IT’S A FRIEND’S WORLD I DON’T UNDERSTAND

Maigari...beware the ides of March

Aminu Maigari is a Fulani man. My best friend as a player in the early 80s when I was adorning the jersey of Zabgai of Bauchi remains a Fulani shepherd, Rabiu Toro. He once told me in a private moment, many of which we shared that: “kindness is a burden. Never be kind. Pick up a bee out of kindness and learn the limitation of kindness”. This was a lesson way back in 1984.

Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo did gave his followers instructions that: “only the deep calleth unto the deep.”

A QUICK DETOUR. I started playing in the national handball team in 1979 as a class three secondary school student. By 1984, having been shuttling the senior national teams as a junior, I will have this particular injury three days to an international departure.

My Fulani friend, Mallam Rabiu Toro, (he died at 82 years in 2008) warned me: “Your friends are your biggest enemies. It’s your enemies you need not your friends”.  He told me the “common” things I needed to do when next I return to the national team which I did and I got a different result. Weeks later, I got my jersey back.

In my last visit to Toro, his village in Bauchi State, he volunteered: “who needs an old friend? An old friend served a purpose. That ends it. Search and show me a pauper who is a friend to a rich man, or a fool that is friend to a wise man, or a coward who is friend to a brave man.”

For long minutes I could not answer him. He broke the silence as it is now usual. “I am an old friend you kept for about 25 years because there are things we share. That is the purpose. You have become so rich materially and in other statures, never keep friends who have no good purpose.”

He told me of a certain friend of his who became governor of Bauchi State. Twice, fate brought them together and all he got was greetings. Before he became governor, he frequents his place so well. I felt bad. I was going to use my influence as a journalist to reach my friend’s friend who is not grateful. My Fulani friend laughed: “He needs new friends because old friends will burden him”

“Honesty never strengthens friendship. Never keep friends for work purposes. Keep your friends out of your work place. Never employ a friend for the sake of sympathy because he or she is suffering and you want to help them. Employ ONLY the competent and skillfull not your friends. Friends and ingratitude are the same.”

He continued, “employ the unlikely enemy who has everything to prove as your friend has nothing to prove to you. For every enemy you make a friend, you become so strong. Enemies keep you focused, alert and working hard to get to your destiny.  The wise profits from enemies than a fool from his friends.”

I was richly fed. I returned to Abuja from Toro so happy and fulfilled. Three days later, his daughter, Aminata (so I proudly hail her) called from her GSM phone to say “your friend is dead. He was buried yesterday evening according to Islamic rites. He died in his sleep.”

THE OBJECT:

Uhm! I Presage, Aminu Maigari, the King who rules the empire called Nigerian football, can someone tell him to BEWARE OF THE IDES OF MARCH. The figure three. There are three “friends” in his court. He sleeps with his eyes closed with the three men. The stage is well set. He will, if he does not beware end up with a loud but shrill scream: ”et tu Brutus!” because his McBeth is set to die by the prodding of a woman who will deliver the McDuff plate. It’s a friend’s world which I don’t understand but my enemies’ world is the one I know.