The remains of Madam Maria Taiwo Abati, mother of Reuben Abati, were buried at the cemetery of the St. John Anglican Church in Abeokuta yesterday, with the ceremony attracting important dignitaries from all over the country.
But no less significant was the lesson in decorum that host governor, Ibikunle Amosun tried to impart on his predecessor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
Amosun was provoked to play the decorum teacher when he noticed that his predecessor had packed the church hall with tens of noisy supporters decked in the uniform adopted for the burial ceremony. The noisy supporters appeared to have unnerved Amosun.
When it was his time to address the congregation, he seized the moment to advise Daniel to stop playing politics inside the Church, an abode of God.
Signs of imminent trouble were easily decoded when Amosun failed to recognise Daniel’s presence in the church. He also scolded Reuben Abati for allowing politics to be played at his mother’s funeral.
Amosun was said to have been disgusted at the loud ovation that greeted the introduction of Daniel earlier in the church.
Amosun told his predecessor to move to the market place or streets to test his popularity and respect the church of the Lord, warning that such attitude would never be condoned at any prayer centre in the State.
Amosun wondered why politicians have turned the house of God into a campaign ground.
The governor charged the clergy to always use the advantage of the pulpit to educate politicians to play their political gimmicks outside the church premises, lamenting that such was not the kind of politics which the late sage bequeathed on South West democrats.
“I have listened to the sermon of the Presiding Bishop, EmmanuelAdekunle; when I was called here, I saw that our people were clapping, but I didn’t know that Reuben has become a politician because I discovered that there are some politics going on here.
“This is the first place in Nigeria where we have the first church and the first Bible, so we should do everything to keep that proud legacy.
Churches are not where we turn to campaign ground, this is Ogun State.
Popularity is tested not inside the church but on the streets, in the market where the masses are.
“Coming to church where people clap; it is not of Ogun standard; this is Ogun State, we should not do that here. In the days of the late sage, I know he would not come to the church and ask members of the congregation to start clapping. Again, Late Papa Awolowo would not come here and inscribe his names all over the church properties”,
Amosun posited.
Earlier in his sermon, the Presiding Bishop, Emmanuel Adekunle had passionately appealed to government and others in position of authority to ensure that political office seekers present their certificate of psychiatric fitness before being allowed to vie for any position in the country.
Th Cleric urged both INEC as well as already elected politicians to compulsorily make their appointees undergo medical examinations to include psychiatric test before they are allowed to assume office.
“They are not representing us well; and I want to beg those in authority, especially in INEC. If any of them wants to contest any political office, let it be included in the requirement that they must submit their medical reports to ascertain if they are mentally alright to hold such offices”.
President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented at the event charged mothers across the country to provide good tutelage for their children to ensure an orderly and peaceful society.
Jonathan, who was represented at the occasion by his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe lamented that the lack of good upbringing on the part of mothers was responsible for all the vices currently being experienced in Nigeria.
The President described the deceased, Madam Taiwo Abati as an epitome of the desired motherhood as evident in Reuben.
“The Bible says, ‘by their fruit we shall know them’ and Reuben is the fruit of mama. He clearly tells us who mama was, not just what I read in the biography because people can make up stories and put in biography.
“ Looking at the biography, I saw that she didn’t just produce an intellectual who later turned a journalist, she produced a Geologist; produced a Chartered Accountant; produced Civil Servants that showed how much dedication to family lives and upbringing of children, which is the primary responsibility of parents, which is a responsibility that parents are failing today, responsible for crime and all sorts of social ills that bedevil our country. To me, she has led a life of example,she has led a life that needs to be emulated”, Jonathan said.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion included Mr Umar Sanni, who represented the Vice President, the former Secretary General of the United Nation, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Mr. Tunde Lemo, Deputy Governor of Central Bank, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, serving and former Senators including Iyiola Omisore among others.
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