How Would You Like To Be Remembered After Death? – Rabiu Usman

“O Son of man, you’re just a number of days that you get destroyed by each passing of the day”. -Hassan Al-Basree

Death is inevitable, it is a cup that every living soul would have to drink from. It is a certainty that every adherence of any kind of faith believed in. It is a dogma until it strikes you and abruptly terminates you from your enjoyment, your wives, your wealth(legal or illegal), your mansions, your position and vindicate yet again our mortality. Then three things follows the deceased to the grave; his family, wealth and deeds. The first two are futile and will return home after the burial proceedings because they can’t earn you heaven nor save you from the chastisement of the Almighty. Then, you’d be left with your deeds to comfort and intercede for you while you settle in your new abode of six-feet beneath the ground. 

Not even the most sophisticated hospitals in UK, Germany, U.S and India would be able to deter you from this sojourn, and then the Billionaire will be buried next to the Street cleaner, the President is buried adjacent to the masses that he killed due to his reckless rule, the oppressor is buried next to the oppressed, the minister is buried opposite to the road accidents victims that crashed on the roads he had refused to fix and the monarchs would step down from being a first class Emir/Oba/Chiefregardless of their title, to a first class food of insects and worms in the grave.

It has become a norm for the power centre in Nigeria that any President would reserve the much juicy ministerial slots for no any other candidate than his kits and kins and as such, they tends to be the most powerful ministers in the cabinet that speaking of their ill is tantamount to abusing the President and the axe of the president would be imminent on any culprit. The Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II knows better. Late Abatcha had his CSO Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha to hold in high esteem and conferred on him even an immense trust. OBJ was too voluptuous in greed and creed that he had to sandwiched the petroleum ministry alongside his Presidency for eight years. Late Yar’adua had Alhaji Rilwanu Lukuman. Then comes workaholic Goodluck Jonathan with the oil goddess Diezani Allison Madueke and Prime Minister (Coordinating Minister For Economy) Okonjo Iweala as the hub of his common stealing agenda.

Every June 8 of the year has become a National Festival of Abacha bashing by his hardened enemies. The social media on this date is always agog with a staccato of unprintable names for the late general. For those that sees him as a dare devil would be streamlined on the atrocities he committed during his reign and even some slay him for making their families to resort to Abacha stove without bringing into cognisance his achievements. While for those who portray him as a hero always do so for his remarkable achievement on the nation’s economy and as well state creation despite the price of oil barrel at $50/barrel. His achievement in roads, schools, healthcare, security and water supply cannot be over-emphasised. The PTF projects that was headed by Muhammadu Buhari is still visible and accessible. Prejudice and hate is always the greatest assessment of leaders in Nigeria, which is why Abacha’s foes always pretend there was nothing positive the late military ruler had achieved. There was wild celebration in some parts of the country on the news of his death, but today, there is wild outcry on how his military fortress is missed in a time when Boko Haram scourge has become a nightmare for the government and the people. The refineries are not working at full capacity, life has continue to plummet to its lowest value. The rule of law is at its lowest ebb. Corruption has continue to grow like weed under the feet of successive regime.

Then comes the demise of the powerful minister of transportation in the second republic under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Dr Umaru Dikko. Soon he’s began to bear his befitting name by Nigerians as a barefaced thief even before he’d be laid to rest in his home town in Kaduna from London where he had seek exile for decades. His infamous remark on “Until he sees Nigerians eating out from the gutters before he’d believe they’re poor” became the popular demand of the day. Even those that are trying to conjure up statesmanship for him had no wall to lean on. I soon began to attest to the saying that as you lay your bed so you shall lay on it. Achievement can’t be controversial, you’re either a hero or villain. The whole world stood still for Madibba. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is still adorable. Late Zik, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Awolowo are still portrayed as national figure. In the end, all the leaders and public office holder that have continue to milk the nation dry shall be remembered by the legacies they left behind and it shall testify for/against them in the court of the Almighty.

Rabiu Usman is a writer and a teacher based in Lagos.
On Twitter: @rabiusm