Tribute To The Dead – By Alex Obiogbolu

The loss of any individual is grave. Though, we are all mortals, any loss of life is ever regretful.

However, death is a reminder to all who are alive to witness another’s, to do an introspection of the essence of life on this planet.

Is it to eat the best of food, drink the choicest of wine, drive the best of automobiles or hold the greatest of authority and power?

In medicine,  we know that all food and drinks ingested by  man turn to vitamins,  proteins,  amino acids,  carbohydrates, lipids and NOTHING else within four hours.

We, humans in our quest for change and better modernisation (whatever this means) turn  the most expensive automobiles into antiquity in a jiffy of time.

Power is so transient and if you doubt, seek for the intervention of Bonaparte,  Alexander the great, President Bush,  or Boris Yeltsin. Back here, please call on Azikiwe, Awolowo, Babaginda or even just immediate past, Jonathan Goodluck to bail you from the claws of power.

The ultimate goal many seek on this earth is power. To have what God has; power over fellow mankind. 

Albeit, this power we all seek(including I), what do we seek it for? Power through wealth or through office and position to amass wealth? Is it to become famous? Is it to enjoy the perks of office and wealth?

Some think they’re famous only to realise after relinquishing the reins of power that they are infamous.  Some like Hitler are not so lucky to know what their people really think of them after relinquishing the reins of power.

At a sad time like this,  it’s important that we understand that God gave us power over our fellow men to do good (history of king Saul). Leaders are personswho sacrifice themselves for the good of the people and not who sacrifice the blood of their citizens so they could live. The elements of what is good for the society should not be just determined by the leader. He should rather take cue from the population he is leading. You can’t desire good for your people,  prescribe for them economic , social and lawful acts which you ‘believe’ is for their own good, yet they suffer and die from these prescriptions.  Yea,  you believe you are a good leader.

My brethren! Good and powerful are relativities. We must bear that in mind. In power, be aware that, that power you wield shall be taken away from you tomorrow and someone else who once genuflected before you will hold that spectre of power.

Remember that whilst someone will wait for hours to see the governor of a state, so the governor shall wait to see the president of the country and so the president shall wait for months to see the president of another country; the relativity of power.

No matter where the immediate past Chief of Staff of the President may weigh on our minds in the use of power granted by God,  his passing away as reported is a sad and painful loss.

May God grant his soul peace in paradise and also that of the two young men who  were felled by police bullets at Nkpor, Anambra State.

Alex Obiogbolu

Oganiru Anambra