Remembering Tajudeen Abdul –Raheem (Taju)

Three years ago today, on African Liberation Day, 25 May 2009, we of the continent were robbed of one of our finest liberation fighters. And that was the irony of the death of Dr Tajudeen Abdul –Raheem (affectionately called Taju), an African liberator. But that could also have been the design of his destiny; that he dies on the day of set out for the celebration of African heroes and heroines, which he was and is.

As a good disciple and a Pan-Africanist brother of Taju, I, like the many other comrades, brothers and sisters, do have a duty to keep his memory alive; lest our memories fade and a generation may come who may not know who he was and what he stood for.

A lot of ink has been poured in tribute for Taju, and rightly so. Many commemorative events have also been held in the subsequent years to celebrate his life: the good works that he did and stood for. It is never enough, though, given his stature and sacrifice he made for the Pan-African world. The numerous post cards he wrote every week for years have been re-published as his selected publications on key issues in the pan African world.

Being who he was, and is, there is more that he wrote and conversations he had with many of us one-on-one or to groups of friends that as a teacher and an icon we need to chronicle and use to further sketch his deeper thoughts on a wide range of issues as a way of further consolidating his legacy. But more importantly, how those conversations were able to shed more light on his thoughts on burning issues on Africa.

This personal conversations with him is what, I think, is missing so far in our celebration of the brother-teacher. There have been some anecdotes, but already recounted. I am talking here about his serious conversations on topical issues, such as on elections and others of the kind.

In this regard, I here reproduce an e-mail conversation he had with me and others on an important subject of electoral violence in political economy of contemporary African states, as we build his legacy and share his useful insights on the challenges we still face as a people and a continent.

ELECTION, VIOLENCE AND THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF REGIONAL BODIES: THE CONVERSATION.

Against the backdrop of governorship by-elections in Ekiti State, Nigeria, during which there was mayhem with violence meted out to a number of progressives who had gone there to monitor the polls, on 27 April, 2009, Taju sent an e-mail to update some of us. The mail was sent to Adhiambo Odaga, A. Aidoo, Nana Tanko, Paulos Tesfagiogis and me.

On receipt of the mail, amid the frustration, I also sent an e-mail on 5 May 2009 to Taju proposing that the conduct of elections in Africa is increasingly turning on the issue of regional peace and security and as such the organization and conduct of elections should as of law be vested in the UN Security Council in accordance with Chapter 7 of the Charter of UN. I stated as follows:

“ Thank you for these worrying updates. It would appear that our political actors have learnt nothing to from Yar’ Adua’s elections, that of Kenya and others elsewhere. The more I watch elections and the accompanying violence and the “do-or-die” mentality it has brought about the more I am impelled into suggesting that they ( elections) should be placed under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, as events likely to constitute threats to regional peace and security . The Kenyan situation proved this beyond any doubt. Rwanda, Uganda, DRC and Burundi could testify to this contention. In that regard, the conduct of elections should be vested in the Security Council or any regional bodies such as ECOWAS acting on delegated authority as provided for by Chapter 8.”

I went on to add that: “ I am not naïve about the politics there, but I think for now it would be less bad. “ Then I concluded: “It is too early but the more I watch the more I believe that there is at least a debate to be had on this proposition in our Africa and may be as elsewhere.”

Taju made a swift response the next day, 6 May 2009, copying Adhiambo Odaga, Nana Tanko, Paulos Tesfagiorgis and Akwasi Aiddo.

He stated thus: “ Nana, my brother, as our people say we can still see even when are crying. I know, share and feel the regular depth of despair that our motions without movement can drive one to. However, I will still say no to a UN mandate!”

He went on to explain:“ But we do need more intervention and in good time, sub-regional and regional/Pan-African mechanisms that are pro-active rather than being reactive as it is at the moment.” He added: “We need to borrow from our good practices which may not be many but nonetheless important. It is by doing that we learn better. I have always congratulated Kenyans for making outright rigging of votes more costly so their vote is beginning to count. The next hurdle is to make the vote count more than just the mandate but to change conditions for the better (make our vote work for us). Nigerians are yet to make their vote count. In fact the rulers do not need their vote since they can announce a “wining” result regardless of votes.”

As always he ended up on optimistic note ( as an Afro-optimist) thus:
“ Afrika shall win, we shall overcome, keep hope alive. Taj.”

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* Nana K. A. Busia, Jr. is Associate Fellow, IDD, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

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