'I Suspect Uwais' By Adesina Ogunlana

Yes I suspect him, Uwais that is. I suspect Mohammed Lawal Uwais. By the way how many other Uwaises have we, apart from Uwais, formerly of the Supreme Court. Formerly the Chief Judge of Nigeria.
I suspect Uwais, because the good book says “By their fruits you shall know them”. And I am aware that an English adage exists which declares as follows:- show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. Indeed the Anglo-Saxon have another similar adage which proclaims- “Birds of a feather flock together”.
I suspect Uwais. He looks gentle and talks softly, but I am not fooled. Others may be. Yes he is from the North, where radicals, agitators are as common as palm wine in Buckingham palace.
Yes he stayed an incredible twenty seven years in the Supreme Court and for almost as many of these years remained anonymous as just another judicial cardinal, but am I fooled?
I suspect Uwais. Yes he does not eat fire and does not spilt fire. There is no thunder in his voice, neither does he emit smoke. Will you see him with the red little book? No. Could he have participated in the storming of the Bastilles? No?
I know he could never have been in places like the Ogoni’s Kaaima’s declaration or Emuke (M.K.O) Abiola’s epetedo declaration. Nonetheless I distrust him no less.
I suspect Uwais. Yes he is no man to be seen at Ralhes and you will sooner label an angel a militant or an insurgent them Uwais. But I tell you, you need to watch the man.
I suspect Uwais. People say he cannot get past stanza I of the universal Anthem of all “Aluta” cadres-“Solidarity Forever” before getting lost in the musical woods of ‘struggle’ yet I am not impressed.
I suspect Uwais. What’s manner of a dove do you see flying smugly in the company of hawks? Beware of such doves. What manner of lambs, do you see frolic endlessly with solves?
I suspect Uwais. And I have been taking notice of him, for some years now. He is particularly interested in the programmes and events of the most radical, progressive and dynamic branch of the NBA. And don’t mention Gani Fawehinmi, you can be sure Uwais will be there.
Last week, Wednesday, I was at the very important chambers of Abdul Ganiyu Fawehinmi. There were about a hundred other persons there. They all came for the birthday party of Gani and book presentation about the same icon. Gani himself was not there. I saw interesting characters like the disunited duo of Dr. Frederick Fasheun and the now chubby faced Gani Adams, both of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress, on the high table.
Chief among these tasty characters was M.L. Uwais. He was, indeed the chairman of the occasion looking very much at ease.
Still waters run deep indeed. Jesus, the Christ had his Joseph. Not Joseph, his mother’s husband. Joseph of Arimathea. It was this same Uwais who was giving an assignment to look into our electoral laws what gentle Uwais ended up with is a bomb that is giving his employers’ gamboling head-ache.
But it serve his employers right. A man must always pay for his follies. Why should any sensible establishment give such a delicate job of reformation of redesigning of conduct of the methodology of gaining political power to a strong ally of the No1 anti-establishment figure-Gani-Fawehinmi?
I suspect Uwais. He was in the Supreme Court when that court saved Gani from economic rain in his epic legal battle with military chiefs, Halilu Akilu and Tunde Togun? And was it not in the reign of Uwais as Chief Justice of Nigeria that Gani eventually became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Honestly, I suspect Uwais. I suspect that he is one of them. Them radicals. Them patriots.