By Dele Sobowale

“Heroism is a special quality reserved for a few.” Ken Jones. VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 90.

This page was originally reserved entirely for the second part of the article which started last week warning Fellow Nigerians about the escalating religious and sectarian conflict starting in Kaduna state and which will soon affect all of us. But, some opportunities come once in a life time and they change our programmes for us.

Two days ago, Emeritus Professor Edward ‘B Attah marked another year on earth after a life filled with achievements. Incidentally, the B in the middle is common to all the sons of late Chief Abasi Udo Adiaha Attah, 1908-1990, a National Award winner. Professor Attah as you can guess is one of my few heroes in Nigeria and the Attah family alone claim two out of seven people I can call authentic heroes. Obong Victor Attah, former Governor and Father of Modern Akwa Ibom State, everyone knows is one. I know Obong will read this but he certainly won’t mind knowing that he has a rival in Big brother Prof.

I first met Prof when conducting research into the life of their father, Chief Attah, who was a legend in his own time – the man who gave us NIFORT and all the palm plantations which yielded the revenue on which we lived before oil. Halfway into the interview, conducted in Prof’s house, it suddenly occurred to me that sitting in front of me was the legendary son, in his own right, of a legendary father. Later the interview shifted to Prof himself. Forgive me if very little of it can be reproduced here and the follow-up research which I later conducted on this genuine Nigeria hero. One day, they will appear in a book.

Some of the readers might know that he was/is a Professor of Pathology. That ordinarily would not be remarkable. A very few might be aware that he had lectured in some of the leading universities in the world. Few Nigerian pathologists can claim that. But, Prof has a claim to his credit which no Nigerian, African or black Pathologist can match. He was the only black face around the table when the corpse of the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola was subjected to postmortem or autopsy to determine the cause of the great man’s death in detention in Nigeria. Like all the other professionals around that table he was sworn to secrecy and he had and would never divulge it. All my attempts to prod him; to trick him proved abortive.

But, there is one story concerning that eventful day at the hospital I want to share with all Nigerians. As Professor Attah was walking towards the theatre, a young medical attendant opened the door and standing in front of Attah said”

“You can’t go in there; we are still waiting for the experts.” But, before Attah could answer the attendant, a senior Pathologist at the hospital came up to them and announced: “You mean you don’t know Professor Attah? He is the one all of us are waiting for. He was our lecturer.” And, taking Attah reverently by the elbow, he guided him to the event centre while uttering apologies:

“Very sorry, Sir, for the mistake. Your presence is very much vital to the outcome of this inquiry.”

Later I again discovered that he is ranked among the top twenty Pathologists worldwide. Obong Victor Attah is undoubtedly one of our heroes here in Nigeria. But, globally, among Pathologists, the real legend in Nigeria is Professor Edward ‘B Attah. Please join me in wishing Prof many more great years on earth. Last line: While all the Attah sons adopt B as their middle initial, Professor is the only one who insists on rendering his as’B. If there is one other trait Pa Abasi Udo Adiaha Attah, left with his kids, apart from big brains, it is principled stubbornness – even on minor points. If you send a letter to Prof, better leave out the B or render it correctly. I beg you.

EL-RUFAI TAKING KADUNA TO ALEPO AND NIGERIA TO SYRIA –2

“The brilliance, the versatility of madness is akin to resourcefulness of water seeping through, over, and around a dike. It requires the united front of many people to work against it.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, in TENDER IS THE NIGHT.

Tucked into page 12 of the PUNCH on December 22, 2016, was the story of the attack on the convoy of the Kaduna State governor, El-Rufai, and the imposition of curfew on three Local Government Areas, LGAs – all in Christian parts of Kaduna state. The people who had been the victims of repeated Fulani herdsmen murder and arson, and who had watched as the Governor went about compensating the criminals for their “loss of cows”, while ignoring the victims have simply had enough. If the state government and the Federal security forces were going to stand aloof they were not going to lay down and die peacefully in the hands of the invaders. And, if the state’s funds will continue to be given to Fulani criminals, then the Governor is taking sides in the conflict and all is fair in battles. El-Rufai is at “war” with two out of the three Senators in the state. There had been reported attacks on Senator Shehu Sani and vice versa.

He is at daggers-drawn with all the Christian sects in the state; he had, being self-deluded, outlawed the Shi’ite Islamic sect after conducting a kangaroo inquiry resulting in a White Paper. The shameless members of the panel, which conducted the inquiry, knew that the two primary parties involved in the genocide at Zaria – the Army and the Shi’ites – were not represented at the inquiry.

They could also not expect to indict the Nigerian Army. But, they had a script – indict the Shi’ites in absentia and provide the excuse for the mass burial of the victims of the pogrom and for the demolition of El-Zakzaky’s home. In all these El-Rufai acts because he is governor with all the immunities the constitution had provided for him to indulge his religious, ethnic and sectarian bigotry. He forgets that even two terms will end one day and many of those being persecuted will survive and wait when the security cover might be lifted. As it is, they are not even waiting. They have taken the battle to him.

When he proclaimed, as if he had the power, that Shi’ites are not a religious group, he repeated the same mistake which political leaders had mindlessly made since humans started worshipping “gods”.

Christianity and Islam were not “religions” according to the rulers when they started. That was why Jesus was crucified and Mohammed fled from Mecca at first. Their legitimacy as religions were not automatic and were only secured after millions of people had died. In fact, any group of people congregating anywhere and believing in a “god” is a religion. So, ten thousand El-Rufais cannot proscribe the Shi’ites.

All he would succeed in doing is to offer several martyrs to the cause. And, that has been the age-long lunacy of leaders everywhere. It never succeeded anywhere; it won’t in Kaduna State. One would not have been disturbed if El-Rufai’s wars will consume only the Governor. But, religious and sectarian wars, once started, spread to innocent bystanders. Suicide bombers invade markets, churches, schools and even police stations indiscriminately.

Furthermore, once started these sectarian wars invariably last for years. Often, long after those who started the wars have died. In Christian history, John Browns body lying in the grave was still a cause for blood-letting three hundred years after the man died – until Christians got sensible. Hitler’s ‘Final Solution” eliminated over eight million Jews; but Judaism is waxing stronger in Israel today. So what gave El-Rufai the idea that he could succeed where others failed

miserably? And with predictable consequences?

President Buhari and other well-meaning Nigerians better call E-Rufai to order. The President who had been silent on the criminal activities of herdsmen, nation-wide better realize that once more communities like the Zango Kataf people resort to self-help, they will eventually wipe out the herdsmen – who cannot number more than 500,000. El-Rufai, A Fulani, Sunni has declared war on others in the state with his conduct and utterances. Sanity better prevail before Kaduna becomes

our own Alepo and Nigeria becomes like Syria.

THANKS FOR KEEPING ME COMPNAY IN 2016.

As usual, let me express appreciation to our readers, irrespective of whether we agreed or disagreed. Your patronage is important to VANGUARD and you are the reasons I still push my shoulders almost dead with arthritis to write every week.

It has been a tough year, but I have hope 2017 will be better for all of us.

Have as good a Christmas as you can and God will provide for you abundantly in 2017. Amen.

LAST LINE: Today is Christmas Day. Have a pleasant one. Money, though awfully important, is not everything. I hope for a better 2017 year for all us and I actually believe Buhari’s team will perform creditably overall. We should pray for them. I do all the time even when criticizing them. Their failure is ours; their success is ours too. Remember that. Hoping they will fail is of no use to anyone.

Bye for now.