A Fair Ode To Senator Buruji Kashamu

Posted by African Examiner Akintokunbo A Adejumo, Articles/Opinion, Columnists, Featured Contributors/Columnists, Latest Headlines Wednesday, August 12th, 2020

Akintokunbo A Adejumo (akinadejum@aol.com)

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The late Senator Buruji Kashamu was allegedly wanted in the US for drug offences, including trafficking, selling, etc. It was never proved and he was never found guilty. If fact, it appeared he never appeared in any court, here in Nigeria or the US.

(According to a friend of mine, “the late Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was NOT ALLEGEDLY wanted in the US. He was wanted under the extradition treaty. He was taken to the Nigerian courts but managed to manoeuvre the corrupt Nigerian court system. If Ibori was discharged of all charges in Nigeria but convicted for the same type of offences in the UK, we know exactly what happened. Sources of wealth are always traceable. Buruji was from drug trafficking. When a former president says that, you better believe him”). I cannot contest this.

In Nigeria, he became a Senator and a big and renowned politician through his gruff and brash attitude and worked his way in as a federal lawmaker. Good for him. I learnt he did very well for his people at my Mum’s and his hometown of Ìjẹ̀bú Igbó, which explains the multitude at his funeral.

He was never accused of corruption, that I know, but we know that in that their so-called Hallowed Chamber, it was a nest of dubious, corrupt and greedy men and women, whose sole aim of being there is not to serve the people who elected them and their country, Nigeria, but to partake in avaricious acquisition of our commonwealth for their personal benefit and use. Maybe it was because of his membership of that infamous house that we’ve labelled Mr Kashamu as corrupt.

However, the whiff of being wanted in the US hung around Buruji Kashamu till he died.

The fact that his given name, Ẹ̀shọ́ Jinadu, was hardly used by him in politics, cast aspersions on his credibility and sincerity as a person and as a politician. Another friend has corrected me that the late Senator’s given names are Mushafau Shodipe, and that his other family members answer to the surname, Shodipe, Kashamu was coined from his father’s Nick name who once worked as a court bailiff. Well, what do I know?

As we always say, only his God can judge him. But history will sure have something to say about him for posterity. May his soul rest in perfect peace!”

After all they are all thieves. As stated by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Buruji used his political involvement to stop extradition to the US. That means he is not as daft as some of us think. Wish we can get better sets of law makers in Nigeria

Let him Rest in Peace. As far as many Nigerians are concerned, the late senator, was innocent until proven guilty at the court of the law and our prayers should go out to the family he left behind.

Whatever anyone says now does not matter as he has judgement only with his creator. Whether rightly or wrongly, he has lived his life as he wished and has got off his “bus stop”. Remember folks, with or without you, life continues. We will all get off someday when we get to our life’s “bus stop”.

The aspect pertaining to his real name, Esho Jinadu should have been addressed by relevant authorities. In saner climes, he wouldn’t be roaming around freely with such allegation hanging around his neck, talk less of being at the helms of national affairs.

Who is perfect? Looters of our common wealth, drug cartels…. He has done so well for his community, that I will say and attest to.

Only God can discern a man’s heart. No amount of prayer or sacrifice can change Jinadu’s destiny now. I pray he had time to repent before his death, because after death is judgement. Let all of us living learn from this and change before death comes knocking for no one knows the hour, the minute or the second.

According to some comments on him, he was innocent, he was Esho Jinadu. He knew and fought extradition for a case he was innocent of, but court records in the UK on or about 2001 indicated that he vehemently denied being Esho Jinadu in an extradition case to the US. Very many of us accuse politicians of beign illiterates, but he became a Senator when he was barely lettered.

Very long way for us to go as a country if we must put things right.

However, Nigerians still have a long way to go, if we can be adding sentiments of, he’s “my home boy” on cases like drug related.

A part of Nigeria is getting loud- that part does not like our current ‘any-how-ness’. Under a normal situation, people who are accused of grave criminality would resign to clear his good name…. Buruji fought his extradition to the US. What was he running from? Nigeria does not lack examples when it comes to ‘criminals’ in power/politics. Ex-convicts, home and abroad have sought and ‘won’ political seats. Enwerem, Salisu Buhari, Ibori, current Kebbi governor, etc. A benevolent thief is still a thief. People are now finding courage/voice to speak of the evil of the dead, very soon they will speak more of those evils, while the dead are still alive. It is getting louder!!

Methinks there has to be a start point. If they failed to reprimand someone in the past does not mean that all criminals should go without reprimand.

Also, why didn’t he resign to fight his extradition? It was the US government that was accusing him, not Nigeria. As far as the FGN is concerned, he hasn’t committed a crime on Nigerian soil. But can a Boris, or Cameron, or Corbyn… be in the same position and hold on to their seats in the UK Parliament? this is part of our ‘any-how-ness’ in Nigeria…. Why would he allow the ‘noise’ and dirt from the allegations to continue to distract him/and the government by sitting tight? On this point, I would say he should have resigned and clear his name. Unfortunately, resignation is not something honourable our public officials find morally right to do.

Another friend, who happened to know the late Senator very well had this story to relate to me, “A few months to the 2019 Elections, after hosting the gubernatorial aspirant of the ADC in Ogun State, Gboyega Nadir Isiaka, I made a post on my Facebook timeline on why GNI is my preferred candidate.

Three days later, I got a call from one of Kashamu’s aides, Kashamu was at the other end of the receiver and he requested I see him in Ijebu Igbo the following day. I did. He questioned my decision and I told him it’s my decision and that I have no electoral value. He insisted I must support him and I told him No! When I was leaving, he gave me an envelope and souvenirs; in the envelope was N200K and the souvenirs contained 12 packets (144 pieces) of branded note books. He loves and respect people who are not YES-men”.

Note that I am not defending Buruji. In fact, I detest his presence in Nigerian politics, but then how many people in Nigerian do I have the capacity to detest? Too many. Buruji was just one of them, and we just have to live with them for now, as it seems the people really have no say in the positions they crookedly, and most times, viciously fought to attain, and find means of not letting their types get to lead us in the very nearest future.

Way back some years ago, when Buruji landed on the political scene of Nigeria, I was one of his most prominent and vocal critics on social media. One day, an unknown man managed to get my telephone number, probably from Facebook, and called me in the UK from Nigeria. He told me “Bros, I like you very much even though I have never met you, but I read your posts and comments on Facebook, and that’s why I sought out your number to call you. I am one of Buruji’s men and we’re very loyal to him, and some of us will do anything for him, because he treats us well, but Bros, please and please, don’t post anything about Buruji or criticise him anymore. Some of our guys can search you out and beat you up or do worse.”

I thanked him, and since that day, I stopped any post, criticism and comments about the late Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Many times, when I had to travel to Ijebu Igbo, his hometown, I ensure I stay clear of his house, despite the fact that I know he doesn’t know me or even have heard of me. I was even at a party at his event centre in the town, and he was in attendance, I maintained a low profile.

He’s gone from us now, and the rest is for his Creator to judge.

May God forgive his sin and grant him paradise Amin. May Allah SWT grant him Aljanah Firdaous. Aameen.