2ND WEEK MAY (11TH-16TH)

SQUIB DIARY

MONDAY 11TH MAY 2009
The Squib’s out. Cover: - Terrible: Lawyer Dupes Octogenarian?http://www.squibcoverstory.blogspot.com Came to the Lagos High Court for a so-called Town Hall meeting of Judiciary Stake-holders. Billed to start by 9:00a.m, the programme was yet to start even at 10:45a.m. Left in disgust.

TUESDAY 12TH MAY 2009
At about 1.00p.m, left Lagos for Sokoto with about eight other Tigers, for the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the NBA. Our ‘horse’ was the branch bus. Some six and a half hours later, settled for the night at Mokwa, Niger State.

WEDNESDAY 13TH MAY 2009
The Excursion to Sokoto continued. Got occasional sights of exotic looking donkeys and camels, as well as ploughing oxen as we drove on. Of course it was banters moderated with dining, sleeping and wining all the way. But also some sad sights too - the hasty burial of an accident victim, the pathetic case of a donkey run over by a hit and run driver and the meritable(?) sights of alamajeris ( groups of young boys begging for food).
After ten hours on the road, we reached Sokoto eventually at about 5.00p.m. Unfortunately it was a very dry reception we got from the Local Organising Committee. Nobody was on hand to receive the ‘arrivees.’ The welcome cocktail and later party, all turned a sham.
Being wise Tigers, we sought the salvation of our bellies in one amala joint at the Mammy Market, Sokoto.
Trust somebody to know somebody who knows somebody else, through another somebody to know such a den, even at late hours of the day in a strange town.

THURSDAY 14TH MAY 2009
The day breaks so early in Sokoto. As early as 5.50a.m. Did some road work, causing stares from some passers-by.
The L.O.C provided quality but insufficient breakfast. The NEC meeting started to time. 9.00a.m.
About 21/2 hours later, the Governor of the State, Alhaji Wammako came in.
Made purse, and left the lawyers to themselves. In the afternoon, attended the NEC meeting. Trooped to the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto but the crowd was too much for the table of the Sultan who had been wrongly informed that only about a hundred lawyers would be visiting. Saw Alhaji Shehu Sagari, former president of Nigeria at the palace. He is a noble man, high chief of the Sultanate. How quiet, peaceful and dignified the old man looked. Even at 85, he sure looked graceful.
Though no less than two thirds of the crowd of lawyers had to get their lunch some where else, I got myself a seat in the dining hall of the Sultan’s palace. But the Sultan and the good old President Shagari
never knew a gecko was at table with them. The NEC meeting resumed at about 4.30p.m in the evening and lasted till about 7.30p.m. From there it was socials, and for some people, it was a T.D.B affair.

FRIDAY 15TH MAY 2009
Departed Sokoto at about 11.00a.m, for home. Earlier in the morning, in the face of officious and unreasonable behaviour of hotel staff, Tigers employed just one or two revolutionary tactics to retrieve a well deserved breakfast.
After about ten hours on the road the Tigers and their babies of the Ikorodu Bar landed in Abuja around 8.30.pm. While in Zaria some “disgruntled” Tigers insisted on having lunch at an eatery called “Shagalinku”. The place turned out to be nothing special but the Shagalinkuans – Adegbamigbe Omole and Isa Muhammed Buhari had their way.
Later on in the journey both were dragged to the community court of ‘Justice’ Adekunle Ojo, who after listening to arguments from the prosecutor, Yinka Farounbi, convicted the Shagalinkuans. But while Omole got a suspended sentence, Isa Buhari bore the full brunt of the law as he was summarily removed from his post as the Branch Secretary and demoted to the post of the Branch Bus Conductor. Isa gallantly and immediately reported at his duty post. However in an uncommon display of humaneness, Justice Ojo reprieved the obviously penitent Isa, about two hours later.

SATURDAY 16TH MAY 2009
We left Abuja 6.30a.m. Arrived Lagos 5.30p.m. Our ‘run away’ treasurer, the Glo-girl, Gloria Nweze had teamed up with us again, very early in Abuja. The journey to Sokoto ended the way it started - abundance of jokes, arguments, lots of snoozing etc.
Somewhere in Ekiti State, Aramoko precisely, the power to prophesy suddenly fell on the duo of Dave Ajetomobi, Ikeja branch chairman and Adesina Ogunlana, the Welfare Secretary. To the effect that, well, there is a restraining order from above against disclosing what was revealed to the men. But their power to prophesy suddenly disappeared in the face of hot, fine pounded yam and tasty vegetable soup and goat meat in the next town of Erio-Ekiti.