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Friday Sermon: Late Alhaji Babatunde Jose: Death and Theodicy Revisited

Published

6 years ago

July 27, 2018

Eric

By Ibrahim Babatunde Jose ll

Of all mankind’s ostensibly insoluble problems, the question of death has been the most vexing. Most faiths have turned death into the main source of meaning in life. The theme of the most ancient myths to come down to us is that of King Gilgamesh of Uruk in ancient Sumeria. Gilgamesh once set out to find how to defeat death, he travelled to the end of the universe but returned empty handed and resigned to the fact that when man was created, death was set as man’s inevitable destiny. So let it be with Alhaji Jose.

The sad end of righteous men has also been a matter of great concern to discerning minds. It often brings to mind the age old question: Why does God allow suffering? Theodicy attempts to explain why a perfectly good, almighty, and all-knowing God permits suffering. The term literally means “justifying God.” Suffice to say; neither that late Alhaji Jose nor those close to him could have conjectured any reason why a righteous man would suffer untold pain and afflictions that would see him waste away till death added the coup de grace.

Alhaji Jose was not a prince, but a righteous man, a compassionate and God fearing person who devoted most of his life to serving man and his creator. However, towards the end of his life, his health was challenged so brutally that it left us asking, why a righteous man should suffer such ill health. It is always said that God has a way of testing his dear ones, but that of Alhaji Jose was of Jobian proportion. On several occasions we wondered what manner of affliction it was. Some said it was a sudden ‘loss of vitality’, a syndrome that is accompanied by aches and pains, digestion and bowel disorders, brain fog, or inability to concentrate, easy exhaustion, unexplained extreme fatigue, decreased ability to perform work or participate in social, educational and personal activities, decreased ability to multi-task, chronic low-grade fever, forgetfulness and difficulty with short term memory, headaches, recurring infections, insomnia, tender lymph nodes, joint pain unrelated to injury or trauma, without swelling or redness, muscle pain and stiffness, poor sleep, feeling unrefreshed, increased thirst, chronic or frequent sore throats and weight loss.

It is said that most patients have a unique combination of these symptoms, which can significantly diminish a person’s quality of life, and in severe cases can inhibit a person from being able to carry out basic daily life functions. This last symptom was most depressing as it affected not only Baba’s locomotion but also his desire and ability to serve his God and observe the common daily prayers. In the end, a man who had prayed, fasted and obeyed the five pillars of Islam laid comatose and unable to perform any of those precepts. Like a ship that hit the sand bar, Baba was helpless and had to be assisted to perform almost all the basic functions. He spent most of the time either propped up in bed or on the wheelchair. We once thought of wheeling him to the mosque in the house for his daily prayers, but it was a futile exercise as he just sat there, oblivious to the environment of the mosque.

He would stay for hours without acknowledging the presence of his visitor, only for him to sometimes regain lucidity when the visitor was about leaving. And yet he refused to travel abroad for treatment for fear of ‘going as a passenger and returning as cargo’.

His end, like that of many others serve as a lesson to us all about the mortality of man and the need to do good while we are still able, because a day would come when we would be alive, like one who has died, a day when we would not be able to move our limbs, a day when we would not be able to eat or drink, a day when we would be assisted to stand or sit. We should remember a day when we would become as helpless as a day-old child, when we would not have control over the clothes we wear, nor the food we are fed nor the bed we would sleep on. We would be at the mercy of care-givers. We should pray not to be put to a test which we cannot bear. At the end of it all, death must come. Mutua ba magani, no medicine against death.

There is no doubt, medical science will overcome many of these intractable health challenges and the likes of Alhaji Jose would live much longer on this side of the divide.

We remember the day ten years ago. August 2^nd 2008 was like no other Saturday. It was the day hell was let loose on the city of Lagos; a day when even pedestrians did not know which direction they were heading to and motorists were in a dilemma as to how to manoeuvre out of the traffic quagmire of that day. There was pandemonium on the roads as the Third Mainland Bridge; the longest bridge in the metropolis was closed to traffic for needed repairs. Yet, this was the day Alhaji Babatunde José, erstwhile doyen of modern Nigerian journalism, chose to die and be buried. It would be a Saturday to be tattooed in the memories of all; a day when the ‘proverbial Devil decided to drink water’. “When beggars die there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.”

But as a righteous man, when the end came, though he could not voice it out, there is no doubt, he would have been saying: Say: Truly my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are all for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds”. (Holy Quran 8:162)

As we remember, Alhaji Babatunde Jose next Thursday, 2^nd of August, we pray that Allah forgive his sins and grant him Al-Jannatul Fridous and make his grave a place for comfort and light. Ameen

Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend

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Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

17 hours ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

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Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

4 days ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”

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Akwa Ibom Government Invests N112 Billion in Road Infrastructure Projects

Published

5 days ago

April 11, 2024

Admin

…DAKKADA OIL PALM FACTORY COMMENCES MILLING SOON

“Since May 2023, Akwa Ibom State Government Invests N112 Billion in Road Infrastructure”

Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga disclosed this when he presented a breakdown at the State Executive Council meeting in Uyo.

He revealed that 39 new road projects have been undertaken with N78.77 billion released to fund them, while old projects have been funded to the tune of over N30 Billion, with an additional N12 Billion recently released by the Governor.

Details of the Exco meeting were made public by the Commissioner for Information, Ini Ememobong.

The Executive Council also approved the increment of pension for pensioners who retired before 2012, effective April 2024.

Following the ongoing harvesting of fruits, milling will soon commence at the Dakkada Global Oil Palms.

The Managing Director of the Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob announced this during his presentation at the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Umo Eno.

Two projects executed through the Direct Labour Agency have been completed with 19 other ones ongoing.

The Director of Operations of the Agency, presented a status update on the projects under their supervision, also disclosed that 31 of the 100 initial ARISE Compassionate Homes will be completed and presented soon.

The Council was also briefed on the progress at Ibom LED, where 800 people have been trained and N400m has been approved to fund the grant of N500,000 to each of the participants, which will soon be done.

The Governor charged all the Executive Council members to ensure that all the projects and programmes under their supervision are people-centric from ideation to execution. He advised that project monitoring should be ramped up to ensure quick completion.

Major Highlights of the meeting are as follows:

√Status update on Food sufficiency received; proposal on increased cocoa, rice production & Ibom Model Farm submitted by HC for Agriculture & Rural Development

√Presentation of proposal by MD, AKICORP on Ibom Towers, FalconNext, Landmark Beach Resort.

√Dakkada Global Oil Palms Ltd ready to commence milling of ongoing harvested fruits

√Confirmation of N400m disbursed at N500,000 each to 800 IBOM-LED trainees in two batches

√Briefing by HC Works & Fire Service on N112 billion disbursed by the Governor for road infrastructure since May 2023, with 39 new road projects receiving N78.77 billion & N30 Billion for old projects, with additional release of N12 Billion

√Presentation by HC Culture & Tourism on tourism blueprint for proposed development of Tourism hubs at Ikot Abasi, Itu, and Oron

√ Two projects ready, 19 ongoing through Direct Labour Agency on 1 Project per Local Government Area; 31 ARISE Compassionate Homes nearly completed

√Approval for increment of pension for pensioners who retired before 2012, effective April 2024.