Tomorrow may never come

KWENU! Our culture, our future

Tomorrow may never come

MAX GBANITE

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Tomorrow brings hope; hope is about positive change, and change is constant. Events happening around the world, particularly in Nigeria’s aviation and political business, compelled me to write this piece.

Politics is a noble profession when practiced with decorum by well intentioned individuals. However, it could be termed dirty if high-jacked by brigands, no matter how highly placed or their level of education in the society. For instance, Nigeria is experiencing political impeachment galore, and the brigands can best be described as follows: Bayelsa State Governor was impeached by South-South mobs influenced by Nuhuites without their hats; Oyo State by molue Arabs; Ekiti State by intelligent idiots; Anambra State by seasoned rascal traders; and Plateau State is about to happen by Mantuists.

On the other hand, aviation is bad business in Nigeria. It is yet to be seen as an industry and, as such, aircraft owners and operators are filled with the notion that the consumers, in this case Nigerians, must do as they say: accept the condition of flight, the motor-park behaviour of flight handlers, and the outright abuse of their rights by the airlines. Most often, flights are delayed for one reason or the other without anyone from the airlines offering a simple apology. Other times, the delay may come because the pilot has been ordered to wait for a member of the National Assembly, house-boy of a governor, or even for godfather-vote-riggers who are members of political parties.

An industry whose business depends on consumer-targeting to increase its profitability would create an enabling environment to keep customers pleased and satisfied by making sure that safety is foremost in its corporate modus operandi. Not in Nigeria, after all, as Vice President Atiku (PTDFgate-embattled) Abubakar once said, “The fish is rotten from its head to the tail.”

If the above statement of the Vice President is correct, then the rot in the aviation business can be traced to Dr. Kema Chikwe, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, and Professor (Bad Luck) Aborishade; all were former Aviation ministers under Baba Aso-Rock Villa.

It is also a fact that President Olusegun Obasanjo, without envy, has enjoyed the privilege of sadness brought by numerous air disasters that has left many families breadwinner-less, fatherless, motherless, childless, and all the discomfort attached to bereavement since he took over power in 1999 to date.

This piece as the title suggests is about ‘tomorrow’ and the promises it holds, not really about the already-happened or about-to-happen political/air disasters. Very often we take for granted the very daily existence the Almighty God, the most merciful and most benevolent, permits us.

As humans, we oftentimes forget that no one person on the planet Earth, no matter how highly placed in the society -- even a president, can control all variables at the same time; only God can do it. So when littleminded people, especially bullies and brigands within the society masquerading as political leaders play demigods, one begins to wonder if they understand that tomorrow for them may never come, and even when it does come, they would be referred to as ‘the former.’

While writing this piece, a call came in from a friend who wanted to see me tomorrow, I accepted his invitation with Inshallah (God willing) appendage to my statement. He was troubled by that, but I quickly assured him that only God knows who lives to keep appointments tomorrow. My friend promised that he intends to be alive to see President Obasanjo leave office on May 2007. I still added Inshallah.

I vividly remember speaking to one of my late uncles in the early hours of February 5^th 1994. He made promises intended to be executed the next day; unfortunately, that same evening he and three other siblings -- all of the same mother and father -- perished in a ghastly car accident. Their tomorrow never came to be; those promises lay unfulfilled.

Imagine Mr. Eke from Imo State, a resident of Kaduna, who took a piece of kpomo meat from his wife’s breakfast plate on his way to work but fell by the gate before entering his car because the meat choked him to death. He made promises to his wife and children about things he would provide for them when he returned tomorrow. That tomorrow never came.

I remember having a late dinner at Akwa Ibom House restaurant in Abuja, with the late Chief Harry Marshall’s daughter, when the issue of his death came up. She flooded her drinks with tears from her eyes. I tried to console her deep-seated pain, and all she could muster to say was, “….I was with my Dad when they brutally murdered him; we had planned to travel together the next day, and he promised certain things to me that never came to be and that is why I am very pained.” Thank God she is now in the United States pursuing her education, but the trauma will live forever in her memory. However, she now believes that today must be lived as if tomorrow will never come. I counseled that with trust in God tomorrow will always come.

The late Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, Chief Aminoasari Dikkibo, Chief Funsho William, Dr. Daramola, and many others who were murdered by political brigands were all victims. They all made promises that were never fulfilled by them because their tomorrow never came.

If you are saddened by this article, it is normal behaviour dynamics, after all you are human and God-fearing. But, what about the tomorrows of those innocent young children who died in the Sosoliso air disaster at Port-Harcourt International Airport? One will think that by now the Federal Government would have renamed that airport to "Loyola Jesuit International Airport" in their memory. Sadly enough, the politicians are scheming about how to rig the next election. The same state even has a presidential contender whose legacy after eight years is the size of his personal bank account and not what he built for his people for their tomorrow. He probably believes that his chance of becoming a president tomorrow is controlled from Aso Villa and not from God. Well, we shall, God willing, live to see that tomorrow.

“….Max, am sorry for not calling you back as promised; am in Lagos right now on my way to Otta. Inshallah, I will be back today, and we shall see tomorrow before I leave for Saudi Arabia for Umra. Don’t worry we shall discuss your project…. I saw you on AIT discussion and you still look good with your bow tie.” That was a text from the late Alhaji Waziri Mohammed, chairman of Nigerian Railways and adviser to President Obasanjo. The message came on the day of his untimely -- in human terms -- but God-timely death. That tomorrow he promised me never came. I still mourn him closely in my heart and as a true believer. I cannot pose a question to God as in why it happened?

Our distinguished Generals would have preferred to die in combat, but they died instead on their way to a retreat in Obudu, Cross River State. They, too, had promises of tomorrow to their respective families. If you watched their burial on national television, the looks on the faces of their families were enough to scar your psyche. These people actually believed that their husbands would call them "tomorrow" to enquire how they were doing or, at least, send them phone credits to return their calls, but neither came because their tomorrow became very distant and eternal.

“…..Chief Max, ‘am sorry about the delay, our friend just came back and was not happy with me that I have not acted on his instructions and that you are still around and have not returned to the United States yet. Kindly bear with me, ‘am on my way to my office in Minna, then to Sokoto on Sunday, to be back on Wednesday, please I will send my Protocol man to bring you to my office to take care of business.” Text received from Chief, Sir, C. O. Nwaeze, Chairman of News Engineering (one of the largest electrical engineering firms that specialize in rural electrification projects) on Thursday before the ADC's Sokoto-bound plane crashed. Unfortunately, the Chief and two of his protocol assistants were amongst the passengers whose tomorrow never came.

If not for God’s intervention, I would have been on that flight, but my appointment was cancelled on the Friday before the crash. Alas, my tomorrow of yesterday came through with many more tomorrows to come, God willing.

In that ADC flight, I lost a good friend, Alhaji Yahaya (Sokoto State Liaison Officer in Abuja) and his children. Just on Wednesday before the crash, we were both at the Abuja International Airport to welcome His Excellency, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, the wonderful and performing Governor of Sokoto State, back from Umra. He (Yahaya), spent almost an hour extolling the good virtues of the governor and what working for him has taught him. I promised telling the governor, hopefully getting a promotion for him. But, that never came because his tomorrow has been extinguished by death. I am saddened to my bones.

There are other great men like Senators Gandi and Maccido whose promise of tomorrow would never come through. How do you replace such men? Impossible task to do, no matter how one tries.

I cried silently in my heart after paying a condolence visit to His Excellency Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former President of Nigeria. His humility, integrity, and inner strength did not betray his emotions and dogged belief in God, despite the fact that his only surviving son was also lost in the crash. Your Excellency we shall continue to pray for you.

His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto’s death showed that a true believer and God-fearing man died on that day. “….when we came to the site of the crash, we saw the body of the Sultan separated from that of others, the body was whole not charred by fire, and he was clutching the Holy Koran, his prayer beads, and international passport on his hands.” Statement made by the two young men who were the first to get to the crash site. This is a true indication that late Sultan was a man of the people. He could have opted to be given a plane from the presidential fleet like his counterparts from the Southwest. He chose to travel with his people. He lived and died with his people, and God preserved his body wholesome to be interred by his people.

As for us the still living…whether Christians or Muslims, the big question is how we intend to be remembered tomorrow if our tomorrow never come. As we prepared for what is referred by the media as doomsday election of 2007? It is imperative that we sheath our swords and amour of hatred, and put on that coat of love for one another. After all, what is this life of today if we are unable to keep our promises of tomorrow because our tomorrow never came?

All the political gladiators should do some soul-searching today before tomorrow comes because tomorrow may never come. If in doubt, use your GSM to contact the late General Sani Abacha, and ask him what he would have changed, if his tomorrow was not decided by God.

And to those Governors, Ministers, and Local Government Chairmen who are corrupt, please be prepared to face the charges against you like men. Today’s siren will be extinguished tomorrow and replaced with one installed on a Black-Maria van, owned by EFCC. The thought of this scenario should not encourage any one of you to commit suicide or disappear like the coward Ayo Fayoshe of Ekiti State. May your tomorrows come so that we can look at your faces and praise God with you!

May Almighty God grant all those who died on various air crashes and those who were murdered since 1999 to date under democracy, whose tomorrow never came, a special place based on how well they lived on earth in accordance to God's commandments, Amen.

And to His Excellency, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, Governor of Sokoto State and the good people of Sokoto, may Almighty God grant you the strength, courage, and wisdom to accept what happened as His wish, Amen.

For the living, please live well today, tomorrow may never come.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.