LETTER TO MY SON My dearest Son, Ive been mulling over your questions since yesterday. I must admit Im beginning to feel rather inadequate as a father. I know you trust me enough to believe I should have answers for all your questions. I dont want your belief in me to wane but if the truth must be said, I do not always have all the correct answers. Your political consciousness excites and also sends me into feelings of despair. Im happy about your analysis of political trends around you. Im proud about the candour, simple logic and decisiveness that shape your arguments. But Im also deeply saddened because your 10 year old mind is about to take a massive hit. You are about to learn in the possible cruelest way that in politics as played around here, black is not always black nor is there a clear distinction between black and white. You specifically asked me last night why there was so much lying and cheating in politics. You wanted to know why people will not choose good leaders and why anybody will take money to vote. While I was still trying to frame my answers, you asked again, does someone tribe or religion make him a bad or good leader? I wish that I had asked those kind of questions when I was 10 years! But I didnt ....you know why? From the time I was about your age until I finished my university education our dear country was ruled by military dictators. The little I knew about civilian rule was from my social studies to a little folk lore analysis of then political figures in our country in the then second republic. So I was not exposed to the barrage of information you now have from your friends, family and of course the media. Then of course you live in the country dont you, and you can also assess things for yourself! Maybe my own story may help you understand better. Im a child of the 70s. I know I was an born an indigene of East Central State. When I was old enough to decipher my state of origin, it had changed to Imo. I have subsequently been described as being from Abia and finally, Ebonyi. My early childhood was spent in places like Kabba in the present Kogi State; Ilorin in Kwara State and mostly in Kaduna, Kaduna State. I had my primary and secondary education in Kaduna. I also speak Hausa reasonably well. I still recall starting my primary education at LEA (Local Education Authority) Primary School Badarawa. We did not always have enough desks and chairs in my school. In fact we did not have enough classrooms and so we had the morning and afternoon sessions - some classes attended in the mornings and dismissed at about 12 noon so that the next stream of classes could attend until about 5pm. And yes, I have sat on the floor to read and write. My first writing materials were chalks and slate made of wood. Yet it was in this local school I first learnt to recite the National Pledge - to uphold her honour and glory - of my nation. I learnt how to sing the National Anthem about one Nation bound in freedom, peace and unity. I subsequently left this school for Capital School Kaduna to start my Primary 2. Do you know only last Christmas, I miraclously came across an essay I had written in Primary 3k about my best friend. It was not about an Emeka or Kalu. It was about Malcolm Opeyemi Fabiyi. He hailed from the present Kogi State. We eventually attended the same secondary school and we have remained friends uptil this day. That secondary school was Federal Government College Kaduna. If there ever was a major defining moment in my life, it took place here. The students came from all over the country. Over 80% of the students were from outside Kaduna State. A good majority of these students had not even been to any other part of the country outside their states of domicile. It was a coeducational institution and we had young boys and girls traveling all by themselves whether by road, air or by rail to school. Life then was an adventure of discovery about our country. Travelling by rail exposed us to those towns we had only seen in our social studies textbooks. As early as 10 years we were in boarding school learning how to live among ourselves. Finding the bonds and connections needed for later life. Finding true friendship from the values that were most important to us rather than our places of origin. Some of us came to school with the biases and stereotypes that had been ingrained into our heads from home, family and tribe. Boarding house was a strangely exciting and sometimes unnerving experience way back then. Of course whatever biases we had were quickly swept aside as we learnt how to dodge wicked seniors or survive in the harsh harmattan climate. These biases melted away when your bunk mate who was from the other part of the country cared for you when you were sick rather than your own brother. These biases disappeared when the boy or girl who had a different religion from yours was always willing to help you in your studies than your brother or sister in religion. Many of us joined clubs of our choices like Literary and Debating Society; Press Club; Drama Club, Interact Club; Culture Club etc. Some excelled in sports activities and games. These schools were not two bungalows turned into international schools where our parents were exploited. Our teachers lived with us and gave all to mould our characters. One of the clubs I joined was Press Club. There fellow sojourners like Mohammed Seyi Gambo and Malcolm Fabiyi were already holding sway. The prevailing atmosphere then, was glorying in our Military. The political class had failed. So our articles had an almost revolutionary bent. Since the politicians had failed, we wanted to act as the conscience of our little society and there was no religious or ethnic considerations when we wrote. So son, on the home front; your uncles, aunts and I were taught about God, truth and love. We were taught to respect the rights of others and encouraged to accept people based on values like integrity and honesty. Such themes like, honesty is the best policy were slogans we grew up with. We all attended boarding schools. Your late paternal grand father must have so believed in the unity and safety of this country that one of your uncles was a pioneer student of Federal Government College Sokoto in 1966. As at this time, the family was resident in Lagos . This education was interrupted by the war but my father was still confident enough to send his son right back to Sokoto to complete his education immediately after the war. Eventually FGC Sokoto became a family school with 3 of your other uncles following suit. Your aunts attended boarding school at Federal Government Girls College Bakori in the present Katsina State. You see by 1957, your grandfather had become an overseas university graduate as was the custom then. Although he had been trained by missionaries he also showed a humane, nationalistic and eclectic disposition, to quote one of your uncles. Almost immediately after he returned to the country he elected to join the teaching staff of Aggrey Memorial College Arochukwu established by the late Alvan Ikoku. He was responding to a call for graduates to join the teaching staff to prevent its dis- accreditation and subsequent closure. He would also teach at Ahmadiya College Agege, Lagos where he was Vice-principal. Soon afterwards, he became the foundation principal of the Zumratul Islamiyya Grammar School Lagos. These last two schools were Islamic schools. He did all these while he was still a practicing Christian! Call to service it was for him. This is not a history about your grandfather and I have digressed. I recall these circumstances to show the kind of values I learnt first hand. Values of service, humility, generosity, hard work and love for mankind. These are the values your mum and I teach you daily and pray that you imbibe. We have always known that education was the best inheritance we could leave for you and your siblings. In doing so, we have consciously tried not to send you to the most expensive schools which I could not afford in any case. We have always sought out places where you could all learn the values of service, integrity, honest labour, humility, purpose driven life and love for humanity amongst others. Im sure you can still recall when we had to withdraw your sister and you from a private school to a semi public school so that you could both learn that life was not a bed of roses. Son, from my story, what do you think? Should it matter where we come from or what we believe in? Should we take money to vote? Should our leaders lie to us? Should we find a way to hold them accountable ? Sometimes it is better to seek out the truth ourselves . So as long as God gives me life and senility I hope to be there to guide you. Sometimes I may not be able to answer your questions the way I may have wanted because Im still searching for answers myself. For instance, why do bad things happen to good people? Why do unrighteous seem to prosper while honest people wallow in povertly? So to simplify things, let me say there will always be bad people. Scripture has clearly shown us that. These bad people will make mockery of everything you have learnt. They will tell you that your ideas or values are old or outdated. Sometimes they do this out of ignorance, greed, wickedness or stupidity. But we must never ever join them. Even those you love or believe in will sometimes come short on the values we believe in. You will sometimes feel disappointed or frustrated by those you believed in and what they do. That was what I meant by your young mind taking a massive hit. My son, Im so proud of you. Please keep asking these questions and never depart from the truths of life as we have learnt together in the Scriptures. I also belong to this wonderful club, called Rotary and youve followed me to some of the meetings. Remember what we call the Four Way Test? You can share it with anyone because it cuts across all religious, partisan and sectarian lines. It helps you test for the answers to your questions: THE FOUR-WAY TESTOf the things we think, say or do Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Finally my dearest son, no matter what happens, always believe and never lose hope. You are the light of your generation and the world. As St Paul said, there are three things that really remain after all is said and done: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. And the greatest is...
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 05:37:49 +0000