Sometimes, even when it’s customary and more like a ritual, it still becomes a big deal to do the normal. At times like this, it’s hard to say: Rest In Peace. The worry of wishing peace for the undeserving comes to mind, but can we even help it?
The novel Corona Virus (Covid-19) blew like a catastrophic wind, and has now thrown open, all the agelong lapses in virtually all that we do as a nation and people. This Covid-19 has not only shown that we have no health sector, but that as a nation, we have failed near completely.
Indeed, President Muhammad Buhari who today occupies the number one seat in the land isn’t to be blamed alone. We must be true and fair about this. There has been many administrations come and gone before his. They’ve individually and collectively failed, and failed woefully.
Any nation that has failed to take her health sector, as well as education sector seriously is heading to doom. It seems Nigeria is currently experiencing her doomsday (apology to fellas)! What has befallen us at this time and moment, has shown how unserious we are as a nation and people. Our level of unpreparedness and unreadiness to face challenges is stupefying to say the least.
The health sector, as well as her sister, the education sector are the bedrocks of any truly progressive nation and people. They deserve all the financing, all the support and should at all times, be headed by those who truly know of its premium importance to life and the people.
Health they say is wealth. It’s only the living that has and makes plans, then moves to achieving those. However, the dead are helpless. This is why nations that we admire and look at as progressives understand the importance of excellent healthcare delivery to her people. However, this isn’t so with Nigeria and her crop of misleaders.
Education also plays a lead role towards the navigation of the path to nation building, growth and sustenance. This is why the education of the youth and people is integral in every sane nation. The educated understands narratives, has world view and knows when and how to grow with trends of the moment and work out modalities to true progress. This is sadly, elusive of Nigeria.
Covid-19 came with a devastation that has brought the world to a standstill and to her knees. The way things are done and understood has suddenly changed. Everyone is terrified by its intimidating power, destructions and far-reaching limitations. Our way of life and everything else relating to same has been changed by this singular faceless enemy.
The almighty St. Peter’s Square, the Pope’s Basilica which usually has hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually coming to celebrate the Easter Tridum with the Pontiff, for the very first time in modern history, had the Pope and a handful of Priests, even distancing from him too, celebrating mass to an empty St. Peter’s Square.
The usual pilgrims that flood Mecca, Medina and other great choice destinations, be it in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else for Islamic rituals have all remained shut!
No one remembers that Dubai is a choice destination as the city is near totally locked down. New Yorkers have come to terms that for a fact, that same city state of New York that never sleeps, has remained asleep for onwards of one solid month. A lot has happened and a lot of things has continued to change. All these are fallouts from this novel Corona Virus.
Africa seemed even safer, however, maybe not entirely safe. Africa’s greatest problem is self-deception. There’re possibilities of hundreds of carriers of Covid-19, but just like Burundi that has claimed non-existence of the virus in their nation, but when asked, they claimed that “they do not have testing kits”. One needs to have testing kits to be able to detect carriers of the virus.
The Chief of Staff to the Nigerian President, Abba Kyari who many see as the actual President of Nigeria upon return from an electricity negotiation deal abroad on behalf of the Federal Government came in with the dreaded virus. When he tested positive, treatments commenced immediately. The Government used everything within her reach to manage and treat him. However, it’s been a sad ending, as it has now been announced that he’s dead.
The news of the demise of Abba Kyari has thrown Nigerians into two groups. The mourners and the hailers. This is the sad reality. Abba Kyari’s death has also come with its own lesson, particularly to the Nigerian political elitist class – no one is safe, and no one may be spared!
The annual allocation to the Aso Rock clinic is huge, yet the President himself never gets to actually use it. Infact, it’s a big shame that the President often jets-off to Britain to treatment ailments as common as ear infection. What does that make of Nigeria? No hospital in Nigeria is equipped so well, to be capable of treating even common ear infections.
Abba Kyari is President Muhammad Buhari’s right hand man. When Buhari wakes up, he sees him first, and before Buhari goes to bed, he sees him last. Infact, in more ways than one, Mr. Kyari is often looked upon as the alpha and omega of the Aso Rock Villa, for whatsoever he approves of becomes law and binding on all, and what he refuses may never scale through. He’s seen as being more powerful than even the President’s wife, First Lady, Aisha Buhari.
When we have privileges and opportunities, we must work to use those privileges to impact positively, so that posterity would be gracious and kind in judging us.
Abba Kyari held jealously and all to himself, President Buhari’s ear and heart. Abba Kyari had the opportunity to change the narratives for the better. Abba Kyari had the capacity to insist on President Buhari to improve Nigerian healthcare. He didn’t do all those. And now, at death, everything pops up to mind.
Abba Kyari just like many other persons occupying positions of power and authority was more concerned in primitive accumulation of wealth. The President’s Chief of Staff cared more about what he could get from the system. He didn’t care if the entire Nigerian people got to hell, all that matter even to his last moments, were even his ambition to if possible, take the place of President Buhari when he completes his tenure.
The truth is – not every person writing Rest In Peace for Abba Kyari genuinely mean it. A bulk majority actually pray his soul rest in pieces. Some proclaim of “no peace for the wicked”. Some extend their peaceful wishes to his soul, merely because they cannot do otherwise; deep down, they’re even happy and thankful to God for taking him out of the way.
Kyari’s death has divided a thin line between mourners who make fun of him, and true mourners. Well, the former constitute a bigger percentage.
This Corona Virus is teaching Nigeria and the rest of the world the importance in some of those things that we have always ignored and taken for granted, but that truly mattered. Infact, even those that had remained available and within reach, have suddenly become either less needed, or utterly of no use.
The lesson to Nigeria is bogus. They’re too many. However, the greatest worry is – would the Nigerian political class and her populace ever learn? Politicians must now realize that it’s not gonna be business as usual, just for times like this, moments of unforeseen contingencies.
Our education, as well as our health sector must take premium in whatsoever becomes of the nation. We can’t trade it in for anything else. The world and nations has shut their doors and boarders, and there’s no place to run to. We are all in this mess together. We either heal our nation or be overtaken by the inevitable.
Abba Kyari’s death is a subtle reminder that we are nothing, and that just within a split second, everything about us can be lost and forgotten. All we owned and acquired, used and unused, treasured and safe-kept, known and hidden may become futility after all.
The Yoruba have a very powerful quote that leads many of their thinking, ideologies and pursuits. Yoruba pride in the quote: ’Oruko rere, san ju wura oun fadaka lo’, which when literary translated reads: “good name surpasses gold and silver”. We should strive to always work to have our names crested positively on the heart of men and on the sand of time.
I dare ask, “what would you be remembered for?” What or who would Abba Kyari be remembered for? The good he brought upon himself and us all, or his many bad deeds? We all can keep this in mind, for when we are looked for, and we are no more, same would be asked of and about us.
Let me conclude with the Beatitudes, the seventh out of the eight Beatitudes of Jesus reads thus: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God”. Therefore, it’s not enough to wish Abba Kyari a peaceful rest, we should take into cognizance of a fact, “whilst he lived, was he a peaceful man”, for as the saying goes: there’s no peace for the wicked.
I comfort the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, and other staffers of the Presidency. I comfort his immediate family, associates, well wishers, staffers and indeed all those who are genuinely pained by his demise. It must really be a tough time for you all. I share in your grief.
Death is an inevitable end; whether good of bad, no sane mind wishes death upon another. We pray that heavens may be merciful in judging his transgressions. In the end, may peace be with his soul, Insha Allah.
May Abba Kyari’s death remind us that we are only passers-by, along this journey of life and may it heal Nigeria.
The Man Behind The Pen.
Peak News 