Leadership Redefined at Oshodi

TUNDE AKANNI, PhD

“Now, you have called us to duty. We feel honoured to be so called. We are ready to take this community to the heights. Resources, insha Allah, will not deter us. But I will love to plead with our elders, with due respect, to get ready to buy into new ideas that will reflect global best practices. We may disagree at some point, but our common interest must be constant and that is to develop Oshodi by modernizing the facilities we can all proudly call our own. We are poised to give our best. We beseech Allah to give us all the needed strength and bless same as we embark on our lofty mission. Oshodi is our own, so, we must be ready to develop it on our own rather than concede unnecessarily to charlatans.”

This was Engineer AbdulFatah Odebisi speaking immediately after he was turbanned as Baba Adinni of Oshodi Central Mosque. As a demonstration of his sincerity, Odebisi immediately donated a whopping 10 million Naira. Topping the donation immediately were three of his sons, Ibraheem, Abubakar and Yusuf, who also donated one million Naira each. From the Odebisi household alone, N13 million was raised. Thunderous chorus of Allah Akbar instantly drowned the entire crowd.

Meanwhile, Engineer Odebisi’s soulmate of decades, Barrister Zikrullah Hassan, who was former national president of the Muslim Student Society of Nigeria, MSSN, and retired recently as Chair of the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, had complemented his friend’s donation with another million Naira. While the donations were still being celebrated, Sheikh Thauban Al-Ilory, son of the legendary Islamic scholar, Adam Al-Ilory, pleaded for quietude. Sheikh Thauban had the distinguished pleasure of doing the ceremonial weaving of the turban for Baba Adinni. “I’m not sure many of us here know the real capacity of this new Baba Adinni of Oshodi.” The Sheikh announced to the surprise of many.

He continued: “I have a small story to share here about this great man before tying this turban”. The entire audience became anxious. Thauban cast glances around and wanted to be sure that his story would be heard by all. He then continued: “In the United States of America where this our great brother lives, he has accomplished great feats.” The audience wanted more:  “We should just be prayerful and do all that is possible to keep encouraging him. So, near Philadelphia, recently a church building with multiple adjoining halls was on offer for sale. Who could buy? Who will buy? Our brother stepped forward and bought the vast facilities! E gbOLohun tobi Jamaa!”  Thus came the shouts of “Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar…”

The excitement was total and elicited near interminable celebrations. The Islamic bandiri drumbeats jumped into frenzy with accompanying ecstasy of communal unison. Far from the recurrent louts with seeming larger than life visibility across social media platforms dispensing torrential violence, concerned Oshodi men and women with self proclamation as the best among humans have conceptualized some grand renewal for their community. The task is for all Oshodi folks to implement through and through.  Organized groups of decent men and women like the Ibile Group as well as dignitaries of varying professional inclinations and ranking including businessmen and businesswomen across sectors deemed important enough in Oshodi showed up and promptly. None seemed to be in a hurry, obviously in relish of the spectacle of commitment generously on display by both the honourees and their guests at the special event.  Elderly Adele Oshodi, Alhaji Lukman Mabinuori, sat patiently all through on the high table with Mogaji ile Sule of Oshodi, Baale of Obanikoro Aare Adinni of Oshodi, Alhaji Moroof Akanni Olorunloju, as well as the Grand Mufti of Ilorin, Alhaji Faruq Onikijipa, who was also the guest lecturer of the day.

Highly-revered for his philosophical presentations never devoid of oratorical proficiency for holding audiences spellbound, he explained that titles otherwise known as lakobu for Muslims does not deserve harsh criticism from those who may not subscribe to it. According to him, there were reliable Quranic authorities strong enough to substantiate it as there were prophets with additional nomenclatures with which they were referred to by the Almighty Allah in the Quran. “Our incontrovertible leader, Muhammad, PBUH, for instance, is otherwise known as Al Ameen, earned from his height of transparency in all transactions with everyone he related with domestically and even in the commercial spheres”. The Grand Mufti then concluded that the leadership of the Oshodi Central Mosque should not only be commended for this initiative but also on the irresistible qualities of their choice for the turbanning scheduled to take place during no other month other than the ultra-precious month of Rabiul Awwal in which the best leader of all times, Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, was born in the holiest city of Makkah.

Resplendent in his rendition, Sheikh Onikijipa recalled that when the mosque leadership reached him on this programme and ultimately got him to relate with Engineer Odebisi, he had no iota of doubt that they had made an excellent choice. “Baba accorded me a most appropriate courtesy which registered an impact I will cherish for long”. The guest lecturer went on to add that gracing the turbanning ceremony had further enabled him appreciate better the level of courtesy and politeness he received from Engineer Odebisi on account of the company he keeps. He sought the audience’s understanding to do a public appreciation Barrister Zikrullah Olakunle Hassan, sitting next to Engineer Odebisi for the turbanning. Sheik Onikijipa recalled with relish that Barrister Hassan did him a great honour with a most inspiring official congratulatory message in Hassan’s capacity as the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission, NAHCON, when his appointment as the Grand Mufti of Ilorin was announced.

As a leader with the constant consciousness to be didactic, the Grand Mufti commended Barrister Hassan for steering the leadership of NAHCON with confidence and transparency even as the resources available to him were limited. “We, members of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria cannot thank you enough for doing us proud by representing us so well. What else can we say about Hassan’s successor who did only one operation and has left us to continue to wonder on his choice? Heart congratulations, once again to Barrister Hassan”, the Grand Mufti finally rounded off with special prayers for the honorees of the day and enjoined everyone else to emulate them to earn proper recognition within the Muslim community. Former NAHCON Chair later commended his bossom friend and age-old associate now the Baba Adinni of Oshodi Muslim community for dedicating his life and wealth to the course of Allah. He recounted that it was good enough that Alhaji Odebisi’s roots recognized his activism in Da’wah but that his efforts have since become transcontinental. “These efforts of ibadah today cut across generations as well.  Our good friend and brother was very active and dedicated to the growth of Islam in Nigeria even before he left for the US.  It was not for nothing that he emerged as the first Secretary of NACOMYO. When he relocated to the US, he continued to champion the course of Islam with his life and wealth”.

.Dr. Akanni is an associate professor of journalism at the Lagos State University.

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