Really sad and sorry about this.
"When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes…"
Re- Bola Tinubu's first son passes away
As piously agreed upon by everybody here : In all of mankind's diverse cultures it is a normal expectation that children will survive, outlive their parents, that the children will be the chief mourners when their parents pass away and when the reverse happens, as for example with the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, it is a tragedy and because we are human, whole communities, in this case the Naija nation is expected to share in this humanity, to get together to mourn and commiserate and send their condolences to the family of the deceased.
That's the reason why this unadulterated, pure evil and wickedness is shocking, incomprehensible and unbelievable to those of us who have not read and do not care to read the social media celebrations about the passing away of Jide Tinubu, the first son of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ,the national leader of the ruling party the APC. May his soul rest in peace. Once again, our heartfelt condolences to his family.
Are we to assume that the despicable celebration of Jide's death is by those who perceive him, his father and the Tinubu family to be their political or tribal enemy and therefore can find no space for empathy or sympathy in their hearts or in their minds?
In the Rivers and Imo state of the early 1980s a taxi driver or a "motor vehicle" nearly runs over a pedestrian ( a frequent occurrence) and the pedestrian shouts at the driver: "God punish you! " - it is / was a popular expression giving vent to frustration and the slightest provocation in those austerity times for the lumpen proletariat. If Mallam Aminu Kanu had been president then and his socialistic ideas could have prevailed, things would have been a lot different. But, Professor Adeshina Afolayan's take about helplessness transformed into impotent rage does not adequately account for that kind of self-expression in our midst - to the extent that Oga Falola has to tell us, " I have rejected postings commenting on the death of Tinubu's son in a negative manner."
That there should exist such people in our midst, in this forum, is beyond belief. And it is a good thing that as moderator and human being Professor Falola has not extended to such people the freedom to publicize and to pollute this forum with their hatefulness. Is it not the same evil animus that would deny AWO a national funeral, on the grounds that AWO , "was not an Igbo God" ?
The Almighty Himself has legislated against celebrating when we should mourn:
My creations are drowning and you are singing before me?
But not everybody listens to the Almighty about such matters; among the haters are probably Christians who do not find it in their hearts to agree with Jesus' dictum, perhaps a psychologically and politically very difficult one to fulfill, to "love your enemies" To love Hitler, Saddam, Pol Pot ?
What could be the basis of this rank malice and hatred is more understandable if in the eyes of the haters and abusers, the top echelons of the APC are equatable with the plantation manager in the bad old days of slavery , in which case, just as Malcolm describes the field Negro : the field Negro prays that a strong wind
"But then you had some field Negroes, who lived in huts, had nothing to lose. They wore the worst kind of clothes. They ate the worst food. And they caught hell. They felt the sting of the lash. They hated their master. Oh yes, they did. If the master got sick, they'd pray that the master died. If the master's house caught afire, they'd pray for a strong wind to come along"
(About the future Messianic/ Mahdist reconciliation I told one of my closest Palestinian Brethren from Gaza that the Jews were after all their cousins and he pleaded with me to please disabuse myself of any such ideas: "They are our enemies" he fumed. Apparently he does not buy into any enhanced mythologies about "the children of Abraham". Perhaps, Ishaq Muhammad my Hausa Muslim friend also has a more spiritual identity , one that is less based on bloodlines. Ditto , if Nigeria had but one founding father, a common ancestor like Abraham, there could still be a political divide, , even within the same family.
Etches On Fresh Waters is my treasured compendium / Bible on Yoruba life and ethics - it concludes with the very instructive "From Islola's Grave" which speaks for itself and tallies with what Prof Ogunbhemi has made clear , Yoruba ethical norms are against rejoicing when tragedy befalls even anyone who is perceived to be an enemy:"One good thing about death is that it is no respecter of anyone, whether rich or poor." (Segun Ogungbemi.)
If I may quote something that gives much room for thought - something for all of us to reflect on
" From Islola's Grave"
" Omo mii Alákatakítí (1)
Everything that glitters is not gold
Even the cross on the tomb in which I sleep for
good
Is not made of ivory, as the world was told
Fake plastic, the sign of the fakeness of my soul
Not of the wholeness of my spirit,
Omo mi mì Gbàsò Gbàsò (2)
Knowledge takes time - and I know
I wander in an unseen world
Wondering about my sins' rewards
Awaiting the day of judgment
I worried on earth about heaven
In heaven I think about earth
Though I am banned from re-entry
Omo Gàlè Gàlè (3)
Youth is the foundation of life
Old age is the triumph of youth
The search for lost days
Repair not your old age
If the late days were crippled
To youth belongs all the blame.
Àmínatù Tente (4)
Tente Àmínatù
When the world rots
It is not whole world
Only one of the worlds
Nigeria's rot is not the world's fart
Àmínatù Tente's maggot pit
Is not humanity's decadence
Arewa Gbeske Òrékeléwà (5)
Still posing? Still boasting ?
Roasting all men?
Take a break to visit Isola's grave
His flesh is no more - his
Bones have decayed
So shall it be your turn
When the body you now adorn
Will disintegrate
Isola's curse and humanity's cross
Merge into the cul de sac of death.
Ìsòlá Dèsù
Jepo Jebo
Onílé Oríta (6)
My troubled child
My aggressive child
My arrogant child
A nickname for my pretty child, wiser than herself
Most beautiful
The transcendence of humanity , from the human Isola, to the god Esu, a trickster, master of crossroads
In the final analysis it can only be hoped that the discussion in this thread does not fall on deaf ears of those whose negative postings were rejected.
On Friday, 3 November 2017 13:09:31 UTC+1, seguno2013 wrote:
TF, the moderator,I agree with you in total. It is immoral to rejoice when a perceived enemy or his child dies or has a misfortune.However, there are instances that Ogun, Sango, Esu etc in Yorubaland are believed to have punished some evil doers and people are warned not mourn deceased. By not mourning the deceased, doesn't it amount to rejoice that the evil one has been appropriately rewarded? Doesn't it serve as a lesson to others who take delight in evil machinations?It is sad that Bola Tinubu lost his son. I grieved over it and I don't expect anyone to think his death serves as punishment to the family. Death is a natural phenomenon that frustrate humans at a time we never anticipate it's wicked act. One good thing about death is that it is no respecter of anyone, whether rich or poor.But being human, religious people take solace in the hereafter.Segun Ogungbemi.
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--I have rejected postings commenting on the death of Tinubu's son in a negative manner.
I thought that all religions and cultures preach that one must never rejoice at this kind of misfortune. I was also taken aback when some people wished Buhari dead when he was sick.
Am I naïve? Or do I come from a different era?
I don't engage in politics; I have only voted once in my entire life and that was for Obama, first term. I don't associate with politicians. When my friends collect political appointments, I suspend the relationship. I don't do Obi's Zik or Kadiri's Awo! My heroes are Hogan Bassey, Dick Tiger, Fela, those who bring people from below together. I don't do ethnicity—I don't know the difference between an Hausa man or an Igbo man if both are poor.
That one disagrees with someone does not mean you want them to die or you want their sons to die. I don't know of any human being that can offend me to a level that I wont greet him or share a drink if invited. Serious disagreements are part of life, but rejoicing at the calamity of another is evil. It has no other name.
This new climate in Africa—of evil thinking—is going to set us further back. The development we seek cannot be outside of genuine love and compassion for other human beings. I don't like Trump as a politician, but I will never pray for him to lose his son. Indeed, I will cry were this kind of thing to happen.
TF
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