Yeah, if people will choose to remember there will always be a tomorrow, our world might be a bed of roses. But then, there’s no gainsaying the fact that man is the most gifted of all animals. However, he conveniently chooses to forget the gifts when it suits him.
There was once a man who lived on these shores. He was probably the harbinger of modern journalism. He had a very great future awaiting him if life had not been gruesomely snuffed out of him one beautiful Sunday morning!
Dele Giwa was killed!
A truly revolutionary soldier once became head of state of a West African country. He never went about with security details. He had great plans for his country. He was friends with revolutionary elements throughout the world, especially in Africa. But he was assassinated.
There lies Thomas Sankara!
Even before then, there was a man in Congo who saw beyond the tricks of the colonialists. He made the latter uncomfortable. When they saw he had become a thorn in their flesh. They murdered him.
There goes Patrice Lumumba!
We can’t forget the prolific writer. He was a poet, dramatist and environmental activist. When the Nigerian government headed by the goggled one saw he wouldn’t yield, they had him murdered.
That was Kenule Saro-Wiwa!
Just before then, a man had committed class suicide. Despite his billions, he chose to identify with the common people. He gave the have nots hope. He was elected president but he ruled only over his prison cell in Abuja. He was murdered on the eve of his release.
Basorun MKO Abiola!
There was another journalist who was plying his trade with The Washington Post. He was a thorn on the flesh of the repressive Saudi monarchy.He went into the Saudi embassy in Turkey. However, he was a marked man. He never came out alive. Neither was his body found.
That was Jamal Khashoggi!
What beats my imagination is the fact that their killers would always have some crazy justification. When one looks at all the misdeeds of men to their fellow men one can’t but have an impression:
There would certainly be a lot of gnashing of teeth on judgement day!!!
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