For a great man like the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, conspirators and conspiracies are unavoidable. When I say ‘great’ I leave the definition of it to your discretions, however any Yoruba would agree to the greatness of a man who was conferred with Bashorun of Ibadan and Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba lands among over 100 other chieftaincy titles.
While I refuse to be ‘side-attracted’ by other sextillion achievements of his, I write this to clear some airs on an obscure story being circulated for decades on some cheque that run into millions of Naira.
Chief MKO Abiola was understandably a very busy person, but whenever he comes around he would sit with his people in his residences either in his hometown or Lagos, listens to their pleas and renders assistances [mostly financial] and issues cheques to cover whatever cost needed by them.
The story is thus told that there was a time he came around – I think it’s either his Lagos or hometown residence and people flooded his place as usual – and he started listening to people, seeing evidences for other special situations aside hungers, issuing cheques and all that. He is said to have started this cheques-giving from morning till evening. He is said to have issued nothing less than 10 cheque-books with different amounts. This obviously amounted to millions of Naira. By evening, one of the people with him was said to have grumbled, coughed or outright uttered some words to register his discomfort at such a display or extravagancy. MKO reportedly turned to him and told him that all the money he had been issuing from morning can be liken to someone taking a cupful of water from Okun [sea]. This is an analogy he used to refer to the money since been issued and his level of opulence.
Sometimes in 2017 while I was serving my internship in Osun State Broadcasting Corporation [OSBC], Alhaji Tajudeen resuscitated this narration in one of discussions in the television newsroom and even mentioned someone who was actually there when the late Bashorun MKO Abiola reportedly said it. That was new to me, I mean having the witness part.
However, this story – as simply as it is – has continued to be circulated with additions and subtractions tilting toward grading and degrading MKO. This is a part I actually find mystifying. Which one is being twisted here: money spree or his utterances? And conspirators still go the extra length to give the millions spent a number – something even MKO didn’t know!
Some say Bashorun allegedly uttered such words at the height of pride, some say he wanted to wow his audience, some say he farcify more I should be excuse from saying and some say things I don’t even know. But over and over I recall the story and wonder what is obscure about it.
Till date I am still wondering.
[c] Jimoh Taofik Adekunle
February 23, 2021
Phone: 08144510532
Gmail: deskofinsanity96@gmail.com
