KAPOK or WHITE SILK COTTON TREE, popularly called ARABA tree is an intimidating tree in the wild. On it , all manner of birds and reptiles petch to take shelter. Infact, story is told of a lizard that fall from a KAPOK tree and said, “if nobody praises him, he’ll praise himself”!
An ARABA tree if comfortably rooted, can grow right up into the sky as if to kiss the heavens.
In traditional African folklore, ARABA tree is respected as solace tree under whom all manners of creature takes shelter, no wonder, if it falls, it’s celebrated as an anomaly, hence, “igi wo nigbo” chants of dignity.
In the okun political history, many “ARABAIC” personality had emerged and submerged. The likes of late chief Bello Ijumu who wined and dined with Mallam Aminu Kano of pre-1966 NEPU, the late chief Ade John, late chief Sunday Awoniyi, and late chief Silas Daniyan who all dined with sardauna Ahmadu Bello, or perhaps, the RT Alege who dined with Late chief Obafemi Awolowo. Or you want to talk about the later ARABAs like, the Chief kola Jamodu and of recent history, the like of Chief Akomode, Chief Clarence Olafemi, sen. Obasaju, sen. Smart many more I can’t go on to epithetize from the political history of okun.
One KAPOK tree that had stood like the famous Chinese wall or the wall of Gibraltar towering over YAGBA land in terms of human capacity building and philanthropy is ELDER LEKE ABEJIDE, who have not only shown capacity, but have tendered his unreserved passion for humanity. Within the past Five years, he has dominated Yagba political landscape with his style of politicking which is built around developing his nativity. Within four years, he became a referral for analysing political performance.
Is it his educational revolution, through which tears are wiped out from the faces of the defenseless youths that couldn’t further their studies, or his yearly magnanimity to the widows and the aged, or his surreptitious job provisions.
Infact, his system was so mysterious that Gov. Yahaya Bello place him on laboratory table to analyze why he’s fast becoming a cult figure in okun during the last Governorship election.
They borrowed, his political format, for instance, WAEC payment which hitherto the government hated to do, and the humane gifting of widows and the poor foods and Ankara clothing which had become a sort of religious practice by ELDER LEKE ABEJIDE as a re occuring decimal. The Bello goons adopted it to the chagrin of many and it works for them.
However, you can’t attempt to trip a person you can’t catch up with to fall… Hmmm, never!
ELDER LEKE ABEJIDE is a KAPOK tree (ARABA) in Yagba land and the last have not been heard of this ARABA tree under whom many run to for comfort.
Behold, he has departed from where you left him. ELDER LEKE ABEJIDE is on another pedestal or plane. It’s a matter of time before his novel spirit springs forth to announce his novelty ideas and concepts under whom Yagba will run to for comfort as it is with the white silk cotten tree (ARABA TREE).
IRE OOO
@JESSE ABAYOMI OLOKE.
