Kawu Modibbo’s Awkward Tribute To Late Mubaraq (Authority): A Mourn Or Mockery?

By  Mustapha Sulyman Oluwatofunmi_

Without a doubt, every Kwaran, Ilorin in particular, home or away, especially the youth is shambled, disheveled, devastated, and disheartened with the demise of one of us, the young gentleman, a promising Nigerian with a germinating ambition, the late Yusuf Mubaraq, popularly known as Authority.

The news of his death was a rude shock, melancholic feelings, uncontrollable emotions, and a tragic occurrence. It is an excruciating pain that cannot be healed any time soon. Indubitably, we are in an honest mourning period.

As much as his death is lugubrious, devastating, and sorrowful, it’s more saddening reading a mockery tribute by the self-proclaimed public figure and dismissed erstwhile NBC DG, Mr Kawu Modibbo who was humiliated out of office for alleged conspiracy, with his cronies, to defraud the federal government of Nigeria to the tune of M2.5bn. It’s surprising to see him hastily take to social media, after an eon of time hearing from him, to play stinking politics with the death of an innocent boy, who had served him and his wife, Saada’tu (a former commissioner) with absolute commitment over the years.

It’s ludicrous, barbaric, and capricious to see a biased public analyst like Modibbo, a father at that, interweaving the death of a man whose departed soul needs nothing now other than prayers from every one, with politics of Kwara state, where he specifically enumerated a particular period of governance to another being the causes of current woes in the state, conspicuously pointing to a particular leader.

How did politics bring some people to this level of intellectual concussion? It’s so sad that this is coming from someone who should be in a closed-door grieving over the late boy for his life cut short by their (Kawu’s) failure to influence his lifestyle! The Modibbo family should be sad that, despite the boy’s service to the family, they (Kawu Moddibo & his wife, Saadatu) had failed to reciprocate the love shown to them by the late Mubaraq.

For record purposes, it was learnt that the late Mubaraq was coming from a visit to Kawu Moddibo’s house, on that fateful day, Wednesday, September 13th, 2023 before he met his untimely death while loitering for a commercial ride (motorcycle) by the roadside at Unity area.

If Kawu Modibbo and his wife had rewarded this gentleman for his genuine service to them, at least if they had bought him a motorcycle of his own, even from the alleged 2.5bn looted funds as NBC DG – which is still in their possession, perhaps, Mubaraq would be in his private car or at least motorcycle to their house and wouldn’t have been a victim of circumstance while loitering for Taxi or ‘bike man’. However, we have accepted this as good fate as believers.

Although this is not the right time to exchange words with Modibbo, it’s necessary to inform him to stop playing with our emotions right now. You can’t mock the death of the late Authority and call it mourning. You can’t play politics while consoling us for his death. This is nothing but a priority misplaced and absurd mockery!

Going forward, it’s noteworthy to remind Dr. Kawu Modibbo of the fight against cultism, terrorism, and other security porosities campaigns championed and sponsored by the Saraki-led government of 2003-2019 which he mischievously tried to castigate.

This same government mitigated the excesses of cultists in the state and transmogrified the erring youths into resourceful ones, giving them refined lives with protection. For the record, we wish to remind Modibbo of a key inaugural speech of Dr. Bukola Saraki when he assumed Governor of Kwara State in 2003. His first point of action was to combat cultism, gangsterism, and all sorts in the state.

“I hereby announce a 14-day moratorium for anyone in possession of weapons to hand them over to the police. In addition to guaranteeing amnesty to anyone who hands in such weapons within the specified time, such individuals shall also be enrolled in the programme of employment for youths, details of which shall be announced soon.” That was an excerpt from the Inaugural Speech of Dr. Saraki in 2003.

Stamping out cult-related violence and maintaining a secured Kwara was a spectacular stride that the then government was applauded for by all and sundry. Not until recent years, precisely towards the electioneering periods and at the inception of this particular government that the state started witnessing the resurfacing of cultists’ victimization. Turning our youths again into devilish tools. I ask, to which government can we connect his death if we have to?

Dr Kawu, if you can’t comfort us you shouldn’t compound our pains. The late Authority’s family, his mother in particular, and his loved ones do not deserve this inhumane treatment. Paying late Mubaraq in this coin is extremely wicked and disdainful.

Lastly, l urge His Excellency, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to stop governing from the diaspora, he must return home and be swift in action. He should not let his assumption of the NGF chairman become a curse for Kwarans.

He must order a thorough investigation into his death, to not only unravel the culprits but also bring them to justice. However, I’m harnessing this medium as well to call on His Excellency to find a lasting solution to these incessant killings in the state. It’s becoming more alarming and horrible. We have lost counts of victims like the late Mubaraq even this year alone. The mourning over the younger ones, especially the victims of cultists’ clashes is becoming too much to swallow. As a matter of urgency, just like the previous governments of 2003-2019, Gov Abdulrahman should declare a fight against cultism in the state to curb the unfortunate homicides of promising Nigerian youths.

May Allah forgive our brother and friend, the late Mubaraq Yusuf, and comfort his family and loved ones who are in severe pain now.

Mustapha Sulyman Oluwatofunmi writes from Ilorin.