Ige: The eclipse of 2001

FRIDAY December 23, 2001, was a day whose darkness was not foretold. Really, it was “a volcano eclipse” whose tremor vibrated across the South-West and the nation at large: it witnessed the passage of an icon, legend and colossus, Chief James Ajibola Ige (SAN), the then Attorney General and Minister of Justice.  Where are we and what are we up to now? Has his demise brought a final end to the case? In fact, the sword of Damocles is dangling. Let the eagle eyes continue watching and watching and watching the Nigerian political scenario; our days are numbered too!

To be alive is to have a goal and pursue it. Ige, politics was your objective and you passed on pursuing it. Thanks be to God. Martin Luther King and  Bartrand Rushell, both of blessed memories, said, respectively: “If a man has nothing for which he can die, then that man is not fit to live”. “To die for a cause is noble if that cause is good and one’s death promotes it.” Uncle Bola, the journey of life is undertaken by those who have the  qualities and virtues to overcome difficulties, surmount obstacles and stick to ideas and ideals. By perseverance, dedication and meditation, you followed the line of progress that marked your path towards your goal of altruism in which you  experienced the joy of winning. It is discernible that your ambitions were satisfied in totality. Even though the seed of liberty is watered by the blood of patriots, yours was a sacrifice for the cause of salvation, but the time and the circumstance were not ideally welcome. Life is a way of human evolution which is genetic by nature. We are in by chance, privilege, circumstance and we are out on the same accord. Life is really an illusive adventure whose Alpha and Omega is beyond any human periscope. From the tremor of brutality and humiliation on you, I personally experienced mystical baptism and accepted the  circumstance by faith.

The Omnipotent, the Omniscient witnessed the operation because nothing happens without His knowledge. However, we continue to pray to God to “grant us the serenity to accept the  things we cannot change. The courage to change those we can and the wisdom to know the difference,” according to Baraka Bashad. Chief Obafemi Awolowo once said: “Not all soldiers are devils and not all politicians are saints”. Both cost us our illustrious sons and daughters, eminent men and a host of human resources: Dele Giwa, Saro Wiwa, Kudirat Abiola, Suliat Adedeji, Alfred  Rewane, Madam Tejuoso, Funso William and Chief Layi Balogun etc.  Countless of thousands below their status are not reckoned with. The arrow of God is on the circumstances of their death during the Sani Abacha regime, and those of others.  As we continued to pray for the repose of their souls, hoping for a better future, our prayer was answered on May 29, 1999 with the rejected stone that became  the pillar of the house.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (GCFR) rescued the nation and restored the country to civil rule, unbroken since then. The probability of the state’s ship being sunk or hitting the rock was not in doubt by then. But ironically, our hope was dashed again when some bad hands decided and removed one of the structural elements of his team: his adviser, a long time friend, a legal luminary, a political engineer, a political apostle, and in fact a political Lord of the generation. A place where the leopard’s tail is given to the dog to hold is not good to live in,” said Chief Obafemi Awolowo.The demise of Uncle Bola Ige was uncalled for at the time in question and in those  circumstances. I say the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. His death was a blemish and a shame on that government. If we meet again, we shall rejoice, if not, every parting should be well made,”said Julius caesar. Chief Ige, you became immortal, you became a saint, you edged us out. Do not eat millipedes, do not eat worms but eat whatever you see people eating over there in heaven. Whatever happens to man in this life happens for a  purpose. Who are we to query the Almighty? At times, one may leave the stage when the ovation is loudest. Tragedies occur with their own timing. When the going is good, disasters occur. On many occasions, you were moderate and never took the people for  granted. Whenever your spirit was offended, and people took your gentility for stupidity and your humanity for ignorance, you applied a little bit of decent rudeness and polite assault to bail yourself out. A caustic tongue and bluntness may be inborn. It was the basis on which you won many political wars.

An intellectual giant, Prof. Ayodele Awojobi of blessed memory,  once said that “to be controversial is a sign of individual thought among liberated minds.” When you were alive, we acknowledged your political headaches and problems, but capitalizing on your weak point was the plan of your critics. To them, I say that human .existence is acknowledged as a privilege and not a right, and to expect perfection in everything is a wild goose chase. Uncle Bola, you were always yourself, your true self; and nobody else but yourself; physically, socially and spiritually. You were fair and firm as you  maintained steadfastness.

• Adesina writes in from Oyo, Oyo State