By Abdulfatai Adeyi

Apology to my friend and senior, Professor Sheu Jimoh, who it was that first used the above connotation in his very last scholarly inaugural address as a senior academic in the University of Ilorin some years back. I never regretted accepting the invitation to that well attended lecture, where Professor Jimoh did justice to the topic, while also juxtaposing same with the griming reality in the then UNILORIN vis-a-vis the paradox of the varsity doing the opposite of what it preaches. To begin with, who is an elder-statesman? An elder-statesman is ''a respected leader, often one who no longer has an active job, who is thought of as having good advice to give.'' Based on this definition, the octogenarian former Chairman of the ICPC does fall into the category of icons that enjoy the revered status of elder-statesmanship in Nigeria. Baba, according to this definition, is a respected leader in the real sense of the word.

I have known Justice Akanbi as far back as 1974, when I was just coming of age. Smart, brilliant, restless and quite religious; it didn't immediately occur to me that Baba was an Ilorin man, because this was a man that did not fit into my narrow stereotype of an average Ilorin man as 'uncivilised', usually 'unlettered' and characteristically 'garrulous'. So, when it dawned on me that Baba Akanbi was an Ilorin man, my typecast naturally fell flat on my face, and this made me respect and love him the more. I have held of him that respect and admiration since then. His has been a refreshing history in statesmanship, mentorship and positive values. His doggedness, fairness, incorruptibility and sense of judgment have been a remarkable departure from the 'Nigerian factors' menace. Is it little wonder that he spent decades in the Ghanaian and the Nigerian public service without the slightest blemish to his sterling records? If for nothing else, I am proud to be associated with this great Africanist and a worthy Nkrumist, who has brought honour and prestige particularly to the 'Ilorin' brand.

Unfortunately however, recent events point rather disturbingly, to the fact that politicians in the state are beginning to take advantage of Baba's openheartedness to feather their own nest, while also closing their eyes to the plausible implications of such moves to the good name that Baba has meticulously built over the years. Instead of tapping from Baba's bottomless pool of wisdom, they have decided to make him a cheap political tool, which has become a little discomforting to some of us.

For the purpose of full disclosure, Baba has been recently severally spotted in the residences of certain politicians in the state, purportedly serving as the political emissary of Senator Bukola Saraki. At least, I have been privileged to get a feedback from five of these politicians, who have been approached by Justice Akanbi 'on behalf' of Mr Saraki for what can best be described as a most ridiculous reason that an old man and person of Justice Akanbi's standing can advance to be behind his stooping that low. It is even more regrettable that in virtually all these places that Baba has been hoodwinked into making such inglorious voyages, he had been met with not only stiff resistance but also expected subtle 'insult'. For how else would you describe a situation whereby a roundly respected Justice Akanbi would have his request rejected by anyone born of a woman in this ancient city (no matter how highly placed). Whether Baba's last three humiliating trips have sounded a thorough notice to Baba's manipulators is a matter of time.

But the questions that continue to agitate my mind are; how absurd can it get for Bukola, in his desperation for power and relevance, to trick an old impressionable man like Justice Akanbi into embarking on such a self-serving political trip? How morally bankrupt can a man become to now seek to clothe his integrity deficient personality with that of an innocent old man like Akanbi PCA?

It is beyond contention that the Akanbis are a thoroughbred lot in the Ilorin circle. While other families produce arrogant, good-for-nothing children, the immediate Akanbi Oniyo of Gambari is a positive reference point for all of us. A family that has produced the likes of Kabir, Tolagbe (Prof Mohammed), Ahmad etc, all of them doing great in their respective fields, and making everyone of us proud, cannot be said to be out for porridge. So, to say Baba's interest is for patronage is to sound patently dishonest. So, what is the reason for the entire naked dance in the market square? What has Baba not achieved in life that he now seeks to through Bukola Saraki? How much is the offer price that is now worth soiling Baba's good name and the future of his children?

Kwara state is in a quandary today because opinion moulders like Akanbi that are supposed to play critical role in the current uncertain state have thrown all caution to the winds and are disingenuously taking sides. The truth is, the majority of them have but only succeeded in compounding the woes of their protégé by pitting him even more against perceived enemies or/and those whose sensibilities are genuinely insulted by Bukola's less than sterling performance in office, with all his pretensions to finesse and class. What they profess is a bad product that can hardly sell in a market where sanity, humility, prudence and modesty reign. His irredentism and negative identity politics, his surreptitious plot to continue to nurture the hegemony that is DEAD and BURIED with his progenitor is inimical to the survival of the modern, complex and multicultural Kwara, and the earlier we realise this, the better for everyone.

Honestly, it is beyond doubt that everyone reserves the right to associate with any one he/she so wishes. I give it to Justice Akanbi that he alone is the determinant of the choice of his friends and associates. But, in this case, Baba is the Baba of everyone, a national icon that should not be seen in the company of a badly dented character like Bukola Saraki. For a long while, the name of Justice Akanbi has been prominently mentioned as the arrowhead of the Saraki Squad. How outlandish!

Whether this is true or not, I cannot independently confirm. But what is true, and which I am very much privy to, is that Baba has been running political errand for Bukola Saraki of late. This has not gone down well with many of us who are in the know, and I learnt that not a few of his children are amused by this latest dangerous metamorphosis. And this perhaps informed my writing this piece, in order to afford those that have the ears of Baba to quickly let him see through the facade, the dangerous trap that is being set for him in the name of 'reconciliation' and 'political outreach'.

The path that Baba is currently treading can only lead to more humiliation and disgrace, and it is, no doubt, capable of diminishing his status as an elder-statesman that he eminently is, in the eyes of every right thinking Nigerian and Ilorin man. This is why we have taken the pain to alert those concerned to quickly and timely call back Baba before it's too late. This is especially true of Baba's illustrious children, who should be concerned that a politician is playing tricks with the name that their father has built, and which they have all jealously guarded, over the decades. We all must realise that statesmanship is not a birthright, a ceremonial title, or a mere status symbol without responsibility. Age and experience are parts of the defining qualities, but most importantly, honesty, integrity, transparency, independence of opinion, responsible character and an unbiased judgment of issues. There are lots of people that view Baba's latest moves in very bad taste and we take very strong exceptions to his indulgence. The bottom-line however is, no matter how he tries, we will not stand to see any of our leaders insulted or unnecessarily disgraced by Bukola's obsession for relevance and power.

A word, I believe, is enough for the wise.

Engr. Abdulfatai Adeyi is the Manager, Adex Engineering, Danialu, Ilorin