S. M. Afolabi: When death is not enough
By Steve Nwosu [ e-mail: styveng@yahoo.co.uk]
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

The news of the death of Chief Sunday Afolabi did not really come as a surprise to me. I am also sure it would not have surprised anybody who has been following the developments since the former Minister of Internal Affairs was picked up in connection with the $242 million National Identity Card scam. When a man of 70 begins to fall in and out of coma, then death begins to figure in the calculations. It is even worse when there is cause to believe that the old man was not getting the best treatment possible.
But that was not all that the former PDM chieftain had going against him. He was said to be battling with a kidney condition that had claimed the lives of even younger and more energetic people. Yes, the family may have had all the money that was required to both purchase a kidney donor and pay the best surgeons in the world for the transplant. But what was the chance of a septuagenarian surviving a kidney transplant? Medical experts insist that the records are not encouraging. And so, Afolabi was given up for dead even before any genuine effort had been made to save his life.
There had been talks about how an Osun State delegation that had journeyed to Abuja to plead his cause had met with rebuff; of how the family had met with stumbling blocks as they made effort to transfer him to the National Hospital in Abuja – and later, of how his alleged involvement in the National ID card scam had delayed flying him abroad for proper treatment.
So, what killed S.M. Afolabi? Don’t tell me anything about complications arising from a kidney condition. The doctors might believe that, but those of us who know that there is more to a man than the physical also know that a large part of what happens to the physical man is determined by his mental/spiritual environment.
But that is the farthest I would want to go on this topic of the relationship between the physical and the metaphysical - or else the Gabriel Okunzuas of this world would start demanding for the qualifications that emboldened me to venture into a field reserved for men (and women) with the proverbial third eye. But I will guess, all the same.
However, what I am trying to say is largely speculative. And it bears a close semblance to what one African teammate of our own Wilson Oruma, in France, recently said of the exploits of the former Golden Eaglets skipper’s exploit in the French Championat. If Nigeria had taken Oruma to the last Nations Cup in Tunisia, the Sochaux player reportedly said, Nigeria would have won the cup.
But Oruma was not in Tunisia. And we did not win. And the "ifs" continue…
If Afolabi had not been picked up for his alleged role in the national ID card scam, he probably would still be alive today. If he had not gone through the jolt and privations of detention, his weak kidney might not have given way so soon. If his passport was not impounded, he probably would have since been able to fly himself abroad for medical check-up without necessarily coming back as a cargo – as it is now certain he would.
It is the same "ifs" that greeted the death, in detention, of Hon. Morris Ibekwe – who, none of us knew was both asthmatic and diabetic. The same fears are now being raised over Chief Emmanuel Nwude. I hope we would not have cause to come back to these "ifs" in this case.
Back to S.M. Afolabi, however, there was also the talk that it was politically correct to allow Afolabi to die. At least, that would take some heat off the inquiry into what happened to the billions of naira sunk into the national ID card scheme and scam. Besides, too many people seem to be in possession of implicating documents of how the last (April 19) general elections were won and lost. With all the unguarded talk about "come-and-eat," there was little guarantee that the media would not, in the nearest future, be rewarded with another revelation.
But since there is no "nest of killers" within the PDP, nobody could silence anybody. However, it would not be a bad idea, after all, to allow anybody who "chooses to die" to do so – and save all of us unnecessary headache. That probably explains why we were told the ruling party could not help somebody who was central to its wresting of the South-West from the grip of an "overconfident" Alliance for Democracy. Why we were reassured over and over again that the law had to take its course.
Now that Afolabi is dead, however, if we have any regard for the memory of the dead, this is the time to ensure that we follow the ID card scam to its logical conclusion.
What was in this scam that made SM feel so betrayed that he was heart-broken - even before the conclusion of the case? Was it true that he was prevailed upon to cut out something from the allocation to fund any party’s campaign? Is this another case of use-and-dump? Who used SM? Who dumped him? Who killed him? But the painful part of it is that Afolabi has died without giving us our ID cards – except probably for such lucky Nigerians as Nasir El-Rufai who got theirs a few weeks back.
[b]This is one of those instances when I see a lot of reason in our forefathers’ custom of sending off their dead with a few human heads. If we were to be in the glorious past of our empire days, we’d probably have dispatched a few top officials of the ICPC to intercept Afolabi at St. Peter’s gate to bring back our ID cards - and, if possible, retrieve the former minister’s share of the alleged $242 million scam. For, with all that money, he’d still be able to get a good laugh at our dear old Cicero. He’d have something he can show his former boss – something Ige had failed to "come and eat" when he was busy abusing the government that invited him to dinner. But that is too late now.
And now, to the soul-searching questions: When are we going to learn that fighting corruption does not begin and end with hounding suspects into jail? That denying detainees their rights is a form of corruption? That bending the rules to ensure that a few undeserving persons are made scapegoats amounts to corrupting the system? And that neglecting our prisons is not just criminal corruption, but dictatorship?[/b]

infact, all those destroyers of Nigeria their death is not enough

another new id card is about to come out

is well:

infact, all those destroyers of Nigeria their death is not enough

bros what shall we do then if not enough?

This is one of those instances when I see a lot of reason in our forefathers’ custom of sending off their dead with a few human heads. If we were to be in the glorious past of our empire days, we’d probably have dispatched a few top officials of the ICPC to intercept Afolabi at St. Peter’s gate to bring back our ID cards - and, if possible, retrieve the former minister’s share of the alleged $242 million scam. For, with all that money, he’d still be able to get a good laugh at our dear old Cicero. He’d have something he can show his former boss – something Ige had failed to "come and eat" when he was busy abusing the government that invited him to dinner. But that is too late now.
And now, to the soul-searching questions: When are we going to learn that fighting corruption does not begin and end with hounding suspects into jail? That denying detainees their rights is a form of corruption? That bending the rules to ensure that a few undeserving persons are made scapegoats amounts to corrupting the system? And that neglecting our prisons is not just criminal corruption, but dictatorship?

Good but if Nigeria hopes to see 20% of their stolen money, they should throw human rights into the bush to achieve that. If those men didn't care about the rights of the children they stole their money and denied them good medical care and education, why should we give them their own rights?. May Thief Sunday Afolabi rest in pieces.

vinooh:

bros what shall we do then if not enough?

we gona invite all those big big pastors we get for naija to pray to God to send them back to life they most vomit all those money

Aloy_Emeka:

Good but if Nigeria hopes to see 20% of their stolen money, they should throw human rights into the bush to achieve that. If those men didn't care about the rights of the children they stole their money and denied them good medical care and education, why should we give them their own rights?. May Thief Sunday Afolabi rest in pieces.bros am think we most do something

is well:

we gona invite all those big big pastors we get for naija to pray to God to send them back to life they most vomit all those money

forgate about our big pastors for this one jare if u are talking about jet yaaah

vinooh:

forgate about our big pastors for this one jare if u are talking about jet yaaah

but our Jesus whom they are representing did it ok let us invite alfas for that then

is well:

but our Jesus whom they are representing did it ok let us invite alfas for that then

Alfa alfa hehe u remember wht they told Nigeria when they are invited to pray for our president? forgate about them on this matter