Abike Dabiri’s ijagboro and gods we serve

FORMER senate president, Iyorchia Ayu, is almost in a political museum now, but he had a pretty long time adorning choicest power runways not as a spectator but a bejeweled model. He could look kings in the eyes and describe the shape of their heads, without the crown. His myth was built around fearlessly speaking to those who could take coronation beads away from his neck. A story was told of his encounter with then President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. After being number three in the preceding republic, Ayu, a known ally of Atiku Abubakar, who was just promoted from being Adamawa governor to the nation’s number two, reportedly got aboard ministerial list, despite Ebora Owu’s discomfort and then the eyeball-to-eyeball situation at a retreat organised for minister-nominees. The new president was said to have asked Ayu if he was ready to defend actions and policies of the just-out-of-cot administration and the Benue man reportedly quipped “on principle.” Obasanjo was said to have glared at him for a moment, turned to Turaki, then his beloved “son” and roared, “talk to him.” Atiku reassured his boss Ayu would behave.

Somehow, he “behaved” well to last six years, before he was fired in 2005, after traversing three ministries. The loyalty of the former senate president was unwavering, but evidently not to the president. Immediately his original boss, Atiku, got into trouble with baba elediye (chicken farmer), Ayu gotta go.

I doubt if Sat Guru Maharaji Ji still has devoted devotees, though it isn’t unlikely that some persons, still in awe of his durability on the expressway where his once-bubbly camp-ground has now become a mere descriptive landmark for travellers and motorists, will still be sneaking in, to wet flowers with their sweat, calling on their god, to do them good.

Man can be god to fellow man, but only by divine arrangement as seen  in Exodus 7:1 and God’s arrangement isn’t about the bigger man, being one, to a supposed smaller fellow. Infact, the ruler/king, Pharaoh, was the one God subjected under the authority of Moses, a fugitive. who the king once fed and raised as a foster child in the palace, who must have stood before the king before fleeing, attending to his royal needs and running errands for his imperial majesty, as the son of an Hebrew slave. Because the arrangement wasn’t about bread and butter, the king was compelled to listen to the one, wanted for murder and despite being pre-arranged by heaven for destruction through obstinacy, Pharaoh still obeyed Moses’ commands, here and there.

Except for a man with a head arranged on his neck by the Holy Spirit, our constitutional democracy was worked out to produce gods in Aso Rock. They don’t also have to ask to be worshipped. A combination of misplaced loyalty and misguided patriotism is daily breeding faithful, worshippers and bread-seekers. Those called by different Villa gods, to come-and-eat (apologies to late Afolabi) at the open hall where a scramble is required to eat enough, pour their libation to their god of provision without shame. What about the better-privileged, who eat in the inner-room, where there is ajeyo and adirele (more than enough)? They are the devotees, who can kill, maim and rubbish their onibiniran (heritage) for their god of golden opportunities. Nothing will change anytime soon, regardless which baba or gobi (cap) style, reigns in the Villa.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa is a Lagosian you want to call an onibiniran. The Erogbgbo/Solebo heritage is one, anyone should be proud of and be wary of knocking into the gutters. As a broadcaster/journalist, she had a decent rating, if one adds the NTA visibility. As a politician, her association with Senator Bola Tinubu, so far and by far, the most successful Yoruba politician of his time, has yielded and yielding bountiful harvest. If her kind is arrested at a scene of a free-for-all, you want to take her bail as a surety possibly without asking how she got to the scene. But there is always something inherently dark in men, only divine sanctification can break its hold.

Last Tuesday, Dabiri, Ibikunle Amosun’s in-law, engaged in a Twitter street-fight with a supposed sister, Jumoke Alawode of TVC’s Your View and the Tweetstorm, which bore imprints of Trump’s, was just all about Jumoke asking Dabiri’s boss to make Nigeria a place where a former bricklayer like AJ could triumph over life adversities. In simple language, the vivacious lady wanted an environment where those not born into affluence could live the Nigerian Dream.

Ok, what exactly is today’s Dream? It used to be a decent and comfortable living; when a banker in First Bank would have a Vespa motorcycle and a foundation of four room and a parlour apartment, to show for 25 years of service and would still be a proud, respected member of his community. Now, for the Marlian cult generation, who doesn’t want to finish school but be very wealthy, it is the big bucks all the way, to show off like Hush Puppy. Well, that could be a bit too extreme and harsh, but the reality is that everyone is seeking a greener field and Jumoke is saying the field isn’t only grey here, no serious irrigation efforts are being made to change the tide and colour.

Mama Diaspora didn’t only hook Jummy’s gown, she was decidedly settled on renting her cloak of journalistic honour, calling the younger lady’s career reputation out in a way even those who give brown envelopes and have little or no regard for media professionalism, won’t. Trust Twitterati leering and cheering on both sides. My assessment is that the older woman in the one-sided brawl, needs a whole course in emotional intelligence. I recommend her political brother, Tunji Bello as a competent tutor.

Abike Dabiri can choose to serve any gods she chooses; either the one who cracked the fortune kernel for her, or the one who now meets her currency and relevance needs. If her principal is so all good and without errors, she can work that out in her conscience. Whenever worried Nigerians raise the issue of perceived derailment of Bro Femi Adesina with me, I simply ask then to remember him in their prayers. Why? Well, strange powers, beyond the belly gods, seem to be on the prowl, possessing men to say needless more with aggravating much, for their tomorrow. May God be kind to us all.