Anybody Can Fall, Stop the Mockery!
By Dayo Omoogun FB
The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu had a misstep leading to a fall on Wednesday June 12, 2024 during the Democracy Day parade at the Eagle Square. Unfortunately this has made him a butt of jokes for several people, including many who should know better, both on and off social media.
I think this is unfortunate and puts a question mark on our values and humanity.
The attempt to link his fall to his perceived poor health is pedestrian and spurious because people fall everyday – young, old, healthy, unhealthy, men, women, boys, girls, elites, commoners , rich, poor and so on. Or to say that he is paying for his sins or that it is karma at work is even more childish, to say the least. On just one occasion, President Biden of America misstepped twice or thrice , fell and got up. President Modi of India on one occasion fell too. Several celebrities including our own Denrele Edun and Burna Boy, and other internationally acclaimed superstars like Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Madonna
have also fallen on stage at one time or the other.
By the way, people experience different kinds of falls everyday- financial falls, career falls, relationship/marriage falls, emotional falls etc which can have very devastating and long lasting effects than physical falls.
As much as possible let’s face the issues and leave out hatred for persons who step up to the plate to lead. If you have led a small group before, in fact even a small Whatsapp group, you will appreciate how even your best intentions turn out misinterpreted and unappreciated. This does not amount to holding brief for failures, though. We will continue to raise relevant issues but I refuse to join in wishing evil on leaders or mocking their physical frailties. I once held this position concerning Buhari when he was in office in spite of the fact that he is one of the worst Presidents we have ever had in terms of performance and we kept saying so even when he was in office.
It is so good to know that the two leading opposition figures, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, have chosen the high road of empathy and support as worthy examples to their followers.
Finally, stop mocking people over sickness, frailties and such like. It could happen to anybody.
I remember when former President Olusegun Obasanjo fell at a public function (he was no longer in office) and rather than show empathy , a newspaper publisher who is now late (died at 58 some 3 years ago) took it upon himself like a life assignment to drag and mock him at every opportunity. Today that Obasanjo is still alive and kicking, knocking 90 or thereabouts while his mocker is dead.
Jfworld 