Tuesday, January 15, 2008

'The Same Old Story' By Adesina Ogunlana

Vol 8 No 9 19th November 2007

THE LEARNED SQUIB


If a man tells one story today, and tells it tomorrow, mouths it the day after, and still remembers to bring it up the week after, he is sure to bore one. It does not matter the nature of the story - whether nice or nasty, whether joyous or sorrowful, whether a tale of woe or a yarn of wonder-once it is the same and one story told, retold, reborn, refurbished, re-polished, regurgitated, re-done, re-presented, re-wrought, re-spun, it must bore the listener.

Little wonder at that, since variety is and will always remain the spice of life. A man must have more than one story to tell, except he has taken his listeners for hard-of hearing folks.
It is quite annoying and painful to be in the company of one-story people, especially if they are not the type one can order to “shut up” or walk-out on.

Let me digress a bit. Please and please. Last week some Tiger chiefs (leaders of the NBA Ikeja branch) went to the office of the Chief Judge of Lagos State. From what I heard from some geckos, these visiting Tigers were actually surprised to find that Mr. Justice Ade Alabi, the venerable Chief Judge “on seat”. They had thought that the Chief would be in far away Abuja attending the well published Judges Conference.

After receiving them, the Honourable Chief Judge asked for their mission. You know it’s never an easy sight beholding a band of tigers. Even a solitary tiger is danger enough.

Trust the Ikeja Tigers, they poured out their hearts, how they were sent by “our people to enquire from your Lordship what your office was doing in solving the problem of delayed re-assignment of part heard cases”.

From what I learnt, the chief judge, in response, showed the Tigers that erudition did not start and end with them (tigers).

The Chief Judge made lengthy explanations and promises, but not forgetting to add one story.

An old story. The same old story. That same old story. Yes that very story. Sure you know it now.
Want me to say it? It is the same old story of the honourable Chief Judge, by the honourable Chief Judge, how (here it comes once again)

“the Bar did not support me to become the Chief Judge.
How you people opposed me and preferred another judge to me to become the Chief Judge”.

My friend why are you wincing? Didn’t I tell you it’s an old, old story? But it is the favourite story of our Chief Judge, anytime his Lordship meets with the Bar, especially the Tiger Bar.

For the records, Mr. Justice Augustine Adetula Alabi became the Chief Judge of Lagos State in July 2004 and we are now in 2007. 2008 is already knocking on the door. When it comes, will we still hear that old story again? That same old story. I pray not. Seriously.

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