The choice of the discerning and analytical pundit, Olakunle Abimbola, to write on the intervention of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was an inspired one. He is the direct opposite of a praise singer. His involvement was therefore particularly appropriate because it reinforces the argument that the age of interpreting history through the adulation of the “great man” is gradually giving way to a more nuanced understanding of historical forces.
History is increasingly viewed through currents of thought that translate into policies and practice, rather than through the prism of a demi-god riding into town on a white charger to clean up the mess and round up the bad guys. The sequence matters. Kudos to Olakunle Abimbola for living up to the billing. It was a promise fulfilled. A hearty applause also goes to all those who contributed to the conversations and discourse surrounding the book in Abuja on Thursday.
The aftermath is equally important. Aregbesola has transcended the realm of ordinary political actors and become an important historical persona. The book will remain relevant decades from now because it documents how Ogbeni defied the odds and stood firmly for a progressive, people-oriented agenda at a time when that position was under considerable pressure.
Today, the onslaught against progressive ideas remains pronounced. The progressive position must once again be defended and placed on the front burner not through insults, brickbats or personal attacks, but through reasoned argument and the practical demonstration of ideas.
The old admonition that men do not make history entirely by their own volition continues to ring true. Aregbesola continues to “make history” in ways he may not necessarily have anticipated or desired. His journey as a standard-bearer for progressive thinking and its translation into practice is far from over.
Perhaps, in seeking a way forward, we should return to the last major intervention of Chief Obafemi Awolowo before his death. The Sage envisaged a consolidation of progressive forces in which “the thesis and the antithesis will coalesce to form a synthesis.” In the light of current developments, that proposition deserves renewed exploration from the prism of our contemporary realities.
The book, therefore, deserves a place in every library not merely as a record of the past, but as both a guide and a guard for the future.
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