By Tajudeen Habeeb
Since it is is a natural law that “while you live, you shall die” it means life is proportional to death. It is a known fact that no one wants to die, neither do we want our loved ones to, but what options do we have? It is a law with no rule; a journey of no return that is compulsory for all to embark.
It is on this premise that we grief and mourn whenever we lose those close to us as a living, and of course, they will grief and mourn when we equally leave this world.
But because of its naturalness, we pray fervently for a life of impact. That’s why the Yoruba race will say “ki a ku ni omode ko y’eni san ju ki adagba sesin (it is better to die young having made an impact, than living till old age with no known value or impact).” Succinctly, it is not how far but how well.
Many then take solace in this saying when they lose an invaluable asset, an achiever and a pacesetter, it is natural that we will die, but we can live even after death, through the legacy and the impact we make. I guess this is the reason why the word glorious exit was coined.
This is my stand on the death of an acclaimed scholar, quintessential leader, Alhaji AGF Abdulrazak. With his records and legacies as an elder statesman, shall we then grief, mourn or celebrate? While we’d have done anything not to lose him, because he is priceless for us, it was a glorious exit.
The nonagenarian is undoubtedly one of the few unmatched Nigerian, AGF Abdulrazak, the first Lawyer in the whole of Northern Nigeria, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a federal cabinet member as a Transportation minister, a special parliament member after the independence, the first commissioner of finance in Kwara state after her creation, Nigeria Ambassador to Benin, president Nigerian Stock Exchange, what is left to achieve individually?
AGF Abdulrazak is one of the few Ilorin titans who can by all standard pride themselves as major contributors to what is called Ilorin and indeed Kwara state today, they firmly thread on the path and platforms to greatness as witnessed today.
As a community developer, He established the then Ilorin College known as Government High School Adeta today with an aim to support the growth of the community through education. History had it that many from the community had it for free.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says, of all that a man does, only four things will remain after death, among which are the children he left, AGF Abdulrazak, left among his children, the incumbent Governor of the state Mallam Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, he is the father of Dr. Alimi Abdulrazak a former gubernatorial aspirant in the state, Isiaka Abdulrazak, the former Chief financial officer of NNPC, to make the list of his illustrious children Senator Khairat Abdulrazak Gwadabe, the former senator representing FCT as his magajia, what more is success?
If nothing speaks more of the greatness of Alhaji AGF Abdulrazak, the life of his children describes a father with a sound moral and parental quality. A father who has only Alhaji Isiaka Abdulrazak as a son must be satisfied enough not to talk of others on the list.
AGF Abdulrazak died at the age of 93, that’s a life long enough to have seen his grandchildren, great-grandchildren as the list continues, and of course, he did. What more is happiness for a man in life?
Baba was a big reason why many of us carried with pride, the name of our community. Yes, we come from the community to produce the first Lawyer in the whole of the 19 northern states.
His was a worthy life at all levels, individual and collective. A life of impact he had.
His life was a testament to Allah’s mercy on any human, long life of impact. Going by the Yoruba saying, ‘Odun, Opo, Ope fun baba.’
Death like it occurs to us on our late patriarch is that which left in the mind of many of us the dilemma of whether to grief, mourn or celebrate. I guess that’s greatness in a unique description.
While we mourn his exit, it’s a vacuum we can’t fill ever, we however celebrate a life worthy of emulation that he lived, taking that as a consolation for the irreplaceable loss.
May the soul of our Father, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Folorunsho Abdulrazak be accepted in the best of Al- Jannah
Adieu to an achiever!
