Adedibu, Half of Ibadanland, the man is no more

Is it really dead?

Ten years ago, when I was informed that the despot General Sani Abacha had died, I was walking off Tottenham Court Road into Goodge Street, the street itself looking for a place to sit down because the story was unbelievable.

I also asked for the meat left behind to be slapped with the best side of a shovel just to be sure that he had really departed.

Earlier in this evening, I caught a whiff of news that Alhaji Lamidi Akanbi Ariyibi Adedibu, half of Ibadanland that the uninitiated erroneously describes as one person had kicked the bucket but I was not sure the cat had exhausted its nine lives and did not have a joker life to spare – well, it would appear he had used them all up.

The legacy of works reviled

Probably all that can be written about Alhaji Adedibu has been written that speak no good of a man so bad that the mourning of his demise unleashed thugs on the streets of Ibadan – the evil men do does live after them.

But like a beach whale, the evil he unleashed in Ibadanland shall slowly have live ebb out of it till he becomes part of the unpalatable history of Yorubaland.

Once again, there may be many who would not speak evil of the dead, they should not at the same time speak lies of this man, there was no reason to revere him apart from the perversity of the patriarchy of old age, but that is Nigeria..

He was an unconscionable menace, an executive hoodlum with the basest intents and a thorn in the sides of everything that tried to rise as progress in Yoruba politics.

Gone and well gone

At the death of Chief A. M. A. Akinloye last year, a man whose legacy includes nurturing people of Adedibu’s ilk it would appear the only notoriety they had not gained was that of immortality.

The man shall be committed to earth tomorrow, as a Muslim, on the 15^th anniversary of the June 12^th nullification of democratic results debacle; we might well begin to rid ourselves of those whose presence has haunted Nigerian for decades, who in death shall have gone forever.

However, I write this to bury Alhaji Adedibu not to praise him, but he would only be so well eulogised in lyrics of the musician (Alhaji Odolaiye Aremu) who praised him years ago – he summed up the man in words I cannot better.

The tribute

Adedibu, half of Ibadanland that the uninitiated erroneously describes as one person

Death that taunts before it strikes

Wicked man per excellence

The son of a witch who buys on credit and still demands a bargain

The man who deliberately harms and yet commiserates with his victim

The man who owes you and you dare not ask to be repaid

The heir rejects his inheritance, Adedibu appropriates it

Akanbi who demands two pence from a man with only two and a half pence

Adedibu went to the Ibadan city centre and came back with several chickens

He did not buy them (the chickens),

He did not steal them (the chickens),

And nobody gave them (the chickens) to him as gifts,

The chickens just ran into a monumental calamity!

Nigeria: Ali denies lobbying for post

Ali back in the news

It would appear the hot coals and spitting fires of dissent and disdain have been roasting the backside of Dr. Ahmadu Ali.

After media reports of his rejection of the ambassadorial posting to South Africa where sources have it that it was only South Africa of all the possible host countries that was willing to receive his credentials and the President’s decision to consider a more qualified career diplomat, the doctor might have been at a loss.

By coincidence, because of the problematic Federal Character profile required to appoint human vessels from each region in Nigeria rather than then best people in Nigeria; the erstwhile Minister of State in the Ministry of Health – Mr. Gabriel Aduku – hails from the same state as Dr. Ali, this being Kogi State, the President might have a bit of a challenge.

Ali denies lobbying for post

Obviously, one would expect that balancing the Federal Character of the Federal Executive Council can include a reshuffle and the selection of other qualified Kogi State technocrats who have a desire to serve rather than a demand to be rewarded and respected – that would hopefully provide the President with great opportunities.

Dr. Ahmadu Ali strenuously denies that he is lobbying for a ministerial appointment; that can only be very good news, I would also hope that no consideration whatsoever is being taken to advance his name for any federal appointment – he has done his time and he should give way to others.

Of service and possible disservice

For argument sake, we can agree that Dr. Ahmadu Ali has served his country as a Minister of Education in the 70s and consequently a Senator, I do not however believe that the chairmanship of a ruling party constitutes service to ones country.

I think that political position within a party structure confers too much authority and power to that personality who has no electoral mandate but exercises undue influence usually inimical to good governance and geared mainly to entrenching party influence and sometimes beclouding what should be transparent processes.

Undue influence of ruling party chairmen

The case of A.M.A. Akinloye as the Chairman of the ruling National Party of Nigeria between 1979 – 1983 and the influence he wielded on a national scale, the statements coming from the current Chairman of the ruling PDP – Chief Vincent Ogbulafor – indicate that we need a reform of the kind of public profile of these chairmen – they should merely be administrators of the party system, their continuous appearance on the national scene pronouncing policy and influencing government decisions must be curbed through constitutional restraint.

As private citizens they have every right to contribute to the debate about good governance but as party chairman, they should and must keep a low profile.

They were not elected to public office and they are not accountable to the electorate, so they should not be so visible as to be implicated in why there are serious conflicts of interest between self-interested party policy and good governance of Nigeria as desired by the electorate.

Meanwhile, if Dr. Ahmadu Ali is beginning to settle into inevitable retirement from “National Service”, I can only bid him Godspeed; however, if he is up to some mischief, he would be a man of questionable character – such an one is not needed in the Nigeria of today.

Alhaji Lamidi Akanbi Ariyibi Adedibu

Celebrating long life

A tradition would only be too evident in Nigeria at the ceremonies that would culminate in the burial of Chief A. M. A. Akinloye who died at 91 in Nigeria last week.

People would be dressed in blue rather than black because this was a life to be celebrated having been full of years, I once attended a wake-keeping in Nigeria of a very prominent man where I observed both this and his children being heartily congratulated for surviving their father rather than being condoled sadly for his death.

However, as soon as the news of the man’s death was announced people flocked to his family residence and had opportunity to write in the book of condolences opened for the event.

The book of condolences (judgments)

One of the entries made must not escape scrutiny and analysis because it corroborates the issue I raised in my blog yesterday about the death of Chief Akinloye and his legacy.

The visitor wrote and I quote – “My father, my mentor, my political architect who by the will of God made it possible for me to have recognition in the political history of the country. You promoted me, you lifted me up and gave me what I can never forever forget in my life, you prayed for me and the prayer had shown in me. Surely, you Adisa Olayiwola Akinloye will rest in the side of Almighty God because you have done very well to people with fear of God, God will not leave you.”

Introducing Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu

The writer was Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, of whom no person of worth has praise or commendation. Of the many articles that have been written about this man, one talks of hoodlums who pledge allegiance to him wreaking havoc in Oyo State where he believes he reigns as potentate regardless of the traditional ruler.

The Chairman of the EFCC – Malam Nuhu Ribadu lamented that fact that many are not angry that the likes of Adedibu are in positions of leadership and these expressions are some of the more polite references to a man who has at one time been called a thug, a criminal and worse – without prejudice.

However, no better illustration can be made of the man than the one that damns him with praise – praise-singing a Yoruba tradition where mere mortals are eulogised to almost deity can well be a two-edged sword of commendation and outright rebuke at the same time.

Praise-singing a deeper truth

One writer recalls one minstrel now departed, Alhaji Odolaiye Aremu who begins with this as translated by the writer thus.

Adedibu, half of Ibadanland that the uninitiated erroneously describe as one person – that says it all, the man has become a law unto himself and an impediment to progress in Yorubaland, like his mentors and sponsors of old.

If in reality, Chief Akinloye did really elevate Alhaji Adedibu to this level of self-aggrandisement and political thuggery, I will speak no ill of the dead, but I would not lie to be nice, rather, silence is golden, but much has already been said.

That song

As for the song and write-up , this is the whole thing as translated with a few notes:

Adedibu, half of Ibadanland that the uninitiated erroneously describes as one person

Death that taunts before it strikes

Wicked man per excellence

Son of a witch who buys on credit and still demands extra

The man who deliberately injures and yet commiserates with his victim

The man who owes you and you dare not ask to be repaid

The owner rejects his inheritance, Adedibu accepts it

Akanbi who demands two pence from a man with only two and a half pence

Adedibu went to the Ibadan city centre and came back with several chickens

He did not buy them (the chickens),

He did not steal them (the chickens),

And nobody gave them (the chickens) to him as gifts,

The chickens just ran into a monumental calamity!

Beware the man

This is the man who thinks he now has recognition in the political history of Nigeria, what woe has befallen us that this man should find honour amongst the dishonourable. The legacy of Chief A. M. A. is personified in Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.

Other references

Nigeria: Adedibu - 'Etteh is Yorubas' Only Hope' – Where he asks the president to halt a probe into what seems to be an misappropriation of funds in the House or Representatives.

Understanding the political machine called Lamidi Adedibu

When Thugs and Political Godfathers Call The Shots

The spirit of Akinloye lives on

Events shouting down the news

The noise of megalomania coming from the House of Representatives drowned out news that seems to link up with the events taking place in that chamber.

When the Buhari/Idiagbon putsch swept out the corrupt and rotten politicians in December 1983, one thing depicted the conceit, excess, wanton debauchery, arrogance, shameless hedonism and appropriation of wealth for personal gain – unopened bottles of champagne.

Whether it was the truth or not, the military regime displayed bottles of champagne named for and labelled Augustus Meredith Adisa Akinloye A.M.A., the then chairman of the ruling cabal called the National Party of Nigeria.

They are still about

The parallels between the $5 million renovation of the Speakers’ residences and this seminal event would eventually be a subject of history.

The shame of it all is that as one of the many who allegedly squandered the resources of Nigeria and left it in a deplorable state of corruption and chaos, he was never indicted or arraigned for his supposed part in this matter just as many like him got away with what essentials were crimes.

As the military government tightened their grip on power and corralled the political miscreants into prison, he escaped into exile for 10 years and then returned to glorious welcome masterminded by the current chief thug of Oyo State Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu.

The brood of vipers are still spawning their deathly and poisonous influence in Nigerian politics today and many of their followers cannot with honesty see through the façade to challenge their questionable conduct and hubris.

That one could say he did his best for Nigeria in general beggars belief at the way people would believe a blatant inexactitude to conform to a false but accepted impression.

Another signpost

So, the death of the Seriki of Ibadanland at 91 last week is not necessarily the end of an era of corrupt impunity and excess, it was just another signpost in the history of Nigerians who got away with it; the many, who were once thieves that became respectable through the peddling of questionable influence.

Now, nothing was proved about Akinloye’s culpability or guilt having not been arraigned before a court of law, but he would have been in the crosshairs of an agency like the EFCC and even if he was innocent he symbolised everything that was atrocious, ignoble, dishonourable and bad about the government of the day, more so an educated Nigerian.

I would have loved that these traits got buried with the high chief, but unlike Mark Anthony, I come not to bury Chief Akinloye and definitely not to praise him for a biography few honourable men would deign to accept as their story.

Reference

Akinloye: Sunset for grandfather of politics

Nigeria: UCH - Akinloye Died of Chronic Liver Problem