Erelu Bisi Fayemi: The Story of ‘The Barren’ Mother and The FUOYE Students

BY ADEOLA AGORO

Last night, a very good friend of mine in the service of a state government called me to ask if I’d be kind enough to answer a very simple question. He said he was with some journalists and the issue of the FUOYE students who died after a riot came up.

The submission at the gathering was that Erelu Bisi Fayemi was not concerned because she kuku doesn’t have children. I didn’t waste time before saying what I know very well about her, at least as far as motherhood is concerned.

Of course I know more than that. I know that apart from the fact of whether she has biological or non-biological children, she’s a mother to many and those who have been fortunate to meet her will tell you that she has real motherly love inside of her.

To answer the question I was asked. I said, “Of course, she is not barren. She has been blessed to taste motherhood and the fruit of her womb is a fine gentleman… and she has more than him”.

I’ve never sat down with Erelu Bisi Fayemi in my life. But I know friends who grew up in her hands. Some of them are likely to be reading this.

For all we know, she might even be upset that I’m doing this without being asked to do it. Some people close to her may even be asking themselves, ” Who send this one this message sef?”

But see, I’ve heard so much about ‘barren women’ enough to come out and talk, especially now as it concerns the deaths of students.

Dem say Patience Jonathan no born. The story has remained with us till now. She no born, she no born, her children, who were conceived and born through her womb are growing older day by day.

Bisi Fayemi no born. Her son is old enough to bring a woman home to start planning a wedding. And the young man fine so much now that una don see im picture, babes go dey beg me to matchmake dem. Chance dey o. (See me after service).

Okay, so we’ve settled that. Bisi Fayemi is only barren in the imagination of people who like to say women in power are barren. (Aisha Buhari, how you take lucky say dem no talk say you barren?).

That’s settled. She has children. A boy and a girl. Wetin remain?

On the issue of the FUOYE students who were killed. As unfortunate as the story has turned out to be, watching the video of the broken heads and scattered bodies of the people on the entourage of the First Lady of Ekiti State, you would wonder how anybody came out alive in the first place. Those students were ready to kill.

I watched in horror as the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ threw rocks at people’s vehicles and went for the heads of those inside for sins they had nothing to do with.

Power outage in their hostel and the wife of the governor of the state where the federal university is situated was to be punished for it?

As the mother that she is, she even came down to address them to see how she could help and the next thing was to throw big stones at her?

I wouldn’t know at what stage the policemen who fired shots did what they did but I know one thing for sure, Erelu Bisi Fayemi has been crying since then. She has lamented the deaths of those students and she’s leaving no stones unturned to get justice for them. She’s a mother after all. She understands the value of life. She knows what it means to bring forth and she like most mothers would never pray for other mothers to lose their children.

I commiserate with the mothers whose children died in the riot targeted at the wrong person(s). May God heal those who are still in various hospitals.

And for Erelu Bisi Fayemi, this is a call that your work as a top international activist has just begun. Our youths have a lot more to learn more than education. They need to be taught values. They need to be taught about consequences of irrational actions.

As the mother that you are, after mourning the deaths of these students and after healing from your physical and emotional injuries, come out to do more in terms of talking to youths. Your Loud Whispers need to be louder and targeted towards our youths.

 

Adeola is an Abuja-based journalist and entrepreneur