Today, I saw two things. (1) I saw kindess in its nakedness; and (2) I’ve always known and gotten used to the ‘Governor Abiola Ajimobi’; today, I eventually saw just the Abiola.
As we headed back to Ibadan from the Presidential campaign held in Ekiti, our convoy encountered an accident in Iwo road, involving 2 people already clad in blood.
Now, the Governor Abiola Ajimobi I’ve come to know in the time I’ve documented him, seldom loves the sight of blood. This is why his next choice of action at that spot gave me proper shock. The boss did not only tell our convoy to stop in order to attend to the victims, more than that, he was literally practically involved in the efforts to lift them into one of the Hilux vehicles in our convoy.
Not done, he breached his seemingly tight schedule and led our convoy, bearing these victims, to the emergency unit of the University College Hospital, all the while showing that unadulterated fatherly worry in his eyes.
Abiola stood right there engaging the doctor and nurses on ground as they ensured the victims were stabilized and given treatment. At this point, it came as no surprise to me and our team that he paid all the medical fees for these particular victims and other patients we met there at the Emergency ward.
Typical of him, he spoke encouraging words to the patients and medical practitioners too.
The genuineness in the air as all this happened was impossible to miss, and what struck most was the human kindness on display. While it may not be utterly strange that this happened, what makes this just noteworthy for me is the uncommon nature of it. Abiola took further steps than we are used to (hear) in similar situation, going all the way without bating an eye for any other thing, talkless his own time. He just wanted those victims okay.
I am more than ever inspired by this random, spontaneous and unadulterated act of compassion of my boss today. And, I share this in the hope that you will too.
Tolani Alli, a documentary photographer, works with Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
