotten the details of what actually transpired at the venue. I based my judgement on video clip that was sent to me initially”. Many wondered and only god knows how many wrong condemnations would have followed…truly uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
Alhaji Aliagan said, “It becomes incumbent on me to do the needful. Given the video clip that was later sent to me that captured how it started, I draw my conclusion that the disruption was caused by the Supporters of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq AA who wanted to turn the venue to a political arena before the Bukky Supporters shout rented the air”.
Many wondered if truly what Aliagan saw is true “I was reliably told that he Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq had never attended that occasion and he never contributed a dime to its course. But today, it becomes a veritable platform to sell his person and his political party. Unfortunately, the reverse was the case. Take it or leave it, Baba Saraki of blessed memory has been known and identified to be a strong promoter of Ilorin Emirate course, in which up till date nobody, dead or alive has match his feat before Bukola took it up from where his late father stopped”.
God gives and forgives, but human gets and forgets is one of the basic differences between our creator and men. Holy Bible said, Eda ti oba fi ibi san ore, lae lae, ibi koni tan ni ile re, so it was written in my Yoruba version.
He went further “from known and unknown evidences there is nobody in the entire Ilorin emirate dead or alive, I repeat that has been shouldering and footing bills arising from Ilorin Emirate course like Bukola Saraki. I stand to be corrected. Whether anybody likes it or not, Bukola Saraki remains the strongest promoter of Ilorin agenda, this is a confirmed issue; if anybody has any contrary position he should bring it forward”.
Yes, opposition is good but a stranger asking me to slap my ‘father’ is most condemnable in any good religious society; even little children know this. This is not the Ilorin we want and should be proud of.
“IEDPU is not a political union or association, it is a development Union and it is for all” – Aliagan gave these series of advises. “I think if there is anybody to steal the occasion to achieve personal goals, I think it should be that person who has been sacrificing day and night for the emirate. I called what happened at the IEDPU programme “About To Be Stolen Show” and this was able to scale through because of the collaborators within IEDPU and they should be made to pay the price. IEDPU should stay clearly away from politics and should purge itself of the politicians within who could not stomach their identity and sacrifice their affiliations for the union at a particular point.
“It is therefore instructive to note that, IEDPU is not a political affiliated Union, it is purely a progressive one and should not be allowed to be hijacked by politicians to achieve their personal goals.
He again advised and said “I urge Kwarans to vote for a credible candidate that his campaign is based on issue of development and the candidate that really has something to offer; a candidate that will make Kwarans stakeholders in Kwara’s project”.
Divided into four distinct dimensions, leadership/authority, superiority/arrogance, self-absorption/self-Admiration, and exploitative/entitlement…many wondered what Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) reports of our average politicians will look like. The NPI is a self-report which assesses a person’s narcissistic personality traits. We need to do politics, but without bitterness. We are all in this world’s memory, and without memories, human may not be better than other animals.
Though, the past has been written and the ink is indeed dry, many Nigerians now know better and for the likes of Abdulrahman and any other opposition members, we are all brothers before politics. A true leader must avail himself of wisest counsels when he can, no one is wiser than the creator.
‘Ilorin onibaje o’, not in our time should be the mandate of all, irrespective of any political affiliation, so, also Kwara as a whole. In fact, and without any ambiguity, like Alhaji Aliagan said, what defines an Ilorin-man should not only be what he would be proud of, it should be equally guarded jealously for the Emirate to continue to be No. 1. God bless Kwara, God bless Nigeria.
I joined him and other many to sayย Alhamdulilai faaa!
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes viaย aayobrown@gmail.com
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