By;
Dr. Abdulkareem ONAKOYA (PhD, FNIMC), 08026621805.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been laid to rest today, January 1st, 2022 in his country home, Cape Town, South Africa amidst tears despite his old age – 90.
The life and struggles of the Pan-Africanist were not just a point of reference to all in the affairs of justice, good governance and freedom, but also a better offer to the community of leaders who have the interests of the people at heart.
The man fought tooth and nail on the pulpit and in the streets for the masses he died for. Born in 1931 into a poor family in Cape Town, he saw the injustice meted to the blacks and the poor in the community of the black populace.
He took his voice across the continent to where injustice and sufferings of the poor took the center stage. Places like the Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan etc and registered his displeasure over various kinds of indescribable conditions people go through.
He had opportunities of vying for political positions but declined all calls and rather faced his divine callings to liberate the poor and fight against injustice.
He fought for the release of the late Nelson Mandela and eventually got it, though with the support of others. He lured him into the presidency and never got an eye on the seat as other African leaders would have bidded for. He maintained his lane.
Nigerian leaders and freedom fighters could also have got this accolades if not for our blind efforts to stand by our words.
His ill health should have impeded his activities but he didn’t allow it happened. He battled with cancer for about 23 years and the fight was on.
Known for his ‘loud laughter’ and frank words, he was a dogged fighter with his head bent on seeing the poor happy and mentally okay.
There are millions of Desmond Tutu in Nigeria. Most of them end their struggles at the bait of political positions and flimsy offers forgetting what they stood for.
He allowed the pulpit to be a platform where the truth would be reeled out to the people and the message of hope would be disseminated to the down trodden.
Our own churches and mosques have been turned into negotiating tables where a lot of things exchange hands not limited to money and illicit deals.
He never allowed himself to be swayed away by the mere tricks of the political class. He stood his grounds at all times.
Winning the Nobel Laureate of the world peace in 1984 for his role in the opposition to apartheid in South Africa, he lent his voice for the freedom of the black world against the poor treatments, killings and corruption which have ravaged the African continent.
Let our leaders in Nigeria give us a vein of the bloodline in Desmond Tutu and see us out of this bewildering socio-economic den we are in.
What it takes is nothing other than selflessness, empathy, honesty, goodness, real-love and straightforwardness.
LET US REAWAKE THE DESMOND TUTU IN US.