Celebrating Eidul Fitri With Concord
Reminiscences
23 August 2012By Abdulwarees Solanke
Selamat Hari Raya Aidul Fitri: this is how the
Malaysians, Bruneians, Indonesians, Singaporeans and
Malays in parts of Thailand greet one another during
the eidul fitri which is celebrated more elaborately
than any other festival of Islam in those places.
Ramadan spirit in those places was simply exotic.
Opportune to experience Ramadan in the South East
Asian region brings back the memories of Ramadan while
the Concord Group existed. Every day was somehow
festive in the late MKO Abiola's newspaper empire.
Starting full journalistic professional life in the
dead Concord Group, how can I forget the memorable
years of that institution founded by the late MKO
Abiola. The Concord Group was where many made their
names and influence, where many reached their fame and
never floundered since; where many met their spouses
and have built happy homes; where many struck their
gold and remain in wealth; where many nurtured their
faith and accepted their fate in life. In Concord, I
met the best of my Muslim brothers, the most of my
christian counterparts that we became friends, the
league of my liberal colleagues with whom I share
thoughts and ideas and one of my Marxist mentors who
gave depth to my writings. At a time like this,
Ramadan in the Concord years, we had no differences.
We were just one family.
I still think of Liad Tella's everyday iftar in the
concord years. Nobody was excluded from his sizzling
hot ogi and moinmoin courses. I still think of Tunji
Bello and Kunmi Olayiwola's gifts of bags of rice to
Abdulfattah Oladehinde and my humble self; I can't
forget Victor Ifijeh and sam Omatseye's fun and
banters that we all fasting even when they had just
finished plates of amala and ewedu; Kayode Komolafe,
the Marxist in the house comes as a colleague with
some smattering knowledge of Muslim values and
practices and will not shy from asking you any
question on Islam just as he compares Islamic humanism
with the socialist welfarism. He also proudly tells
you he possesses a collection of Islamic literatures,
a gift from someone. The best of Kayode Awobadejo's
management and organizational wizardry comes on
display during Ramadan in the Concord. Dr. Hamidat
Doyinsola Abiola becomes the Iya Adinni in Ramadan,
donating the largest amount to the purse of the Muslim
Community to host the sumptuous Iftaar in a banquet
style. Between Tunji Bello and Liad Tella, I don't
know who is the next largest donor, but Engr. Mudathir
Abisoye, the Chief Engineer is the one who reaches out
to all top management staff including Mrs. Kalejaiye
to put something down twards the joint Iftaar.
Ramadan is usually a lively period in our Concord
years. We were sure of holding two joint iftars in the
newspaper house between the second and third weeks of
Ramadan; we were sure of iftaar invitation to abiola's
Crescent, off Toyin Street to break fast with the
Bashorun and that was not for Muslim workers alone.
When Ramadan is in the air in Concord, everybody
becomes extremely charitable, not minding your
persuasion by creed. Everybody becomes Islamized in
the salaamu alaekum, Ramadan kareem Greeting.
Everybody looks for the best greeting card to give,
whether Muslim or christian agnostic.
During Ramadan in national Concord and during our
joint iftaar, it becomes a sin, and you could make
enemies as a Muslim, if you forget to send a plate of
the food we share in the masjid to your non Muslim
colleague. It means you are partial and an extremist.
Pastor Segun Babatope, a frontliner in the Dr. William
Kumuyi led Deeper Christian Life Ministry and
chairman, editorial board would never assign an
editorial commemorating the commencement or conclusion
of Ramadan to anyone who does not understand the
values and beauty of Islam or who would preach hate
and division. He finds the best hands in the house to
write such beautiful and colourful editorials that
preach peace, harmony and brotherhood in Ramadan or
any of the Muslim eids.
Femi Adesina, a leader in the Foursquare Gospel
Mission, then Features Editor, before becoming deputy
editor and ultimately the editor was always very
sensitive to showcase Ramadan as a month of love and
plenty, dedicating handsome features pages to Ramadan.
Shola Osunkeye on the Weekend Concord would go places
outside Lagos, giving scintillating reports on how
Ramadan is turning many local economies and lives
around. He would write reports on those who may be
excluded from the joys of Ramadan to ginger others to
do something to give them joy. Taiwo Ogundipe would go
out of his place to discover muslims in entertainment
whose soulful music will mellow hearts and wake them
for Sahuur. Ramadan in Concord was always special.
Twelve years after the crash of the concord newspaper
with no one to reassemble the wreck of that glorious
newspaper whose 20 year existence between March 1980
and the end of Year 2000, is still unmatched in the
Nigerian Newspaper industry, I still think of the
unity in diversity and brotherhood in differences that
Ramadan enhances.
The nearest I have had of such fulfilling experience
in Ramadan is the one I tasted in Brunei Darussalam
while undergoing my graduate studies in public policy
at the country's premier university, UBD. Every night
of Ramadan was a banquet. The next two or three weeks
after Ramadan in the country are always spent in a
grandeur of feasting nationwide in each family
declaring a Open House. I intend sharing with you that
experience in a feature I title Open Houses of Bandar
Seri very soon if the time and space permit on this
page.
Meanwhile, if concord were still I were I were writing
on its pages as I am here now, I would have been
giving you the details of the greeting contents of
Ramadan cards from my christian friends and
counterparts, my dear Muslim brothers, my Marxist
mentors and liberal colleagues like Natty Nat Osewele
who would have bombarded me with all fancy, colours
and designs of cards, screaming RAMADAN KAREEM! As we
celebrate conclude the fasting of Ramadan, I am also
sending a deafening shout out of Selamat hari Raya
Aidul fitri to all whom I have walked the journalism
path in the last 25 years. NEITI's Waziri Adio is one.
Olusegun Adeniyi is another. Dr. Akin Adesokan who
started with the Guardian as a youth corps member
serving in Yola in 1990 when I was the dan jerida
Concord and Wakilin Abiola there also deserves my eid
greetings as well as Aliu Muhammed, Yomi Idowu, Ayo
Aluko-Olokun, Goke Odeyinka and Tunde Fabunmi, all
very fine journalist of the Concord fame.
AbdulWarees Solanke, Head, Voice of Nigeria
Training Centre (Transmitting Station, ikorodu),
Lagos, studied Mass Communication at the University of
Lagos and Public Policy at the Universiti Brunei
Darusslam and writes
viakorewarith@yahoo.com ,
korewarith@voiceofnigeria.org
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EsinIslam.Com
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