Fayemi Vs Afe (Part One)

WHEN the vile dictator, now-late General Sani Abacha was decreeing Ekiti State into existence on October 1, 1996, Kayode Fayemi, one of the four (in the eye of the law, sacked governor, Segun Oni was never one) to later rule it, in this republic, was a relatively unknown entity, though definitely not a nonentity because he already had a PhD, in War Studies abroad, pushing for more life opportunities. At the birth of the state, he was just gathering his NGO, Centre for Democracy and Development together for takeoff in Nigeria, the following year, but heavens had already decreed him into the governance equation of the state.

Fourteen years after, he came to rule the state he had no contributions whatsoever in making its creation, a reality. That is like being served velvety pounded yam, laboriously prepared by others. Fayemi isn’t an outlier where this grace is concerned. Many like him, had eaten, and are still eating where and what they didn’t cook. It is like reaping where one didn’t sow. It’s a special grace from heaven.

In Joshua 24:13-15, God reminded the Israelites how “I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat”.

Solomon the Preacher says “the things that hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is NO NEW (emphasis mine) thing under the sun” (see Ecclesiastes 1:9).

There are some with similar but slightly altered grace. They profit, from parental sweat; their family had contributed significantly to what they now eat and where they eat it, from. Niyi Adebayo, the first executive and one-term governor of the state, is a good example.

He had the name recognition, jumping into the Afenifere endorsement politics of 1998, berthing his governorship in 1999, before another unknown entity (also definitely not a nonentity despite lacking Fayemi’s cutting-edge persona) Ayo Fayose, torpedoed his reelection ambition.

Incidentally, both the Fayemis and Fayoses had their bases in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, when Ekiti was being created and their scions couldn’t have, in good conscience, truthfully claim that their families made any significant contributions to the lobbying that landed Ekiti for its indigenes. But they were destined to rule it and they did, both controversially and two terms, each.

When Yoruba find a situation intriguing, they will say, Oro Oluwaedeni (God’s way is unsearchable). Recorded and grapevine accounts of the lobbying that led to the creation of the deeply-agrarian state, credited grand old Aare Afe Babalola, as the man who Abacha gave the state, abnitio, in juntas’ way of courting coveted acceptability. Oyo State was reportedly close to snatching it. The jurispudential giant according to credible accounts, had to risk his reputation as a respected voice for public good, to play the right cards, that birthed Ekiti, and the closest the old man had come to putting anyone in charge of the state, was his protege, the affable Segun Oni, being governor in 2007, before Fayemi and then-rampaging Lagos establishment, now running Nigeria, stopped the gubernatorial music for Oni, on February 17, 2009, using the judiciary. From then, to date, Afe has mostly been a revered outsider in Ekiti politics, despite being arguably, the greatest living indigene of the state and its biggest global brand. God’s way is truly unsearchable.

Recently, Fayemi literally went for jugular of the “founder” of Ekiti and though the warfront seems quiet from the booming of bombastic tirades, the former governor has definitely crossed a fine line and won’t be surprised if there are consequences.

Fayemi’s anger stemmed from what he said has been a sustained criticism of his time in office by the grand old man of law and letters, vowing he has decided to no longer leave the narrative of his stewardship to the educatinonist, which would be a fair deal with himself, without going vile.

Fayemi’s moment of weakness and great indiscretion, in the course of defending himself, was disclosing that his wife had warned him off, engaging the old man in war of words, but had to break the family code, to say his piece after keeping his peace all this while.

After reading the former governor’s piece, one would almost want to go away with the impression that the age-gap between him and his older wife, is quite reflective of the wisdom gap between them too. But like all flesh, there is also so much a man can take, especially when one thinks facts are not prevalent in the regular criticism and the intent, is, malicious. But it doesn’t lie in Fayemi’s mouth, mudslinging a 94-year-old, considering his oft-repeated Omoluabi sing-song. That is not the way of Yoruba’s oturarebi (a rounded true-born). Tagging your father’s agemate a narcissist, should be a strange civilisation, in a state of Ile-Iyi, Ile-Eye, which reminds of the campaign slogan of Senator IyiolaOmisore, “EniyanIyi (abbreviated Iyiola) niwaniIpinle Osun” (Osun fully backs Omisore). Maybe that would become a reality someday, which would put two Iyi (honour) states, as neighbours.

No doubt, whoever is alleged, should have a right of reply. Even the law recognizes that and calls it “fair hearing”. Courts are always very quick to discharge and acquit accused not given an opportunity to tell their own side of the story. Yoruba’s version of right of reply, is “isoronigbesi”, but the same tribe of wisdom, warns about the fragility of uttered words, with “eyinlohun”. The Bible paints a frightening picture of the destructive power of a misused tongue (plus pen and keyboard). It can bring death, physical and in other crushing ways, that would leave one as “okuoguro” in Yoruba, (a walking corpse). Proverbs 13:3 says, “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life, but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction”.

17:28, adds, “Even a fool when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise and he that shutteth his lips, is esteemed a man of understanding”.

When Erelu warned her husband to look away and block his ears, maybe she had seen the man beyond himself that a moment of public outburst, could wipe away that eclectic persona he has laboured for, since God made a way for him in Nigerian politics.

There is a fictional hunter in a Yoruba folkloric tale who was a nobody before a benevolent spirit was sent to him in form of a woman and they became an item. Suddenly the poor hunter of yesterday flourished and suddenly found himself living in a mansion of that time and he could do just anything in the massive house except, entering a locked room. His wife warned him sternly to stay off the locked room and parry any curiosity to see what was in it…..

(To be continued)

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