Beyond Razaq Owolabi’s Wedding Ceremony…The Logical And The Illogical Lessons Behind It All! –Kola King

May I confess that this post, though written and posted by me, goes beyond my comprehension. It is just a message  that I have no choice over but to deliver irrespective of the consequences.

My focus today is on the exchange of marriage vows by  Hon  Owolabi Olatunde Rasaq, Member KWHA, representing Share/Oke-Ode Constituency and his heart-throb, Yeye Hummy Owolabi, which took place on Saturday, October 28, 2023 , at the popular and perhaps, the biggest event hall in Kwara State – the titanic Atlantic Event Hall (I), along Offa Garage Road, Ilorin.

Oh yes, many weddings took place that day and even before, but as Elder Nicholas rightly put it, ‘it was a breath-taking event’ indeed, several things actually set the wedding  apart from others and I will analyze them all.

Firstly, just as Orientactualmags accurately reported it,  the wedding was one of the biggest gatherings of the political and business classes as well as the Royal fathers in the land. 

Secondly, it was a wedding that brought  the highly and lowly placed personalities together in one single hall, where everybody felt wanted and comfortably satisfied.

Also, it was an event where two highly popular Musicians of our time; T’aiye Currency (who also doubled as the best-man) and 9Nice, both played without any rancorous atmosphere which used to characterize some other occasions, where hoodlums and thugs usually disrupt things.

Again, the security arrangement was second to none as  no single case of pick pocketing was recorded despite the unprecedented large crowd that attended.

As for the menus, it was fantabulous as everything edible and drinkable were made available in abundance, including gari, milk, honey, groundnuts and well-prepared fish delicacy to go with it. Pap (native ẹkọ tútù) with moinmoin and with vegetable soup (ẹfọ riro) are also included. Òfàdà rice with its well-prepared stew and assorted meat, all manners of very delicious rice menus were not left out. Àmàlà with ewedu, Gbegiri (local beans soup) and of course, senorita, pounded yam were all competing for attention of the guests. Indeed, one is short of words to express the number of several drinks available. Yet, everything went smoothly and peacefully without any ballyhoo.

In addition, the various uniforms (aso ebi) adorned by everyone made the occasion to be marvelously colourful. All said, it was an event to behold!

Now, those are part of the logical aspects of the wedding. But beyond those, are other logical sides of the day.

Well, to some, all those descriptions above may be seen as a display of affluence at  times like this but as I used to tell people, ‘no one does a thing without a cogent reason’  the  Hon Owolabi that I know quite well, does not spend anyhow. The young man has his mission and vision and when he set out to do something, he has his aims and purposes, which often is always oblivious to his rivals and even many mere bystanders.

For the initiated, the gathering of the cream-de-la-cream and supporters at the event, both from within and outside the state was a testing of the political waters that only those with the type of Owooo’s eyes could see beyond the immediate. If you doubt this assertion, please request someone else you know around you with the eyes on the future to also try what Owooo did and you will disagree less, because they won’t even fathom to make such an attempt. Why? It is because they hardly understand that ‘it is not how much money you have that makes you to be acceptable by the people or to gather around you,  but by how you treats and relates with people that counts most’.

 As late Prof. Chinua Achebe of blessed memory once said; ‘when we gather at our kinsman’s house to eat dinner together, it is not that we do not have enough to eat at our own individual homes, but it is because so it should be for kinsmen to share affection and rejoice together.

 No one dines with a known enemy, especially at the backyard of the foe. So, for Owolabi to have successfully gathered such a large crowd of politicians together shows that his friends and well-wishers totally out-numbers his enemies and no two ways to prove that than what was witnessed on Saturday. In his own words; ‘I cannot do anything without the presence of my grassroots people because their support, solidarity and votes took me to where I am today’.

 No wonder that everybody at his event felt comfortably at home and people were very free to enjoy the moment with him on that day.

The take home for me and many others from that joyous occasion was that ‘no matter the type of name you call honey, it would still remain sweet which makes it impossible to take the substance and frown your face afterwards’.

 Of course, except our Creator, no one of us is perfect and that makes us mere mortal, but you will know how you are loved or hated when you beckon on people and they yield or reject your call/invitation. That was what clearly came out clear at  Owolabi’s event on the 28th.  Please read the Book of Mathew Chapter 22: 2-10 For more understanding of my line of thought.

Now, the Illogical angle of the occasion under review is that no matter what one does, there would still be critics who will never see anything good in other people’s doings, except only what they alone does. No matter how you tried, you can never appease someone with deep-seated hatred for you! So, this writer is not oblivious of those who may have gone to town to criticize and even castigate Owooo for holding the event the way he did but that is also normal. Of course, he who is not happy when others are celebrating hardly has anything to celebrate in their life.

 What I was taught and hold firmly to, is that ‘we should join those that are rejoicing and we should never be ashamed to mourn with those who are mourning. It was Owolabi’s day to celebrate with his new wife, haven not done so for once in his life, which made the occasion to be unique and  for all whose hearts are made of gold to join them to rejoice while the mourners  should continue in what they know how to do best, albeit, keep on prolonging their own days of sadness. 

From all of us who are members of the Team Owooo Worldwide, we congratulate the Bride and the Groom while also praying that the marriage will be more successful than the wedding. Amen and Amen!!!–Mr Kola Moses writes from Ilorin, Kwara state