That Clarence Olafemi, ex-acting governor of Kogi State is a lucky man is beyond doubt. That much he acknowledges virtually every day. From being minority leader in his first coming as a member of the state House of Assembly, he rose to become the Speaker. And following the Court of Appeal ruling voiding the14 April 2007 governorship election won by Ibrahim Idris, Olafemi became acting governor of the state.

But for providence, he would have lost his membership of the House, courtesy of the state’s election tribunal, but the appeal court verdict saved the day. That, perhaps, explains his greeting of “Shallom”, reserved for State House correspondents. In no small measure, they are enamoured of him, on account of his generosity to those in need. As a few of the correspondents told Across Nigeria, “he is always ready and willing to help whenever you call on him.”

Olafemi, a grassroots politician, has a catch-phrase for such occasions. “Obembe, Kobembe,” he would say. Literally translated, it means, “big or small.” In other words, “take anything I offer you, big or small.”

The 29 March election day provided ample opportunity for Olafemi to demonstrate another interesting side of his.

At Efo Amoro, the acting Governor stopped his convoy when he saw two young men who, Across Nigeria gathered, decided to settle scores over a girl with their fists. Surrounded by a gleeful crowd, neither of the fighters noticed that Olafemi had ordered his convoy to stop and his security aides to arrest them.

One of the combatants had locked his arm around his apparently dazed opponent’s neck, obviously in a bid to starve him of oxygen, when he suddenly became aware that the siren heralding the governor’s presence had stopped. At that moment, the crowd also looked up, bewildered. And, on sighting the security aides running towards them, they fled without hesitation.

“Bring the two boys to me,” Olafemi ordered his aides. But the lad gaining the upper hand, suddenly aware that the voices that were urging them on had ceased, glanced up and saw the danger. He needed no further prompting, as he fled like a hare running from a hungry dog. But like a boxer saved by the bell, his grateful colleague dropped to the ground, surprised that his foe would be so merciful. Then he saw the approaching policemen and other security agents who, by then, were  almost upon him. He jumped up, weaved, zig-zagged and ran as if a thousand demons were after him. The watching crowd roared with delirium as he made his swift and dramatic escape into the nearby bush, out-running the chasing security men, whose movements were bogged down by the heavy weapons they carried. While the excitement lasted, the crowd that had gathered at a nearby polling booth were distracted from performing their civic duty.

At Ibalu Ward II in Yagba East Local Government Area, Olafemi approached a crowd at a polling booth. “Well done, everybody,” he greeted the intending voters on the queue and other people around. But looking around and not seeing the usual horde of State House correspondents shoving recorders and/or cameras before him, he asked: “Who is going to record my statement here?”  Getting no response, he turned to the presiding officer. “I hope there is no trouble here,” he said.

“No ooo,” everyone chorused.“Thank you,” he said as he made his way to leave the venue.Just then, from within the crowd a woman shouted: “Eki baba wa now,” meaning, “Why don’t you greet our father?” “Ese oooo,” the rest chorused.“Thank you, thank you,” Olafemi replied, without doling out money like he did to a group of people who had blocked his convoy earlier.

Probably angered because the correspondents failed to do what he expected of them on the tour, Olafemi refused to live by his Obembe, Kobemebe creed.

Ernest Omoarelojie