I love my three daddies; Daddy 1, Daddy 2, Daddy 3. And, I love them in equally unequal proportions. All of them are in their seventies. One gave birth to me, the second gave bliss to me and the third gave backing to me. Don’t tell me you don’t understand riddles. Of these three daddies, the one I see most frequently is Daddy 3 and is the only one of my daddies who still goes on wearing natty suits and ties.
Sometimes, we travel together, especially to a golgothaic arena in the centre of Nigeria. Of course Daddy 3 was always on hand to ensure that no crucifixion of me takes place and that my {some say, stubborn} head stays on my shoulders.
Of course we don’t travel in silence. We talk, we gist and almost always on serious issues. Daddy 3 is a mine of information especially on law, politics and history. And what great ideas he has!
Daddy 3 is, as well known quite principled and a first class legal mind, but only relatively few people can claim to know him closely enough. Daddy 3 is now an old man. Then, he will become a grand old man and then one day he will become a was. Of course I don’t want that to ever happen, yet mortality, reality teaches us, is an inescapable fate of all humanity.
Fortunately, however there is a solution to the problem of mortality. An ever effective remedy and which turns mortality to immortality. That remedy is in putting pen to paper, about one’s ideas, one’s life, one’s dreams etc.
That’s the main reason, Mr. William Shakespeare still frolicks with us, any time. Even tomorrow good old Willie will still “dey kampe” because his ideas and thoughts have been immortalised in all those great works of his. Remember Julius Caesar? What of Merchant of Venice? Othello, nko?
Even right here in Nigeria, I know of such immortals. I know of Fela ‘Omo Iya Aje’, I know of Obafemi Awolowo. The former waxed records, the latter wrote books. Both had books written about them. How then can they die?
Of course when Chinua “Things Fall Apart” Achebe finally goes to the land of Eneke the Bird, where hopefully he will meet the master fabuist, Amos Tutuola, he will yet remain with us, hale and hearty. The same happy fate surely will befall Kongi, the action-packed Nobel Laureate.
This is the fate I want to befall Daddy 3. I don’t want him to go the way of that wizard of law, F.R.A Williams who knew so much but wrote so little. And not that F.R.A did not write; the problem was that the colossus was only writing briefs and not books.
I now invite every man and woman of good-will to join me to appeal, urge, persuade, enjoin, encourage, advise Daddy 3 to drop everything and face Project Immortality now!
Walahi, that baba is too precious, to be allowed to just disappear into eternity like that without adequate and permanent representations of his genius on our terra-firma.
ASSIGNMENT FOR MY FRIENDS:
1. Anytime you meet Chief G.O.K Ajayi SAN. After greeting him, politely ask, “Chief, when are your books coming out?”
2. Continue to send SMS to Chief G.O.K Ajayi SAN, asking, “Chief, when are your books coming out?”
P.S. Daddy 2 is a philosopher. For a feast of ideas, you can meet him at:
http://www.numberphilosophy.blogspot.com
and
http://www.myakokaverandah.blogspot.com
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
'More Hunger Ahead' By Adesina Ogunlana
THE LEARNED SQUIB
In the olden days, in the days of Joseph, Balaam, Elisha, Daniel, up to the advent of newspapers and the birth of the www wizardry, you could only become a prophet or a seer by celestial or at least extra-terrestrial calling.
In those days, mental exertions and physical training would never make anyone a Nostradamus. No matter the level of trying, no matter the time of application. The best you could be by those methods was to end up a guesser. Of course we know that in the very precarious turf of prophesy where the propinquity of error to success is quite close indeed, guessers invariably end up losers.
In one word, in ancient times, you were either a prophet or not. But nowadays a newspaper freak, not to talk of an internet fly, has all what it takes to become a super-prophet or a grand seer. You see, when you have a lot of relevant information about a person, thing or an organization at your disposal, with a little application of commonsense, you can confidently look into the seeds of time and say with confidence which ones will germinate and which ones will not.
Of course a newspaper fed prophet or an internet enabled seer may not cut the traditional figure of a diviner one inch. Instead of the penetrating gaze of the prophet of old or his long beard, the modern ‘Nostra’ may look like an Adonis. Of course, Adonis’ are either clean shaven or adorn their chins with designer hair styles. They don’t go about with dirty, tangled beards.
Happily, the hood does not the monk make. The efficiency and reliability of modern day prophets has little or nothing to do with their possibly snazzy looks. You don’t have to be wonky to be a trustworthy visionary, neither do you need to mouth any mantras to get the job done.
I consider myself one of the modern prophets in question and I hereby prophesy unto you all. I prophecy that there is going to be more hunger for Lagos lawyers in the next few weeks. Don’t sneer at me or at the prophecy. It will come to pass. But first, let me tell you how I know what will surely happen.
If you will only turn with me to page 3 of the December 1, 2007 edition of the Saturday Sun, you will be privy to the information I have had since December 1.
The news was that judiciary staff would be embarking on another round of nation wide strike as from January 15, 2008 if the Body of Chief Judges of Nigeria “fails to meet its earlier 4-point demands.”
Now, here’s the prophecy – the workers will surely go on strike. The reason is very simple: nobody in Nigeria, especially at the management levels, ever takes workers seriously until push comes to shove.
Now here’s the second prophecy: as from late January 2008 when the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) will once again shut down the judiciary nation wide, many lawyers, especially Lagos lawyers, will experience lean pockets and even leaner tummies.
I assume that everybody knows that many practicing lawyers in Lagos State since the beginning of the New Legal Year in September 2007 have experienced a sharp lull in business. The reason is chiefly due to the incarceration of thousands of non-part heard cases in the registry where they were returned to, in the wake of the mass re-posting of judges from their various Cause Divisions.
Now, a grimmer immediate future awaits us all in late January 2008 since the courts will surely be shut down then. For the moment at least, we are able to eke out a living since courts, lethargic and infirm as they are, are still on; in January 2008, our market will come under lock and key.
Why am I so sure that the courts will be paralysed in January 2008? The reality of this is already obvious to discerning souls.
First from now till January 14, the authorities will pretend not to have notice of the impending strike. Then from the 15th to the 22nd January 2008, the authorities will indulge themselves in making nasty remarks about the JUSUN leadership. It is only after, say the 3rd of February, that Messrs High and Mighty will begin to consider having any dialogue with the striking workers while at the same time start the blackmail programme of labeling the striking workers as “unpatriotic elements who want to truncate our nascent democracy for narrow, selfish reasons.”
Finally, around the outer rim of February 2008, one or two concessions will be made to the workers. Shall I go on prophesying? The spirit has really woken up in me.
Prepare, dear learned friends, prepare for January, February, even March 2008. It will be a long winter.
Related links: http://www.squiblogg.blogspot.com
http://www.squibcoverstory.blogspot.com
http://www.squibreaderspavilion.blogspot.com
In the olden days, in the days of Joseph, Balaam, Elisha, Daniel, up to the advent of newspapers and the birth of the www wizardry, you could only become a prophet or a seer by celestial or at least extra-terrestrial calling.
In those days, mental exertions and physical training would never make anyone a Nostradamus. No matter the level of trying, no matter the time of application. The best you could be by those methods was to end up a guesser. Of course we know that in the very precarious turf of prophesy where the propinquity of error to success is quite close indeed, guessers invariably end up losers.
In one word, in ancient times, you were either a prophet or not. But nowadays a newspaper freak, not to talk of an internet fly, has all what it takes to become a super-prophet or a grand seer. You see, when you have a lot of relevant information about a person, thing or an organization at your disposal, with a little application of commonsense, you can confidently look into the seeds of time and say with confidence which ones will germinate and which ones will not.
Of course a newspaper fed prophet or an internet enabled seer may not cut the traditional figure of a diviner one inch. Instead of the penetrating gaze of the prophet of old or his long beard, the modern ‘Nostra’ may look like an Adonis. Of course, Adonis’ are either clean shaven or adorn their chins with designer hair styles. They don’t go about with dirty, tangled beards.
Happily, the hood does not the monk make. The efficiency and reliability of modern day prophets has little or nothing to do with their possibly snazzy looks. You don’t have to be wonky to be a trustworthy visionary, neither do you need to mouth any mantras to get the job done.
I consider myself one of the modern prophets in question and I hereby prophesy unto you all. I prophecy that there is going to be more hunger for Lagos lawyers in the next few weeks. Don’t sneer at me or at the prophecy. It will come to pass. But first, let me tell you how I know what will surely happen.
If you will only turn with me to page 3 of the December 1, 2007 edition of the Saturday Sun, you will be privy to the information I have had since December 1.
The news was that judiciary staff would be embarking on another round of nation wide strike as from January 15, 2008 if the Body of Chief Judges of Nigeria “fails to meet its earlier 4-point demands.”
Now, here’s the prophecy – the workers will surely go on strike. The reason is very simple: nobody in Nigeria, especially at the management levels, ever takes workers seriously until push comes to shove.
Now here’s the second prophecy: as from late January 2008 when the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) will once again shut down the judiciary nation wide, many lawyers, especially Lagos lawyers, will experience lean pockets and even leaner tummies.
I assume that everybody knows that many practicing lawyers in Lagos State since the beginning of the New Legal Year in September 2007 have experienced a sharp lull in business. The reason is chiefly due to the incarceration of thousands of non-part heard cases in the registry where they were returned to, in the wake of the mass re-posting of judges from their various Cause Divisions.
Now, a grimmer immediate future awaits us all in late January 2008 since the courts will surely be shut down then. For the moment at least, we are able to eke out a living since courts, lethargic and infirm as they are, are still on; in January 2008, our market will come under lock and key.
Why am I so sure that the courts will be paralysed in January 2008? The reality of this is already obvious to discerning souls.
First from now till January 14, the authorities will pretend not to have notice of the impending strike. Then from the 15th to the 22nd January 2008, the authorities will indulge themselves in making nasty remarks about the JUSUN leadership. It is only after, say the 3rd of February, that Messrs High and Mighty will begin to consider having any dialogue with the striking workers while at the same time start the blackmail programme of labeling the striking workers as “unpatriotic elements who want to truncate our nascent democracy for narrow, selfish reasons.”
Finally, around the outer rim of February 2008, one or two concessions will be made to the workers. Shall I go on prophesying? The spirit has really woken up in me.
Prepare, dear learned friends, prepare for January, February, even March 2008. It will be a long winter.
Related links: http://www.squiblogg.blogspot.com
http://www.squibcoverstory.blogspot.com
http://www.squibreaderspavilion.blogspot.com
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