Life without MKO

For some strange reasons, I can’t seem to be able to forget Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the President Nigerians voted into office but never got into office. Small innocuous events bring back memories of MKO. Last week was one of such occasions!
I don’t know about you, but one of the reasons I voted for MKO was his promise to fight for reparations for African slaves who were sold into slavery centuries ago. Like everything MKO did, or did not do, there were indications that the Chief meant business. He had laid a solid foundation for the fight even before he became President that he never was. I knew he was going to succeed – or give a good fight - even if he failed! Just like my vote, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, died and was buried with that dream!

So when the British Government publicly rendered an unreserved apology to those children who were sent to Australia nearly five decades ago, I wept, not for those children but for MKO. I wept because those millions of African slaves got a rougher deal than the British children sent to Australia. I wept because the slave trade contributed in no small measure to the perpetual under-development of Africa. I believe that if he was allowed to be our President, African slaves and their descendants would have received more than an apology from those who had nothing better to do with their time and resources than buy and sell fellow human beings! Not to worry because the cosmic has a way of fighting for the hapless.

I am not complaining, but I sure miss MKO.

Tata, everybody

Napoleon