Tribute: Abdu-salaam Abbas and I – By Professor Mojeed Alabi

Advertisements

Advertisements

R-L: File picture of tlate Abdu-Salaam Oyetunde Abbas and Prof Mojeed Alabi as Chairman and Secretary respectively of Ejigbo Local Government, Osun State.

I did not know the late Abdu-Salaam Oyetunde Abbas until providence took me to Lagos for the mandatory one-year NYSC assignment. As an MSSN activist, my inner mind wanted Kano or Kaduna. But those weren’t the days of lobbying for posting. I dreaded Lagos, having not been there more than once or twice hitherto coupled with the series of bad tales that we have heard about Lagos life. But I reported to the Command Secondary School, Ipaja, and was subsequently posted to Ibeju-Lekki SMC (Schools Management Committee) for my primary assignment. My primary station was Epe (since there was no road linking Lagos directly with Ibeji-Lekki, an island of a sort, where I had to take boat on a daily basis on the Lagoon to and fro the school I was posted to. One hour (in the 50k paddled canoe) or 30 minutes (in the N1.00 fast boat) was too frightening for a JJC from “Ilu Oke”; but I was assured of an accommodation in the village (to reduce the daily commuting on water), which the Principal made sure was ready before my return from the short break for full assumption of duty. That was sometimes in August 1984.

Advertisements

MSSN CONNECTION:
During the short break, I attended a vacation course of the Lagos Area Unit of the MSSN at a school along Randle Avenue, Surulere, where I met many known MSSN brothers who were happy that I was in Lagos but felt I could be more useful to the Deen if I was posted to the MSSN. Within hours, I got a letter of redeployment to the National Headquarters of the MSSN and paired with Brother Isa Sanni, a known face from Great Ife, who was equally on the same national service.

In my own case, and as the Secretary of the B Zone (comprising all the area units in the Southern part of Nigeria), I doubled as the Administrative Secretary of the Lagos Area Unit, with an office at Zumratu Islammiyyah Grammar School in Yaba, at a time that Uztas Zikrullah Olakunle Hassan (the present Executive Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria NAHCON) was the State Chairman of the Area Unit. Zikrullah Hassan and I were to serve some years later as the National Chairman and National Secretary respectively at a time that Muhammad Taofeeq Ladan (now Professor and current DG of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS) was the Vice President International of the MSSN. Dikrullah Hassan provided free temporary accommodation at his residence in Aborishade Street, Surulere, before I was moved to stay with Brother Nurudeen Idris and his amiable wife (Faosiyyat) at Shomolu, and eventually to Bariga where I shared a rented room with Brother Isa Sanni, my fellow corps member.

LAWYER TUNDE ABBAS:
My encounter with Abdu-Salaam Abbas started when the MSSN assigned us to Halal Investment Ltd, the business outfit of its National Headquarters, as Administrative Officers, under the pro bono supervision of Lawyer Tunde Abbas, an MSSN activist who I never knew or met before, who was then the Legal Adviser of Zabbadine Group, with our office located within the vast premises but operating differently outside the framework of the company. The supervisor was methodical and thorough to a fault, giving assignments and requesting reports in great details notwithstanding our flexible working hours and fluidly defined schedule of duties.

I did not know Lawyer Abbas was from Ejigbo until a few months into our working relationship. The COMYO (as it was known when founded in Oyo State before it later took a national outlook as NACOMYO) held one of its monthly meetings, often preceded by open night sermons, in Ejigbo. After our meeting at about 2am, I told my ‘boss’ that I wanted to go home instead of sleeping in the central mosque till daybreak, and he also said the same thing; that was how we knew we were from the same community.

The joy of knowing that Ejigbo had a Lawyer knew no bound in me. I later knew that we had a few, particularly from the Masifa axis, but as of then I didn’t know any Lawyer from Ejigbo. With this, and even after NYSC year, we became closer and I instantly found a second home in Lagos with the Abbas, witnessing his acquisition of a brand new Peugeot 504 silver-colour car, his Nikah to Hajiah Muhibah, a UAC upcoming executive, and the birth of Faruq (now a Lawyer/politician), Taqwa (now a Medical Doctor), Hanif (an upcoming finance/investment expert), and much much later, Khalid, the “bobo” of the house. I encouraged him to come home, eager to showcase him to our people; he readily found an ally in a deep interest he already had in reconnecting with his roots.

I organised a guest lecture under the auspices of the AUDOSA, which he delivered admiringly and was promoted in AUDOSCOPE, the magazine of Ansar-ud-Deen High School, Ejigbo, Old Students’ Association (AUDOSA). We travelled together on many occasions in his brand new saloon car, the colour of which had been changed to blue after an armed robbery incident, lived together, ate together, planned together, and worked together as friends to actualise his ambition going to the House of Representatives before Allah destined him to get elected as the Chairman of Ejigbo LG of the old Oyo State on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in December 1990.

LEGAL EDUCATION:
Once Abbas learnt in 1987 that I was a Part 3 LLB student at University of Ibadan while still on my MSc Long Essay at the University of Ife, he became more interested in my progress, exposing me to the rudiments of legal practice in the same manner that the now late Barrister Remi Lawal (my former teacher and Speaker during my tenure as a Member of the Students’ Representative Council at Ife) was doing in Apapa. As the completion of my LLB drew nearer, the fear of lack of funds to attend the Law School became glaring, Lawyer Abbas activated his extensive Lagos network, giving me recommendation letters to known philanthropists who could help – MKO Abiola who I never met on seat, Alhaji Femi Okunnu who asked me to return once I get my Law School admission letter, and one little known Islamic organisation around Onipan (I pray to be able to fish them out one day, biiznillah) which gave me N600.00 cash (Law School tuition was a little above N700.00), among others. He encouraged me to get prepared for the Law School as once the tuition is paid, other things could be sorted out as needs arose. Alas, the Law School was not to be! As I waited to resume at the Law School on January 21, and in the face of disappointment from a relation who promised to help, the Obafemi Awolowo University gave me appointment as an Assistant Lecturer in Political Science and I resumed work on January 4, 1990. For an indigent Law School hopeful yet to be assured of the needed fund, Law School must wait as the desire to earn prevailed.

But Abbas won’t be tired of asking me to complete my legal training. I was on my PhD Political Science programme at Unibadan when he appointed me as the SLG. I readily got his permission to attend research methodology classes in further of my PhD programme in Ibadan while I still hoped for an opportunity to attend the Law School. Coincidentally, the first set of politically appointed SLGs operated like career civil servants entitled to annual leave. So, I deferred the1991 and 1992 which I combined with the 1993 annual leave to make an application that was promptly approved by my Chairman, while he appointed Akintoyse as Acting SLG. I resumed back to work on November 1, 1993 after my Law School examination but exactly a week after, the National Interim Government of Chief Earnest Sonekan dissolved local government councils nationwide, an action that was effectively sealed on November 17 when General Sani Abacha sacked the ING itself and dissolved all democratic structures.

DIFFERENT PATHWAYS:
Dissolution or no dissolution, I wasn’t meant to stay longer than December 1993 in government. I had told my boss point blank on November 1, 1993 when he formally notified me of his desire to seek a second term, that I wasn’t going to return to government with him at the expiry of the current term. I assured him to dispel the rumours that some anti-Abbas elements within the party would want to fix me against him for the coming SDP primaries. I wanted to return to the academia as quickly as possible to complete my PhD programme, with additional hope of starting legal practice once called to the Bar.

DESTINY HELPER:
Providence took me into politics through Abdu-Salaam Abbas. Although a student of Political Science who participated fully in all manners of student activities on the campuses, I loath to enter practical politics because of several myths associated with it in Nigeria, notably that you must become fetish or join cults to make it. So when the NTA Network News announced that Chairmen would now appoint SLGs and the newly elected Chairman Abbas suggested that “Senator” (as I was popularly known within the MSSN circles) “odu ni yen o”, both myself and my closest friend of that time, Adekunle Oyekunle, agreed to reject it if the news became the truth and I was offered.

When we met a week later, Kunle and I decided that I accept the offer, which the Chairman offered later that day. But alas, a segment of the political class, the same segment that has remained a torn in the flesh of my political career to date, rose against the proposal of the Chairman on the argument that I was not a member of the SDP, that I did not participate in the electioneering campaigns, and that Abbas should pick a candidate from the group that lost out of the Chairmanship race. So, when I returned the third weekend as it was characteristic of me to spend my weekends in Ejigbo, the Chairman informed that the race had been thrown open and that I would have to formally apply and attend a selection interview composed of selected elders of the party. On the date of the interview, we were informed that 9 candidates applied out of which only 5 were physically present. The interview was conducted with Engr Jimoh Yinka Adigun (later Chairman of Ejigbo LG) and I as the only graduates.

I was selected, and the other group that originally opposed my nomination was compensated by picking its preferred candidate as the SLGEA. Although that group was rumoured three years later to be routing for me to face Abbas for the next parry primary election in order to spite him, which he also got wind of, perhaps, by quickly engaging me on the day that I resumed duty after my Law School programme, I had made up my mind to return to the University. Sani Abacha helped to hasten my exit from practical politics.

MUTUAL RESPECT:
I naturally sided with Uncle Bola Ige to “siddon look”, as a member of a group of young men (one per LGA) being groomed under the leadership of (Jalo) Wale Adesiyan (later a Commissioner in Osun State and Minister of Police Affairs). But all the core politicians went into the New Dimension, which metamorphised into the DPN and the UNCP, while those of us on the sidelines, including Bade Falade (later Chairman and MHR) regrouped in the CNC. My part would cross that of Abdu-Salaam Abbas only briefly in the NPP and AD before he was hoodwinked out of the progressive fold by the same element bound on taking over the leadership.

In essence, Abdu-Salaam Abbas and I had been in different political parties for the greater part of our political life, but have remained the best of friends till death did us part. Even when we disagree on principle and I refused to follow him into another political party when our preferred candidate (Asimiyu Adele Adeleke) lost the race for SDP Chairmanship candidacy, there were no ill feelings, and he continued to give me his elderly respect while I revered him at all times. All efforts by me to reunite him with his progressive roots were frustrated by those who feared his reentry as a threat to their dominance. Even in the different ideological spheres, Abbas took more than passing interest in my political career through advice and prayers. He was my leader, no doubt.

LESSONS:
The essence of this treatise is to draw some lessons for current and future politicians:
1. Politics shouldn’t be a do or die affair, if the sole aim is to serve the people. There should be no room for enmity, breaking of cords of friendship and family, or back biting to score cheap and temporary political points;
2. Never bite a finger that feeds you, and whatever may be your worldly attainments, don’t look down or disrespect your seniors. By the grace of God, I was Speaker of OSHA and MHR among other earthly possessions that humans may count to give me some prominence over Abdu-Salaam, but for me HE IS MY LEADER as all these are built on the first opportunity he gave me to exhibit my potentials
3. Abbas was never a burden on me or any of those he has contributed to their life stories. He never for once asked me for monetary favours notwithstanding my stay in public offices longer than him. I regret my inability to fully repay his contributions to my life. But I’m happy that Faruq Abbas and his siblings are making my Leader proud both in life and in dealth. Aye t’esin o je …..!
4. Abbas strengthened my resolve not to taint my Iman or sacrifice my principles on on the altar of political expediency by patronising men of the underworld or women of easy virtue in search of political power. I have never and will never, Insha Allah
5. Abbas thought me never to hate anyone or use vulgar words in politics as we can always meet, and words once said are not easily retracted
6. Abdu-Salaam Abbas thought us as leaders to be content with what we have without necessarily being complacent in assuming things would readily come to us without struggling to get them. Thus, my leader though us to WORK HARD, PRAY HARD, AND LEAVE THE REST TO ALLAH
7. He was therefore a politician of integrity, with self worth and never to beg for anything just to remain in government. He taught us to always have a second address as no one would last forever in continuous enjoyment of free lunch from government patronage. That Abbas made Osogbo and Ejigbo the base of his thriving legal practice founded in Lagos was a signal to us all that politics should be for service and not a full time meal ticket that send unnecessary jitters to our spines in moments of temporary setbacks when our supposed means of livelihood appear threatened.
8. Lastly, Buoda Tunde liked to chart new course and test unknown waters. He was never satisfied with staying in his comfort zone without attempts at breaking new grounds, his constant quote of the saying attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson that “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”.

Abdu-Salaam Abbas was, indeed, a POSITIVE REFERENCE POINT to me in ways that I cannot fully recount. While we deactivate the mourning mode today, he will linger on for years in our memories as one deserved of our continuous prayers. May he find favours with his Creator. Amin

Adieu, Oga!

• Mojeed Olujinmi Alabi (born 7 July 1962) is a Nigerian politician, lawyer, university teacher, and Professor of Political Science and Adjunct Professor of Public Law. He holds bachelor, master and doctoral degrees in each of political science and law. He was a member of the House of Representatives, representing Ede Federal constituency Ede North, Ede South, Egbedor and Ejigbo LGs on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).