Wikipedia defines Concept as “an abstract idea that serves as a foundation for more concrete principles, thoughts and beliefs.” Concepts as they are do play important roles in all aspects of cognition. We shall come to that soon. But before then I must say what I put pen to paper for this moment, is sequel to the response I got to what I wrote last week that was entitled: Nigeria:Of KWAM 1 & 2
His Grace the retired Archbishop of Ondo Province of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Dr. G. Latunji Lasebikan has always been a profound preacher of the word of God. Therefore he loves truth telling. Currently, he is Visiting Professor at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo in Oyo State. The comment he wrote after he had read the write-up I published last week was not only inspiring, I must admit that it has led me to write this follow up piece to last week’s but under a different caption. The then University teacher who I have known since my student days at the University of Ibadan in the early 80’s sent to me the
following comments in reaction to the piece I published last week.
It reads: “Smolette thanks for the piece you wrote. Kwam1’s behaviour was both distressing and disgraceful. Hope our leaders will repent and mend their ways. Nigeria is greater than them.” That was all the 77 years old Minister of God could say about my KWAM 1 & 2 story.
Now back on course from that relevant digression and to the concept thing l was trying to connect to. The Yorubas have a concept called *”Asemalu”*. In the character of their language, it is a longer sentence the language contracts into just one word. Well “Asemalu” translates into English as *“The sinner/law breaker who must not be punished or touched.”*
Interesting. He goes free from being punished for one reason or the other. Essentially it is because he is the leader or the bosses’ favourite. The system or establishment does not touch him. In fact it deliberately refuses to touch him because he is “special.”
George Orwell who wrote the satire called *“Animal Farm”* put it very succinctly thus: “All animals are not equal.”
The truth of the matter is that *Animal Farm* is very true in life in our world. Even as humans, all are not equal. Some men are short, others are tall. Some are big while others are very small. Some men are even males while others are females. Isn’t that true? But all that is before human begins. Before God who gave us the law, all men are supposed to be *very equal*.
What happened on our airport tarmacs in Abuja on the 5th and in Lagos on the 10th of August defied the law.
The press statement which the Minister of Aviation, *Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN* issued on the two infractions came out to show clearly that *Asemalu* exists in our system.
In Nigeria there are sinners or better still law breakers who must not be touched because they have extensive connections or network.
Ms. Comfort Emmanson was given public humiliation for “refusing to disembark” an Ibom Airline flight on Sunday 10th August. She had to spend the night in Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Facility. Yet few days before her encounter, a male Nigerian, over 60 years old musician was prevented from boarding a private Value-Jet airline for disobeying flight rules and regulations.
Right there on the tarmac he created a scene that could have been considered as a security breach.
But in spite of that rule-breaking show, he was never arrested nor detained for a minute. Instead, he boarded another flight from the same airport in Abuja to enable him get to Lagos later that day. On the face value of these two scenarios, where can we place Justice or Fair play?
It is a case of the Orwelian cry in Animal Farm in which Snowball and Napoleon existed to show off. In one cry all animals are equal. In other cry *All animals are not equal. So in one episode we have the Asedarans and in the other, the Asemalús*, both on similar offences.
We state without any equivocation that the Minister of Aviation in summing up the two different but related cases only or mearely did what poor students in secondary school Mathematics class used to do, namely working to the answer.
This is not only unfortunate, it is something regrettable.
KWAM 1, the man in the eye of the storm in the Abuja show of shame was the person the establishment wanted to save from going to jail and so abracadabra of government logic or magic as Fela sang years ago.This was why it had to work to the answer. There is no doubting the fact that this effort rubs negatively on the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It undoubtedly puts Mr. President in a critical situation which, some how, has been badly handled by the Minister of Aviation, working in tandem with relevant government agencies. Every one in Nigeria knows or have heard the president is a close friend of Wasiu Ayinde better known as KWAM 1.
We do know that there have been instances in which some celebrities’ cases have been handled much better in this country. The first was during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Funke Akindele, as popular as she was, flouted the COVID-19 rules as laid down then by Lagos State Government. She was made to face the consequences of law breaking.
We all know the way the matter was handled in a way to give her soft-landing. But the fact is true that Funke Akindele was made to face the law.
For disrespecting the naira Bobrisky went to jail. Whether he slept on a flat mattress or springy one outside the prison facility is not the issue. The real matter is that justice was served for all to see. KWAM 1 should have been sent to prison long before his much-hush apology to the President and the Nation, four clear days after committing the crime. He should have been behind bars in the first place.
Why did Minister Festus Keyamo not choose to do some groundwork in the KWAM 1 matter by first arresting him, put him in *custody* for a day or two and then begin to suggest a better working to the answer approach? He would have been seen to have fulfilled all righteousness and the presidential influence thing would not have come in at all. Now a precedence, a bad one for that matter, has been set. How you may ask? Well the
President is Yoruba, his recalcitrant friend, KWAM 1 is also Yoruba. What do you want other nationalities in the Nigerian political equation to feel or say? Certainly the approach the Minister took in handling the matter at stake wasn’t a good one. It amounts to taking Nigerians for a ride, even if the Minister did not plan it so ab initio.
Many Nigerians cannot say they see validity in the Honourable Minister’s approach in solving the problem he created for his ministry and the government he serves.
For some of us the approach taken in handling KWAM 1’s matter demonstrates tyranny of the elite class over those they rule. Again this is very regrettable to say the least.
Minister Festus Keyamo and his band of collaborators in this national shame must know they have not done well at all. This was the time they should have used to bring Wasiu Ayinde from the Olympian high horse he had ridden over the years and then help him come to terms with the reality of life which teaches that after pride comes a fall usually in great humiliation. How do they want to curb the unruly and intolerable aspects of bad behavior, impunity and big men’s rascality that is so rampant in. the Nigerian space?
May this ugly trend of events never be allowed to come the way of our people again. Nigeria has seen some 65 years of autonomous political rule by our people We must begin to do things not by our wishes, but by the established rules and laws that govern us.
The Indian nationalist and nation builder, Mahatma Ghandi was very right when he told his world that a nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members. He was referring to those who have no voice.
We all must be made to know we are all equal before the laws. The concept of “Asemalu” is an oppression, and must be disapproved of. It is condemnable. It does not resonate the primacy of truth.
Let us point it out that all it takes for tyranny to gain a foothold in s system is for people of conscience to remain silent. This we must not. Silent we must not keep over irresponsibilities such as the KWAM 1 nonsense has brought our dear country.
Smolette Adetoyese Shittu-Alamu, writes from Osogbo, Osun State.
