The Alafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, not too long ago, conferred the title of OMOLUABI, meaning the trustworthy, on Ogbeni Abdulrauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Rauf happens to be the Governor of State of Osun. Up to now, I am not privy to all the good things the good king said about him. But it must have been plenty.

Aregbosola

There seems to have been many trustworthy personages among Nigerians. But it seems the rank is diminishing in all the ranks.

The subject of being trustworthy seems to have occupied the space in this country in the last many months. What of the many who have been trusted and lost the trust.

What of those who trusted that their beloved husbands and/or sons would have been able to wade through the Nigerian jungle but were unable to do so. Because they were unable to get the weapons to wage the war. Someone the Nigerian state let them down very badly. They have all eaten the money and looked the other way. But no way!

Suddenly, the man who should be our keeper on the strength of his age and experience, has agreed to keep something on the side – not from his own hard-earned money – but from the commonwealth till. And he says, I have been spending my own money to win “your” elections. And don’t ask how much that has been,  because it is just  a matter of a couple of a miserable  250 or 280 million naira .

Even the man whose tongue races in his mouth could not keep his hand from the till. And we are talking of a couple of 400 million naira or so.

Whatever uniform he wears the Nigerian legion would do you (the country) in. Be he in the military! In the customs and I will be surprised if he is not found in the police – in or out of the uniform – in good numbers! No wonder many well-heelled Nigerias are missing. Not in battle but AWOL and many more will do the same as times goes on.

My brother once – many, many years ago – named me like Abdulrauf Omoluabi. Then my brother was in Alagbon – under watch – with a good number of good people. Then I thought it was not on. But I am not sure what my brother will think of it now.

After SAP Government Minister and Secretary Government and the mess!  Except it was not a farce that the money being bandied was not fake money. They were true money and were being spent like fish and like nobody’s business – in 100,000 million here; 400 billion there. For once, I think money was getting out of fashion. It was the fashionable to see father and son in a company. Another reminds me of “IKEJIANI” and “IKETAANI”. You may not remember late Dr IKEJIANI, a well-known Medical doctor in Abeokuta and of the Nigeria Railways.

Every nationality was involved. You find a Yoruba man here; a Hausa one there and Igbo holding court at the centre stage! Don’t say you did not see the Itsekiri or an Urhobo among the revellers.

Now that the come as how to become, to borrow K.O Mbadiwe’s brogue we all must stew for it. That means all of us have a stake in making this country something worthwhile. Especially the members of the fourth estate of the realm.

We have not been pulling our weight. In fact, we have been degenerating as the other estates we have not looked at the areas we should; rather our attention has been on what we all benefit us. We have not asked what we should do for Nigeria. It has been what has been in it for us.

IKU BABA YEYE, the Alafin of Oyo, has again reminded us of what we should be: Omoluabi , Trustworthy, Selfless.

Kola Animasaun

Writes from Lagos.