The death of every man is a reminder above all of our own ultimate fate, of our own vulnerability, that we are fragile with only a tenuous grip on life. The circumstance of this death is all the more harrowing because covid 19 is implicated. We have all lost friends, brothers and nieghbours to it. No one wins from another mortals duel with this pernicious enemy of mankind. There is no doubt that when the history of the fateful struggle to wrest power from our military and enthrone democracy is written Yinka Odumakin will have an assured place.
What strikes one about Odumakin is, whilst it was easier to take the popular road and attain power and hold positions of authority in this dispensation given his pedigree, he embraced the lonely road of the gadfly, he chose to walk the thorny part. It was clear at the time of his death he was not heading for any political office any time soon inspite of his colourful presence in and around our political scene albeit with a heavy ethnic slant.
Paulo Coelho points out that there are special favors reserved for the man who embraces the logic and consequence of his convictions without thought of personal benefit or gain. It is true that there was a special acerbity to Odumakin’s public political fueds with several political leaders. It may be that his engagements would have benefitted from a little more polish, a little more guile. But the same thing can be said of most of our politicians.
May his soul rest in perfect peace and may his memory be a blessing to those he left behind.
Ositheame AGIODE
Lagos, Nigeria
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