allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Two Deathly Contrasts

The pride of a proud person surprises me. The day before he was a drop of dirty fluid and tomorrow he will be a carrion, and still he is proud - Zain-ul-Abiden (RA) from Sahih Al-Bukhari vol 6, Hadith 282.

THAT sums up the beginning and the end of man. His beginning is unviable and his end not enviable. This reminds me of a story of the king and the pauper - a contended one - who knows that nothing avails in this world.

The king was dressed up in all his finery and he mounted a horse, accompanied by his courtiers, went round the city. He wanted to know he was still in good stead with the citizens. As he went round, the people paid obeisance to him.

Until he came to the contended pauper. The king expected the pauper to pay him courtesy, he did not. He thought the man did not see him as he passed by and he directed that the man be brought to his august presence.

He asked if he saw him and, if he did, why he did not pay his courtesy. Of course, the man noticed him with all the cacophonies around and asked why he should greet him, seeing he was a dirty and smelling man.

The king was beside himself in rage. Why should this poor man disgrace him so? After all, he was the king. He would, however, not act until he knows why the poor man had the courage to assail him. And from the man, the king learned of his origin - from dirty fluid and his end, a carrion. That he was more useless than a cow - a cow when slaughtered would be eaten including the bones. Nobody would touch his carrion!

Adedibu had bravado and he behaved as if death would never come. He believed he had the power of life and death over his fellow human being and that attitude ruled his life. The clerics have a way of saying it: death is its own commentary.

And so Adedibu is dead. And we cannot speak ill of him, we would have loved to speak of his contribution to democracy; of his ability to weld us together; of his being the father of all. History will record all of this and will properly situate him in it.

Lamidi had a lot of one-liner tributes hoping that his soul would rest in peace. From Afenifere, Segun Osoba and others. Of course, his foremost political ally, Segun Obasanjo, spoke at length and told us a substitute would be difficult to find! And you wonder: to fit what bill?

This has been in sharp contrast to the encomiums truthfully vented on the late Baba Adini of Nigeria, Alhaji Chief Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo. He grew on us; he made the world much better than he met it. He contributed to our well-being - in commerce, in industry, in oil, in philanthropy. He added value to our lives.

I knew Chief Wahab many, many years ago. Precisely in 1961. He had started making money then. I remember at the neighbouring house, by Alhaji Etiko's at 53, Kano Street, Ebute-Metta where Ayo Shasanya lived.

He enjoyed life and time and time again they would camp Ayinde Bakare and engage him to play and exclusively for them for a whole weekend. He enjoyed his leisure and made progress in his work. He made progress in his belief which manifested in his progress in Islam.

He contributed to its progress, building mosques and making himself available for its services. I shall miss eating Iftar at his table. Nothing escapes his attention. Thanks to a well-oiled Public Relations Department. He would rejoice with you on occasions and sorrow with you on occasions.

His Dar-es-Salam orphanage is a testimony to his concern for the orphans. I was a beneficiary of his large heart. We shall all miss him. Abdulhamid and Abdul-wahab are both servants of the most High but He knows who serves His true course.

TOLANI Durosola is a medical doctor with a difference. He takes interest in his clients beyond the call of duty.

I knew him since I came to live in his community of Agege in 1977. I would not know which of his patrons has more numbers - the Yoruba or the Hausa. Who knows? They may have been equally distributed with a sprinkling of other ethnic groups thrown in.

I call him Baasegun - a chieftaincy conferred on him in the early years of my sojourn in Agege. It was to indicate his place in the community as the chief medical officer. It was not solicited but awarded on the basis of his care for the people of Agege by the Oba of the place.

When he opened the annex of his medical centre, the former president was honoured with the opening ceremony. That was before his presidency and his prison years. Tolani says he (ex-president) was his cousin in Owu.

You call him any time of the day, he is available for you. No wonder we all loved him. No one who knows him distrusts him and he is one who will repose absolute confidence in anyone until he proves otherwise.

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