Two deaths and a faculty
By Hope Eghagha
SOMETIMES death chooses its targets with relentless wickedness, circulating within a narrow geographical, spatial or temporal prism. The broad target could be an organisation, a department, a school or even a hostel. Most of us remember how death came calling different people in our hostel or class during our secondary school days. At such times, there is often intense fear about the grim reaper's next unsuspecting target. For some it is a time to draw closer to ones Maker, making atonement for past and present misdeeds. Others simply reduce the tightness of their work schedule as a way of reducing tension. In underdeveloped societies rather than employ scientific reasoning to determine the cause of deaths, and how to approach the issue, superstitious thinking begins to grow and feed on the imagination.
The targeted group may also begin to examine how frenetic and debilitating the work schedule had been, how many risks had been overlooked and how to stop or reduce the rate of casualties. For example, management could decide on regular medical check up for all staff or insist that staff must go on their annual leave. For as we know, in Nigeria we often find it difficult or impossible to go away, to keep away from our jobs or business for a whole month. Either we feel that something will go wrong in our absence or that we would miss some perks that could come our way in the office. Others cannot afford it. In our scale of preference 'play' or 'leisure' ranks very low. If it is a high-risk group, measures will be put in place to reduce the rate of casualties. If it is a widespread occurrence, as having a high number of women losing their lives in the process of child birth, the authorities will then adopt certain measures to help to reduce or control mortality rates.
Such thoughts came flooding the mind recently when within a space of two months the Arts Faculty of the University of Lagos lost two Associate Professors to sudden deaths. Dr Emmanuel Babalola who died suddenly of cardiac arrest on the 21st of June 2004 was buried in the last week of July. On the 2nd of August colleagues resumed work Monday morning only to be inflicted with news of Dr Hakeem Haruna's sudden death that morning. The text message, which conveyed the news to me, was brief, but devastating. "Dr Babalola died this morning". A month and a half later another message came shattering my morning sabbatical peace, "Dr Haruna of History died this morning". The telephone conveyed the news with equal placidity and I almost banged it on the floor. These were colleagues with whom one had worked closely. Both were Associate Professors, getting ready to occupy the professorial chair, the peak of an academic career. These men had gone through a long period of training, the nation having invested a lot in their skills and competence. Dr Haruna presented a book to the Benin public in the month of May. He was full of hope and optimism. By writing and presenting books to the public, Dr Haruna was both keeping himself in the public eye and enriching his academic resume. Dr Babalola had just returned from a sabbatical leave at Adekunle Ajasin University, where he touched the lives of most English Studies students. Even after he retuned to Lagos, students came calling for consultations. As a kind and cheerful man, he found it difficult to say no to these students to whom he was both mentor and friend. Both deaths happened in similar circumstances. Both woke up hale and hearty only to succumb a while later to the night call. Sudden deaths are common these days. The demands and pressures of modern life exact a lot from workers. The greatest enemy comes in form of deadlines. Often, the potential victim does not realise how mad a pace he had subjected himself to.
Deadlines come in different forms. Some are set by career expectations. These are often broad and specific. As academics, the papers to write, the anxiety to publish in reputable journals and the sheer number of assignments and examination scripts which we mark help to create tension. These scripts must be ready within a short time. Computation of results could also be a nightmare. Middle age crisis is one of the manifestations of a tight deadline. Have you built a house which will hide you after the long years of labour Have you done enough academic work to earn you the next promotion Have the children managed to keep themselves within the ambit of your overall deadline
Sudden deaths remind one with infinite cruelty how transient we are in the scheme of things. All the plans, hopes and aspirations vanish in a puff within the twinkling of an eye. The family is in a quandary. Wives are worst hit. Psychologically and sometimes economically, the widow is thrown into the wilderness of uncertainty. If she has ignorant, wicked and greedy in-laws, the nightmare becomes hellish. Not even an authenticated will can save the woman and her children. If death comes through a terrible illness, sometimes one prepares for the end, making peace with God and putting his affairs in order.
The Arts Faculty of UNILAG is in mourning. We will surely miss these colleagues. Babalola had the knack for cracking jokes and provoking laughter even at eight in the morning. All his 'Angelinas', his name for female students and staff will miss has fatherly role in their lives. Considering the fact that a new semester has just started, the students will also feel the impact of the sudden exit. Courses will have to be reallocated, and the burden on colleagues will grow further. In fact, once the death occurs in organisations, the next important question is who will take over As mush as possible, we should try to reduce the stress levels in our lives. It is true that sometimes once the bell tolls for a human being, there is no stopping the grim reaper. We therefore surrender ourselves to our Maker for protection. As we know, God is very real to Africans. Adieu Drs Emmanuel Babalola and Billy Hakeem Haruna.
