Vows leap like vain air from the lips of a man’s best friends in the wake of his death – especially when those promises are made to his children and the widow he left behind. Ask Amina Yakowa, the widow of former Kaduna State governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. Amina has finally seen through the heartfelt ‘promises’ of friends and political associates of her late husband; they all lied.
It would be recalled that immediately after the former governor of Kaduna died in a helicopter crash in the company of former defence chief, General Azazi, late Yakowa’s friends, fellow governors and political associates pledged to move the world in favour of Amina, the widow he left behind.
But ever since they uttered their promises, none of them has endeavoured to fulfill his pledge, thus leaving the poor widow desolate and helpless, particularly now that she has run into hard times. Following their desertion, Amina has awakened to the sad reality of the emptiness and absurdity of mortal pledge.
Yakowa’s widow wonders even as you read where all those people who promised her heaven and earth when her husband died, have absconded to. Those that promised to reduce the sky to a skyscraper and do their best to lighten her grief have dumped her like a bad habit. Such is the depth of the human pledge, it’s as shallow as a fresh brook.
