By Obafemi Babajide
It is no longer news that the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello lost his mum on the 15th of March 2020. It shouldn’t be news either that she died at a very ripe age of 101 with a heated controversy after calculating and deducting Bello’s age [which is currently at 44] from his mums own.
A lot of people were quick in stating with bold optimism, how impossible it will be for a 57-year-old woman to mother a baby. Without much ado, if you know, believe in miracles, if you have been caught in the web of some mysterious circumstances, you might not take a deep breath before accepting the possibility of this birth.
Without necessarily being too defensive, I have seen cases of women who took in after reaching the menopause age, some of those women never needed to even give birth to any child again because they already have many. I have also seen where miraculously, women in their sixties and seventies conceive after a very long wait, to the total deferment of all medical proves.
As if he had known what was in contention for him, Bello had said it severally, that he was born in a mysterious circumstance and way, he often brags about this before now. His parent had put a stop to child-bearing, so, he was an unexpected but welcome visitor during the time of his conception and birth.
Finally, it shouldn’t be in contention either Bello’s mum is 101 or not, either should Bello’s age be in contention too because no one has any record to prove that Yahaya Bello falsified is age. With all facts laid bare, with serious semblance and the camaraderie amongst Bello and his siblings, it is not contestable that Alhaja Hauwa Bello is Gov. Yahaya Adoza Bello’s Mum.
A cue that should be taken here is the love that existed between mother and son. Another one is how much the young governor adored his mum and how much care he showered her to the point of her death.
It is however evident, that almost all her prayers for Bello her pet son, if not all, came to pass in her lifetime. That you believe this should either be a debate for another day or just allow it slide as usual.
While details of her illness and death were sketchy, one thing that caught the fancy of so many people is the quick organisation of her burial according to Islamic rights and the crowd of minent personality and Nigerians that came to commiserate with Bello and those who also came for the 3 days Fidau prayers at her Agaza village in Okene, the central senatorial district of Kogi State.
Needlessly to say, to the envy of good mothers all over Nigeria, Yahaya Bello’s Mum died a good death. To an average mother, a good death is when you not only died at a very old age, but you died being fulfilled that your children are doing very well, you were shown maximum care and you were giving a befitting burial.
Except for a few exceptional cases of bad mothers here and there, a lot of mothers wants to see their grandchildren and great-grandchildren surround them, is taking around the world in a grand style and most likely, not have the cause to bury any of her children during the cause of her living. To them, all these constitute that parlance, “eating the fruit of your labour”.
Without mincing words and being unnecessarily petty, Yahaya Bello’s mother enjoyed almost all of these, except maybe one. Can one change the hands of destiny? Maybe not.
From the day she gave up the ghost and was announced, eminent Nigerians thronged the corridors of Kogi government house and even go as far as Bello’s home village in Okene to commiserate with him.
Visitors like the Senate President, Ministers, Senators and Commissioners were not left behind in the roll call of those who came to commiserate and those who were there for the 3 days prayers. President Muhammadu Buhari who is Gov. Bello’s adopted father and political godfather was ably represented.
Gov. Bello’s mother’s death and the calibres of those who stood for him in his period of grieve further emphasised that Bello is not a lone-ranger in Nigeria politics, doubt his political strength at your own risk.
It is a fact that not every one of us will become president, governor, minister or commissioners special aides and envoys, success sometimes might not be measured in that respect. We have ordinary citizens who will pull a stronger weight than what a governor will do, we have some who are kingmakers and consultant to governments. Whichever way you measure success, every mother’s wish is to have successful children who will not only reward their labour but also give them a befitting burial like Gov. Yahaya Adoza Bello did to his darling Mum.
Obafemi writes from “Igbo Oka” in Ekinrin-Adde.
