“Every soul shall taste death” (Q3; V185)

“All the world’s stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and entrances; and one man his time plays many parts…. (Williams Shakespeare)

Where do I start to paint the life and death of you. Well I shall try in my fallible mind’s eye to aggregate few words and may not be concise enough to depict your true self.

Sai Baba as you were fondly called in the political arena and Commando among your peers, I mourn you not  because of who you were or what you achieved rather of who you became in the face of many challenges, successes, your been authentic, humble, courageous and true to yourself.

When you were alive, you stood for the elderly and vouched for the youth that they can go higher in life beyond their imagination. Helping freely and leading graciously. Your unusual freedom with money and your spirit of joie de vivre portrayed a good heart. You just wanted everybody to be happy.

Baba, we love you but we are not instrumental to the beginning of your voyage in the world of the living, so therefore, your end is utterly beyond our powers. Allah, the owner of the universe and all that exist therein brought you in and took you away.

But why do you have to go so soon? Certainly, it was written in the book of destiny long ago that you will live a life of quality and not quantity.

If I hold anything against you, I have forgiven you, for you were human like any other being with his own flaws. May Allah forgive us all. You lived your life for many especially the downtrodden. You were a beacon of hope to the circle of the hopeless. Like a rising sun, you became a phenomenon in Kaiama and Kwara politics and a force to reckon with.

You were a pillar on which many people leaned on. With your demise, a community is embittered, a people torn apart, friends and family at a total loss.

Your love for your soil is no doubt, your gallantry advances to defend your father’s land is evident. If you were not of my generation, you would have featured on the same history book page with your great grandfather, Mora Tasude I and your grandfather, Haliru Kiyaru II. With their valiance, they built Kaiama land, with their uncommon valor, they safe guided it.

Baba, the lost of you would echo through the heart of many forever. The entire Borgu will miss you. Kwarans will never forget you.

May Allah in his infinite mercy forgive your trespasses, have mercy on you, illuminate your grave and build a Castle for you in Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen