By Babatunde Jose

Reflection is a practice and a skill which can be learnt and developed over time. It allows us to create a pause between our thoughts and often emotional responses and actions. Reflection helps us gain perspective, come to terms with events, learn from our experiences and enjoy moments of gratitude.

At its heart, self-reflection is setting aside time to think deeply and evaluate your thoughts, attitudes, motivations, and desires. It’s examining your emotions and behaviors and then asking yourself, “Why do I feel and act this way?”

My reflections on life is a walk through events, experienced and my gratitude to Almighty Allah for preserving me to this day and I believe He will make my days to be long and continue to grant me good health for the remaining period on this divide.

We need to reflect on these five thoughts daily: One, that we are subject to aging, second, to ill health, third to death, fourth that we will be separated from everything that is dear to us and fifth that we are responsible for our actions.

I owe Allah the gratitude because many were born on the same day, same hour and same minute, but many were recalled home by Allah. They did not commit any offense; they did not sin nor incur the wrath of God. They were simply not destined to live. I therefore thank Allah for His benevolence.

Let us therefore start from the beginning: My grandfather, Amusa Brimoh Jose entered in his Let’s  Diary:  “This is to certify that Wulemotu  Atinuke , wife of my Son, Sunmola, delivered male child between Saturday night and Sunday morning, the 25th December 1949, Christmas day. The naming ceremony took place on Sunday 1st January 1950, New Year day and the child was named Brimoh Babatunde Bodunrin Jose. “

Incidentally, my grandfather, Amusa Bromoh Jose, formerly of Ojubanire Lane, Agarawu, Lagos Island, had settled in his new house at 51 Olonode Street, Sadu, Yaba Estate, in 1930. When I was born, my grandfather had only 4 children, Yekini, Limota, Sunmola and Mosunmola. My father, Sunmola (later Isma’il) was the second boy, his elder brother Yekini Alabi Jose, would later change his name to Albert Alabi Jose Esq, retired as Chief Registrar, Oyo State High Court and died in 1993.

In my reflections, there had been many deaths in the immediate family to warrant thanksgiving to Allah. Just as my father had 10 living children when he died, there had been the death of many members of the family.

Shortly after I was born, in February, 1950, my uncle’s wife Ebun (later Mama Isiaka) had a female child who was named Ayisatu Morenike. On Thursday 13^th July, Ayisatu died at about 3pm and was buried on Friday 14^th July. She later had a male child on 1^st November 1953, named Isiaka. He was raised as my father’s child and lived with us all his life. Isiaka died of liver cirrhosis in 2021, and his mother died a few years ago at the ripe old age of 95. Different strokes!

I lived with my grandfather and my other siblings until I went to the boarding house in 1958. In that house of many rooms were my uncles late Mustapha and Bolaji Jose, both sons of my great grandfather’s brother Momodu Bakare. There was my favorite uncle Saula Ashafa who used to take me to the cinema. Of course I would have slept during the show and he would carry me home on his shoulder. Brother Saula lived to 80 before he died.

Brother Saula was the son of my father’s big uncle ‘Dad’, Ambali Ashafa, son of my grandfather’s sister, Sabitiu (Mama Oloka). Memories of holidays with him can never be forgotten. Unfortunately, three of his younger children with whom we played together are no more; Captain Tunde Ashafa, Bisi Gwadabe and Seki.

In that same house at Olonode lived the children of my grandfather’s late brother, RAB Jose (Teacher): They were brother Iso Jose, a man of many parts; a magician, mystic, aladura and later native doctor. He used to conjure rice and meat for us. And his brothers, Semiu Jose (Seaman) and Bros Sunmi, Esco Jose, who attended Kings College and a fine table tennis player. He suffered spinal tuberculosis, also known as Pott’s disease, which caused a hunched appearance. They are all of blessed memory.

And we also had an uncle from our family at Alayaki lane, Baba Massey. A most rascally fellow till he died. Among other exotic professions, he was a magician (Professor Massey) who used to perform on NTA, later he became a mystic and opened Massey Mystic Center at Ijanikin, later he went into herbal medicine and finally berthed as the Oluaiye of Ogboni Ibile, which he registered on his Mercedes S Class. He returned from an Ogboni meeting when he slumped and died in his car.

I started my primary school at Yaba Methodist in 1955 and enjoyed every bit of the time spent there. All my mates that we lived on my street have since died; Damola Oluwole, Olu Dada whose auntie Olajumoke Dada was married to the late Henry Fajemirokun. But I still recall the names of some of the others like Jide Keleko and Kayode Sofola who are still very much alive. I left Methodist after standard one for Mayflower Junior School, Ikenne in 1958.

Mayflower was a different experience entirely and there were all sorts of characters that gave one a lifetime of experience in human nature. Lifelong relationships were forged in the school. Akin Aloba remains a cherished friend, his late father Ebenezer Williams was my father’s friend and member of the fraternity of the pen. Our friend Agboola Anjou, ala, ‘delicate millionaire’ died last year long after he had retired from service as a pharmacist.

I remember Ademola Adeoba, son of late Justice Adeoba, my father’s friend, and uncle of former Lagos Deputy Governor, Sinotu Ojikutu. Demola died shortly after his father’s death.

There was also Kunle Martins, Eja Osa, son of late Ambassador ‘Pehin Martins. Kunle lived with us throughout, as his dad was abroad in the diplomatic service. Kunle dropped out of secondary school to join the army. He left as a sergeant to work with Bemil Securities and later left for the United States where he fell ill and died.

In Mayflower, I interacted with some people in the senior school, one of them was Late Godwin Oke, a handsome fella, had an infectious smile and was the vocalist in the school band. He was married to Doyin Okupe’s older sister.

There was tall, gangling Soji Osilowo, ‘no molest’ on the soccer field. I caught up with him in Port Harcourt in 1976, when I went to serve. He took very good care of me but unfortunately died in an accident going to Lagos in his Fiat Climatizata. May his soul rest in peace.

My sojourn in Ahmadiyya Grammar School, Eleyele is a story for another day. Top on the list were the Elegbede brothers, Waliu and Wasiu both departed and Rafiu, who retired as a Colonel in the Army. They were the children of Daddy Ukashat Elegbede, late of 8 Bola Street, Ebute Metta, where we spent many memorable days during school holidays. Daddy was the brother of Alhaja Alake Jose, Mama Sadu, my grandfather’s wife and mother of my auntie Late Mosun Ogunjobi, nee Jose. Anti Mosun (Mama Enitan) died a few months after my dad in 2008.

Talking of Bola Street, memories were made in our escapades with friends who later died, among them Segun Adebo, Mexico (Ajasa oko Risi), Navy Commander Tunde Alabi, Banana, Egbon, Admiral Babatunde Elegbede, Colonel Razak Adekunle Elegbede who married Erelu Dosunmu, and Justice Abiodun Kessington, ‘Na Bob’, all of blessed memory.

But they were the good old days. I should not forget to mention late Major (Dr) Sola Odunubi, Samsi Ope and Air Commodore Toyin Ojibara. Ina lil;ah wa ina ilehi rajiun.

Here, nearer home, many have also gone. There are many lessons learnt from the interactions with these good people. There is the issue of accommodation, learning to live with people and tolerating their foibles and idiosyncrasies.

There is also the development of resilience and adaptation to any environment you find yourself in. I spent time in Awka/Amobia as a corper, 1^st set in 1973, where there was no electricity or pipe borne water; making myself happy with my battery operated portable record player.

Another experience learnt is patience, subru, translated as suru. I learnt that a man can never hurry the sun rise. With patience, a man will surmount the highest tribulation. In Birmingham, where I enrolled for a doctorate, which I later abandoned; for days and sometimes weeks, my only company was my 8-Track tape and Amstrad quad player. This went on for months until I met uncle Tunde Okunnu. He was God-sent. Uncle Tunde returned to Nigeria and later died. He was the junior brother of my Big Uncle, Alhaji Femi Okunnu. May Allah grant him Jannatul Firdous.

Perhaps the most important lesson is the need to be near our maker: Thanking God and constantly asking for forgiveness of sin either by omission or commission. And also Quisque fortunae suae faber est; that everyman is the architect of his own fortune.

Alhamdulillah, ‘Tunde kekere’ of Junior school, and ‘small boy Jose’, beating bata drum at Mbari Club, Ibadan in the play ‘Village of Ewa’ 1964, has come of age. In Sha Allah, Mr Tunde, as my old man used to call me, will be 75 on Christmas day. All praise to Almighty Allah.

Barka Juma’at and a Merry Christmas

It was the late Chinua Achebe who wrote in his book, “There was a Country” that, “Nigeria is plagued by a home grown enemy: political ineptitude, mediocrity, indiscipline, ethnic bigotry, hedonism, hereditary spiritual paganism and monumental corruption of the ruling class.’ (Italics mine)

In 2015 a case commenced against the former governor of Borno State involving about ₦300 billion. This was not all: the EFCC also wanted to know “how he raised $72million to buy a G650 Gulfstream aircraft after leaving office in 2011. The politician has at least two private jets.” To this the EFCC also accused the governor of “benefiting from $200 million released by the former administration to facilitate Boko Haram ceasefire in a neighboring country in 2014. Whether and to what extent the $200 million were embezzled or only partly raked off is not mentioned. Suffice it to state that this office holder was at the higher levels of the pyramid of public fund skimmers. Later he decamped to the ruling APC. We found no further information about the status of his case which appears to be ‘pending’.

The so-called ‘Armsgate’ scandal identified theft of at least $2.1 billion and probably far more, over the period 2007 to 2015 through use of fake contracts for military equipment that failed to materialize.

Among others, they procured second-hand helicopters at a highly inflated price of $ 136 million which should have cost about $ 30 million. Having no rotor blades they proved to be useless anyhow. This group of soldiers diverted ₦ 3.6 billion belonging to the Nigerian Air Force for their own use, purchasing property in both London and Lagos Island. Property and assets valued at ₦ 2.7 billion were in the end forfeited.

Ten years ago was the case of our run-away petroleum minister, ‘the lady with the golden bra’, who was credited with managing to put jollof rice worth billions of Naira and dollars in her brassiere. Despite forfeiting many property to the government, she is still at large, a fugitive from justice, albeit a rich one, as a result of profits from criminal enterprise.

She was able to use her influence to direct a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to award contracts to shell companies (created in Nigeria) that were owned by existing business associates in return for substantial bribes. From Nigeria, the proceeds of those illicitly awarded contracts were used for the purchase of various assets, including extensive property in London, a $50 million condominium located in one of Manhattan’s most expensive buildings – 157 W. 57th Street. They were also used to purchase the Galactica Star, an $80 million yacht.

• Permanent forfeiture of 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customized gold iPhone worth $40 million

• ₦ 23,5 bn and $ 5milion in various Nigerian bank accounts

• Property in Nigeria: worth between £5.5 million and £17 million

• Properties in London: (i) £ 1.73 million property sold for £ 2.8 million before the court order; (ii) Hampstead:property sold for £ 5,85 million also before the court order; (iii) three further properties in London collectively valued at £11.5 million, two of which were sold for £5.5 million before action could be taken.

• Property in New York: A $50 million Condominium in Manhattan and an $80 million Yacht.

Final forfeiture of a total of 56 houses to the Federal Government. The properties valued at about $21,982,224 are located in Lagos and Port Harcourt, River State.

What manner of unbridled acquisition would make a man or a consortium of thieves concoct the real estate heist reported recently by the EFCC. The courts declared a permanent forfeiture of the unbelievable sprawling Abuja property with 753 duplexes and other apartments located in the Cadastral Zone area of the capital city. Am sure they were thinking of vying with the Federal Housing Authority.

In the docks today is a former governor who is being charged for the minor infraction of ducking over a 100 billion of state funds in his back pocket. According to the EFCC the former governor misused state funds to acquire properties, in various parts of Abuja worth N950 million, N100 million and N920 million respectively.

The main issue is that our man paid the sum of $845,852 to the American School, with State Government’s fund, being lifetime school fees for his children. The American School has since refunded $760,910 to the EFCC which demanded it.

However, he was also accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited. All these were for his private enjoyment after working tirelessly for the welfare of his people for 8 years.

There was also the case of a man charged with keeping watch over the national treasury who forgot over 109 billion Naira in the pocket of his raincoat, which he discovered when he got home. The rascal decided it was not worth returning because the wife would not hear of it. She made the proverb that ‘whatever cloth is sewn for the egungun, automatically belongs to the egungun’.

“Some of the former governors who were charged to court in the past ten years and whose cases have not been concluded by the court and which the EFCC have decided to revive include; Ayo Fayose, Rasheed Ladoja, Joshua Dariye; was sentenced and pardoned, Chimaroke Nnamani, Orji Uzor Kalu, Jolly Nyame; was sentenced and pardoned, Abdullahi Adamu, Lucky Igbinedion; enter a plea bargain, Sullivan Chime, Theodore Orji, Danjuma Goje, Aliyu Wamako, Timipre Sylva and Sule Lamido. Most of them have found themselves in and out of the Senate and other political positions and EFCC have abandoned most of those cases without trial.

“They never went back to court to list most of these cases for trial. What type of society do we belong to in this country? Meanwhile, the EFCC are parading around that they convicted over 2000 cases most of whom are internet fraudsters and petty thieves. As long as we have sacred cows, corruption in Nigeria will continue to increase.

Shameless hooligans, they will not be deterred in their wanton gluttony and avaricious tendencies. On a good Sunday morning, they line the Lagos Mariner with their exotic cars in front of the Cathedral Church of Christ and other places of Sunday worship; paying fat-fat tithes, thinking they can bribe God; forgetting that God is not a hypocrite and will never lend His Holy name to brigandage and unholy parade of ignominy.

We see them too at the mosques on Fridays: Here too, the weekly admonition to do good deeds and eschew Alfasha, injustice and conspiracy are strange to their ears. Like the Quran said, they are deaf, dumb and blind; and would not listen or follow the straight path.

Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion:  He instructs you that ye may receive admonition. (Quran 16:90). .But . . . .. .Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom. (Quran 2:171)

But they cannot mock God: ‘A thousand Samuels cannot escape from God’.

They forget so soon that God is a God of retribution: ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ Numbers 14:18

The Prophet (SAW) said: “Allah does not punish the individuals for the sins of the community until they see the evil spreading among themselves, and while they have the power to stop it, do not do so.” (Ahmad).

Today, many of our Imams, pastors and political bootlickers are guilty of this and for sure, they have earned a visa to hell fire!“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” ― Dante Alighieri:

The parable of those who reject Faith is as if one were to shout like a goatherd, to things that listen to nothing but calls and cries: Deaf, dumb, and blind, they are void of wisdom.(Quran 2:171)

To this extent therefore, we should today take a firm stand against corrupt and inept leaders. Enough is enough!

Those who have ears, let them listen; for, when ‘the come comes to become’, there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Happy posthumous birthday to our late patriarch and father Dr. Ismail Babatunde Jose OFR. He would have been 99 today. May Allah continue to keep him in Aljannatul Firdous. Inna Lillah wa Inna Illehi rajiun.

Barka Juma’at and happy weekend