RIP STEPHEN OKECHUKWU KESHI

All those accolades
- All those exaltations
- The lavish words of praise
- The post-humous appreciation
- And many of it from the most unlikely sources.

Oh Keshi.
So it is true what they say that in death, one's worst enemies can become your best friends when death has robbed you of any potential to threaten their fragile egos or existence?
So our conscience is now awakened to the fact that we may in fact not have treated you as well as you deserved while you were alive. Thus the hurried and desperate efforts to 'get on your good side' in death?
Is it only this morning of your death that we have just begun to realise and appreciate all that you did for Nigeria for so many years as a player, coach, role model and mentor?
Is it just now that we realise how deeply we must have hurt you all those times we humiliated you, including when we finally took away your passion in that most ignominious fashion?
Is it just now that we realise the deep pain you must have gone through when you lost your beloved wife of 30+ years?
Are we just realising that you have four beautiful children who lost their mother recently and have little else to hold on to except the love and care of their doting father?
What did we do to comfort you and soothe your pain before now?
Did we do enough to show you the proper support, love and respect before you died?
Were your human mistakes so gross as to justify some of the vilest and unforgiving attacks which we heaped on you?
But maybe we can still make it all up to you, Stephen Keshi. Perhaps if we organise a state burial for you now and sing your praises to the high heavens; can you still hear us Big Boss, or is it too late?

My people have a saying which is usually reserved for children who neglect to take care of their parents but then gather around to throw lavish parties when such parents die. Let me attempt to translate that saying into english and hope that it does not lose too much of its meaning:
"Perhaps if we had gathered and rallied around to take care of Papa as we are now doing to bury his dead body, maybe it is possible that the dead may have survived and still be around today?"

The list is growing longer and longer. A while ago it was Rashidi Yekini, now it is the Big Boss. Must we wait till our heroes and legends die before we give them the support, love and respect which they deserve?

RIP STEPHEN OKECHUKWU KESHI

By AYODELE

Hmmm...... RIP BIG BOSS