BABA AND JONA (A short story)

-
By: Kehinde Ayoola J P
 

Baba had been having series of meetings on this day. He had just played host to the Senate President, the Speaker of the Reps, the former governor of Lagos State, the former governor of Ogun State, some traditional rulers and the American Ambassador. He also had long meeting with the Governing Board of the African Leadership Forum. All these have been packed into a single day and Baba was understandably tired. But then, for a man of his status, there are no dull days. Everyday is filled with activities. He called his cook, a young man in his mid-thirties who hailed from Ekiti State, to prepare his favorite pounded yam with egusi soup. He would wash it down with freshly-tapped palmwine which his supplier, Karimu from Ila, had brought earlier in the afternoon. That done, he reclined on the sitting room sofa awaiting his meal. Then one of his granddaughters, who had been on holidays, emerged from Baba's study carrying his phone which was ringing with an ear-piercing shrill. (It was an old Nokia 3310).
"Hallo! Obasanjo speaking!"
"Good evening Baba! This is Goodluck Jonathan"
"Aah Ebele, Ebele...or is it Ewele!"
"Oh Baba, Ebele is the name sir, E-B-E-L-E, there is no W there"
"OK, Ebele, what can I do for u?"
"Yes sir, I'd like to come and visit u"
"Visit me? Shebi David Mark was here today. U haven't got the report?"
"Yes I have and that is what has made my seeing u very imperative!"
"You see Ebele, I have told u that I have maximum respect for the Office of the President of Nigeria. I can come over to Abuja as a sign of respect for that office"
"Thank u baba, tomorrow morning, I'll send a chopper. Where are u sir?"
"Where am I? Hehehe...Ebele, u make me laugh" Hunnhunnnhaarrrr (clears his throat)
"I am in my house. The stool awaits the buttock at home, Ebele"
"Ok sir, do enjoy the rest of your evening please"
"U too, enjoy your evening". Then the phone went dead.
*******
Squadron Leader Priye Horsfall saluted smartly, did an about-turn and marched out of the office of Air Commodore Adamu Jalingo, the Commander of the Presidential Fleet. He had been sent on an emergency assignment to Abeokuta to fetch the former President. In his 16 years in the Airforce, he had never enjoyed flying anyone in his helicopter more than the former president whom everyone calls Baba. He was jovial. He cracked lots of jokes and u may not see any dull moments with him. But in equal measure, he could erupt like a volcanoe is serious anger within a moment of cracking a joke. Well, today he hoped he would have plenty to smile, chuckle and laugh about. He climbed the Chopper, warmed the engine and the rotors slowly came to life. Moments later, he took off. After about one and a half hours, he landed smoothly on the helipad at the Obasanjo Hilltop mansion in Abeokuta. The word 'hilltop' brought a smile to Priye's mouth. What is it with our leaders and hilltop mansions? IBB Hilltop Mansion is in Minna. Abdulsalami has his too at Minna. Why go to hilltop, why not at the valley with the people? He pressed a switch and the door opened. He ducked his head below the still-rotating rotors and ran to meet baba who was already standing with an aide waiting for him. Squadron Leader Priye straightened up and saluted. Then he turned and Baba silently followed him. Oh no, thought Priye, this might not be a funny flight afterall. Baba looked too serious - tense even - for his liking.
At the door of the helicopter Baba stopped, then he looked at the helicopter....!
(To be continued)
May God Almighty bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 facts about O TO GE slogan and the collapse of Saraki's dynasty

-
Image
Kwara Must Change 1. Alh. LAK Jimoh was the first politician in modern history of Kwara state to use the O TO GE slogan in a campaign. O TO GE simply means, Enough is Enough.  Alhaji Jimoh first used the slogan in 2011 when he was contesting the Kwara Central Senatorial seat under the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Bukola Saraki eventually won the ticket and went ahead to represent Kwara Central at the Senate.  While the slogan wasn't popular at the time, there's no taking away the fact that Alh LAK Jimoh used it first and could be rightly credited to be the originator. 2. 8 years later, the slogan idea was pitched again in 2018 immediately after the All Progressive Congress primary election in Kwara State. After the APC primary election, Islamic singer, Aminat Obirere produced a song titled o to ge as part of a joint album coordinated by Kwara Must Change to promote the candidature of APC governorship candidate, Alh. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. The album itself was titled
Read more

Why violence took place in Saraki's Community- Head of Community

-
Image
The residents of Aiyelabegan Compound in Agbaji District of Okemale Area in Ilorin has called on the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari and the various security agencies in Kwara state to call the supporters of Senate President Bukola Saraki to maintain the peace for which its neighbourhood has always been known for. The appeal was made by the Mogaji of Aiyelebagan compound Alhaji Oba Aiyelabegan while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin following a violent attack on the compound by alleged political supporters of the Senate President Bukola Saraki who live in the area on Thursday 10th of January. He alleged that the compound was attacked with stones and various types of missiles by political supporters of Bukola Saraki who live in the area, and later shot sporadically into the air saying tgey were shouting slogans that Agbaji is the domain of Bukola Saraki and they would not tolerate anybody living there not to be supporters of Saraki. He said siege lasted for several h
Read more

Fela Durotoye Writes ANN Chairman About Alleged Involvement With Osinbajo

-
Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) Presidential aspirant, Mr Fela Durotoye has written an eloquent letter to the ANN national chairman,Pastor Dania Emmanuel to respond to certain claims in a letter by another aspirant, Gbenga Olawepo Hashim. Full letter The Chairman Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) Dear Sir My attention has been brought to a statement credited to the Gbenga Olawepo - Hashim Presidential campaign organization dated September 28, 2018 and signed by its Director General, Rt. Hon. Terseer Tsumba which insinuates the following: 1. That a “certain Presidential aspirant is fronting for some powerful interests in the All Progressive Congress (APC) to destabilize the Alliance for New Nigeria” Being the only other Presidential Aspirant apart from Mr. Hashim on our great party, it is important that I respond to these false & misleading allegations. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to inform you that I have never been a member of any political party prior to joining
Read more

Breaking:ANN Expel traitors , ratify Alliance with people's trust

-
Image
Alliance for New Nigeria has at its special convention and presidential primary  in Abuja on Wednesday expelled its former National Chairman, Dania Emmanuel and former Deputy National  Secretary, Mr. Osita Okonkwo from the party. Dania and Okonkwo were removed and expelled for anti-party activities. Recall that it has been reported that Dania Emmanuel and a former presidential aspirant under the party allegedly received hush money from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to compromise the party and stop Global Business man, Olawepo Hashim. The party, through a resounding voice vote of delegates from across the federation expelled the dou. The party also announced that it is now in strategic alliance with People’s Trust (PT) for the purpose of presidential and other political office for the 2019 general election. In addition to the Alliance with People's Trust, ANN also announced that 7 other political parties, which also saw the beauty in ANN's agenda are currently
Read more

Lagos before Nigeria By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat

-
Image
More than 50 years before the creation of Nigeria as a united entity, Lagos is already a major centre of modern civilisation. Lagos history is rich in Yoruba tradition, trade and commerce, infrastructural development and cosmopolitanism." -EXTRACTED In the past few days, i have followed the unhealthy debate between easterners in Lagos and their host and i must say that such is really uncalled for. No tribe or race is an island of knowledge and civilisation. At one time or the other, each one of them contributed in one way or the other. While it is proper for every one to feel good about themselves and try as much as possible to amplify in a good way, their importance and contribution to the society they live in, it is also very crucial to take into account, the reality of other factors without attempting to ridicule the contribution of others. I therefore advise all those joining the discuss to thread with caution and avoid things that are capable of setting our peop
Read more

Kwara worker commit suicide over unpaid salaries

-
A staff of Universal basic education (UBE) in Kwara state has reportedly committed suicide over unpaid salaries. The news was broken by a group, Kwara Must Change which said it regretted to bring to public attention, the death of Mr Biodun Bashir, a staff of Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Kwara State at Oyun Local Government, who recently hung himself to death over failure of Kwara State Government to pay workers salaries and their continues denial of owing workers. ''The staff, Mr Biodun Bashir a.k.a. 'Legal', who is a driver working under UBE committed suicide by hanging on Saturday, 28th October 2017''. Kwara Must Change reports that, ''according to those familiar with the incident, Mr. Biodun, like other workers have been living under severe hardship for many years without any hope of improvement''. ''While the state government owes workers several months’ salaries, they continue to claim they do not owe on media, a false pro
Read more

15 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IGBO AND BIAFRA

-
Image
After observing some Igbo people carefully, I took adequate note of the way they reason, listen to their point of views, understood their fears and worries and seek to understand their unending quest for dominance, under the guise of self determination or lack of justice in Nigeria. I came to the following conclusion: 1. There are two kind of Igbo. We have the Igbo and sectional Igbo. The Igbo person will always think global even if he his the most local, while the sectional Igbo will always reason sectional even if he his in the global community. To an igbo person, there is no superiority or inferiority, all that exists is equality. But to the sectional Igbo, Igbo is superior, others are inferior. 2. An Igbo person is the best of any human you can find, but the sectional Igbo is the worst of all human. It doesn’t matter how much they are educated, what mattered to a sectional person is his sectionalism. But this is not just about Igbo, it’s a symptom in every tribalistic person.
Read more