The title of this piece was inspired by a young artist who is currently enjoying a meteoric rise to fame after releasing a well-received track – Zazoo Zeh. Portable, the Zazoo crooner had a toilsome upbringing in the slums of Sango, Ogun state but that wasn’t enough to impede his stride to limelight.
Like a diamond that is gathering dusts in the dirt, waiting for someone to unearth and polish its charm; Portable was picked up by one Kogbagidi who introduced him to the crème de la crème in the country’s entertainment industry. Portable fame swelled within a short spell when he started sharing stages with pantheon of Nigerian music stars.
In one of those concerts, he was bided to perform his latest single alongside rapper Olamide and Poco Lee. No sooner had Portable stepped out to perform than the venue erupted with deafening ovation and cheers. Everybody was swayed by the singer’s synchronised dance moves, the deftness with which he delivered his stage craft and his comical appearance that reminds one of his prosaic lifestyle.
The award winning show host, Wizkid couldn’t resist the spellbound performance of the budding star as he sprayed the singer some crisp dollar notes, which Portable later claimed to be a total of 3,000 dollars. Poco Lee (Weere onijo) assigned himself the task of picking up the notes as the Zazoo crooner concentrated on entertaining the crowd.
At the end of the show, a physically annoyed Portable went on social media to allege Poco Lee of handing him only a paltry $600 out of the $3000 that Wizkid ‘blessed’ him with. He felt cheated by a person he had trusted. He couldn’t help it. He threatened, ranted and boasted to deal with the man who stole his money. In the middle of the recorded clip, he uttered a phrase which carries the actual weight of his disappointment: “Ah, Poco Lee, you no show love o, you no show love at all.”
Granted a big platform and a piece of camera, many Ogbomoso indigenes would find the same phrase appropriate in showing their displeasure at Governor Seyi Makinde who deliberately chose not to physically identify with them on the passing of their revered Monarch, Oba Oyewumi Ajagungbade.
Death is not a loss. It is more than that. Loss can be temporary. A loss can come back even in multiple folds, but a dead person is gone for good. Death is grief. It is permanent. It leaves a huge scar in the heart. To accelerate the healing of the scar, one must have the assurance of the care of others. One must feel the far-reaching hands of love and kindness by people from far and wide, especially those who had been in contact with the demised when alive.
Oba Ajagungbade, an illustrious king who made astronomical fortune as a shrewd merchant in the tropical city of Jos in early 70s died on December 12, 2021 and was buried same day. Also, a Fidau prayer was organized a week after. In all of these, Gov. Makinde was conspicuously absent.
It is not lost on me that attending an Oba’s funeral is not listed anywhere as an official duty of a governor. So, it would have been logical to cut him some slack, if he only attends to official responsibilities without stepping at social functions at all. But the governor is a perennial face at sports grounds, luncheons, wedding receptions and a host of other social events. Then, why does he take a back seat when it comes to identifying with the bereaved?
It’s not the first time the governor would shy away from a visit like this. When Abiola Ajimobi, his predecessor passed on, he sat back as well. His deputy is invariably considered as the best fit for such outing. One tends to ask the reason behind Makinde’s stoic disposition to grief. Does the governor lack the coping mechanism needed to resist the outburst of emotions at mourning scenes or his character stems from deep-seated disdain for the dead? Taiwo Adisa, the governor’s media chief owes us an explanation on this.
A few days ago, the governor was a guest at an elaborate wedding reception in Ilorin which is just a 20-minute drive from Ogbomoso. Still, the governor did not consider a stop-over at the Soun palace. Has Engr. Makinde lost consciousness of the regard that such a visit holds in this part of the world? Is the governor not in tune with the cultural nuances of the people he leads? Even his counterpart in Kwara state was among the first callers at the palace – just as courtesy demands.
It is shameful that the governor would hurriedly rush his campaign train to Ogbomoso if opportunity presents itself again. Maybe, then, the indigenes of the valiant city would openly express their displeasure in the exact words and rage of the Zazoo crooner: Your Excellency, you no show love o, you no show love at all.
Dele Oluwanishola writes from Ibadan via deleoluwanishola@gmail.com
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