Bisi Akande: In This Elder's Mouth, The Kolanut Has Refused To Ripen - Biodun Olatinwo

Chief Bisi Akande

The Yoruba people who are among the most blessed people on earth are profoundly gifted with using proverbs to give deeper meanings to words. 

To the Yoruba, communication assumes new dimensions with the crafting of words especially if they intend to pass on meanings that should not be taken literally but one which the listener ought to reflect upon to get to the core of the subject.

In relation to this, they are masters at deflecting the obvious in order to task the intelligence of the listener. 

Proverbs are therefore often used as misdirections or may be craftily coded to give directions to one who has the intelligence to discern hidden meanings.

Indeed, proverbs have the ability to serve multiple purposes depending on the intention of the user.

The Yorubas are also of the opinion that the mastery of the use of proverbs comes with age. That is, the aged who has a deep well of experiences to tap from is the one adequately equipped to make use of appropriate proverbs to shed light on a matter or leave the undiscerning mind confused.

Hence, the saying that it is in the mouths of the elders that the Kolanut becomes ripened.(Enu agba lo bii gbo).

The Kolanut in this case assumes the garb of perfect use of words to highlight or describe a matter either clearly or under the guise of proverbs.

This comes from the necessity to chew the kolanut into swallowable bits before it travels down the gullet.

To chew the kolanut, is to mull over a matter with deep reflection in order to speak on it. 

This requires examining a matter carefully, truthfully, without biases and prejudices so that one can address it without fear or favour.

It is the Yoruba's belief that an elder who has travelled long roads, emboldened by his journey should not fear, dither or pander to bigotry as he nears the mark.

He must be capable of acting guided by the reasoning above.

In Chief Bisi Akande's book 'My Participation', it seems that the elder refused or was negligent in chewing the Kolanut simply because as in the nature of most autobiographies, the old man sought to be self serving and wore the garb of hypocrisy just to satisfy certain persons.

Chief Bisi Akande's politics is an open book, anyone conversant with Nigeria's political history need not belabour the issue.

In an interview which Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfehinwa granted, he traced the political Odyssey of Chief Bisi Akande to the NCNC and made the claim that the octogenarian was never a part of the Action Group under Chief Obafemi Awolowo but joined the party at a later stage. Specifically, at the dawn of the second republic in 1978.

He would later become the Deputy Governor to the Cicero and subsequently the deputy Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria in the old Oyo state;the party to which the AG had metamorphosed into.

Suffice is to let the world know how Chief Bisi Akande was forced by Uncle Bola Ige against better candidates in the race to Abere secretariat as the second executive governor of Osun state in 1999.

It is indeed a ploy by Chief Bola Ige to appease Chief Bisi Akande who felt offended by the attitude of Bola Ige who refused to visit his family throughout the years he spent in prison, whereas Chief Bisi Akande believed his loyalty to Uncle Bola Ige was his vehicle to Prison. 

Chief Bola Ige got the opportunity to repay him and offset his dept of ingratitude to chief Bisi Akande who went to prison in place of the then governor of Oyo state .No wonder Senator Akinfenwa had to go and bring back Chief Bisi Akande in Lagos on the prompting of Uncle Bola Ige whose mother was an Ila woman. I wonder why this chapter was omitted in "my participation"

A fundamental lesson to be drawn here is that Chief Bisi Akande had his political schooling in a party that was antithetical to the ideologies of the Action Group, a party whose sole purpose at the time was to destroy the progressive mantra of the A.G and seize the West by hook or by crook.

All these claims have not been categorically refuted by Chief Bisi Akande. 

His journey into Bola Ige house as the governor of Osun state is nothing short of a 'reluctant' participation designed by fate when again, Chief Bisi Akande benefitted from the large spirit and goodwill of others who were equally qualified, if not more qualified to be the State's governor at the time.

Those others, included Senator Iyiola Omisore who the octogenarian not only ridiculed in his autobiography but lied against in the most unimaginable way. It seem, Chief Bisi Akande set out for one purpose only, to use the book and the license he enjoys as the author to rail at his perceived enemies, use the opportunity to curry favors and look good in the eyes of his current political benefactors.

One cannot but wonder how his enemies in the South West came to be in the legion and ironically, mostly from his erstwhile camp of progressives. Perhaps, only President Olusegun Obasanjo is the 'outcast'.

Chief Bisi Akande's music of ignominy were mostly sang to smear his former associates.

There's something odious about selective loyalty and even more despicable about smear campaigns, blackmail and backstabbing borne out of disassociation.

While twenty children may not play for twenty years, adults who have gone their separate ways need not begin to tarnish each other's images simply because they no longer agree. It is a fact that such behaviour belittles the person in the man.

'Bi ija ba de, ki se dandan ki Orin o di owe, o ni kaluku le pa orin da lotooto la i fi ti rikisi se'

If a musical band is disbanded, members do not have to resort to waxing hurtful or abusive lyrics against each other; the tested composer simply crafts a new style, especially if he is seen as an elder.

At 82, Chief Bisi Akande would have done history proud and made his legacy more worthy, if he had written the truth about his participation.

As it were, the octogenarian has presented us with a book of dodgy facts and colourful lies masked as the truth.

His book and the book launch itself is nothing short of a classical irony. Chief Bisi Akande found company in the man who jailed him for corruption, truncated democracy and who effectively put paid to his ascension in politics.

A wonder of wonder that even the late magician Professor Peller could not have conjured, to see General Mohammed Buhari praising Chief Bisi Akande to high heavens as a man of integrity and honour.

Life indeed is an unpredictable journey of twists and turns.

In hindsight, if the General Ibrahim Babangida coup which toppled the military government of General Buhari had not happened, what are the possibilities that the hound would have sat at table with the hare, that is if per chance; the hare had not forfeit its life in the grip of the hound.I would wander how Chief Bisi Akande will survive 44years in prison. 

Well, if smiling is a measure of incorruptibility, integrity and loyalty, we should be reminded that no one has mastered the deceptive smile of the jackal.

Chief Bisi Akande described Senator Iyiola Omisore as greedy, he asserted that he has never bribed or received bribe in his life; this is indeed commendable of any politician in Nigerian.

Perhaps, the vast land in Ila upon which sits the humongous building that is Chief Bisi Akande's residence is a gift from the townsfolk to their illustrious son.

The civil servants in Osun state under Chief Bisi Akande's administration were all rogues and misfits who colluded to sack him from the state house for no just cause.

Maybe we have finally found the truth in his book, he refused to carry on business as usual and this miffed the thousands that were workers in Osun state civil service.

Interestingly, as a former National Chairman of the APC and a current stakeholder in the party, he folded his arms while the APC welcomed a greedy and spendthrift Iyiola Omisore into its fold so that Chief Bisi Akande can sit comfortably in Ila knowing that the APC occupies the Bola Ige house.

Well, one may conclude that when alliances are beneficial, old foes irrespective of their character, become worthy allies; this is 'honourable' indeed.

May Chief Bisi Akande bless us with his toothy smile for many more years to come.

Biodun Olatinwo write from Mary Land United States of America