I am not in the required
psychological field to undertake this filial responsibility. It is
filial, having travailed and traversed the same Ivory Tower, same
Faculty, the same course of study, the same hostel and under the same
roof with the enigma, I am writing about in question for good four
years.
Conspicuously, It would be unpardonable to let the
accompanied the dehumanizing trauma of the #Dasukigate to prevent me
from doing the needful.
Among the Yoruba in South West Nigeria,
it is often said that “oju l’oba ara” which roughly translates to mean
that ‘the eyes play the kingly roles in bodily affairs.’ This adage
presupposes that without eyes, one is doomed or destined for doomsday.
Thus, eyes rightly so, are guarded jealously.
It is against this
background that I consider it prudent and imperatively befitting to
salute the courage, candour, resilience, doggedness, self fulfilling
prophesy, perseverance, and above all, the never- say- die attitude of
the eponymous enigma a buddy of mine who is afflicted with blindness.
When
I first met him, friendship was the least of my preoccupation, at best,
we could only be nodding acquaintances. But he proved me wrong. I now
agree wit scientists who have repeatedly revealed that once of the main
body organs is defective, others will be more active.
But Ibro’s own has some modicum of mystery. If you think, I am being hyperbolic, reach out to him and controvert my assertion.
He
has an inchoate knowledge of all the topics of human endeavours. Be it
Sport, Politics, Geography, Sociology, and Entertainment. He can wax all
the King Saidi Osupa’s songs with mercurial accuracy and acapella
style. In sport, I once teased him to consult for Sports Aficionado,
especially, the Naira Bet subscribers. He has a Catholic taste that is
ingeniously unparalleled.
When I noticed the telltale signs of
non-inclusiveness in our Faculty politics, which was the bane of people
living with disability in Nigeria, I prodded him to test the waters. I
was dazed and dazzled by his response. He went into the race, eyed a
seat at the Students’ Senate, and subsequently, won the election to
represent his class.
It was widely, expectedly, but erroneously
rumoured that he won the keenly contested election based on the
collective sympathies due to his disability. I almost subscribed to the
erroneous sentiment. Again, he later proved me and others wrong.
Dissatisfied with the low contents, and lack of finesse at the supposed
hallowed chambers, he shared his dream with me to travel abroad to
participate in the simulation of the United Nation General Assembly
Model United Conference, with the intent to broaden his intellectual
horizon and imbibe some parliamentary skills. As usual, I had some
misgivings, principally, because of financial costs. On a second
thought, I nodded in assent, after all, adventure is an integral part of
education.
Lo and behold, not only did he travel to Germany for
the conference successfully, he has since visited and participated in
other high-powered international conferences. He is ever ready to go the
extra mile to break new grounds, and nothing is like gold dust for him.
Those that were looking at him from afar did not know that he has gone
far. In spite of his ambitious adventures, his grades never flailed, not
even in the most dreaded ‘Company Law.’
His journalistic
instinct and prowess were brought to bear when he authored a book titled
“My Viewpoint”. At the launch of the said book were eminent Nigerians,
including Barrister Taiwo Taiwo as he then was, Engr Yinka Odumakinde of
Impact Your World, Mr Elijah of the English Department UNILAG, etc.
This feat sent shockwaves across boards that Ibro, though, he is somehow
limited by his eyelessness, but his vision is intact.
Very intact.
History
was made on the 16th of December, 2015 at the call to bar ceremony in
Abuja when the Special Award, donated by the bluestocking no-nonsense
Life Bencher, Hairat Balogun SAN was meritoriously given to him.
Unarguably,
he went to Law School as a star and came out as a superstar. It is
important to add that he was not the only blind student that was called
to the bar this year.
From my intimate fraternity with him, he
appears indebted to Bar Wale Oreshade and Dr Abiola Sanni. The duo were
in loco parentis. Ibro, as you navigate in the vagaries of human
existence, It is my earnest prayer that you will not seize to be an
epitome of inspiration.