The eagle is not dead, but gone, by Suleiman Fanty
The story is complete.
I never knew his name until about 1-2 years after saving his number as “Infant Bard”—his pen name. We met through ATBU Writers’ Society, and I’d never seen him before. All I knew of him then was that he was talented and creative. To this day, his number remains unchanged in my contact list.
To think that I would step into union politics must have been as surprising to him as it was to me when I found out he had done the same. Ever since then, I’ve grown a deep interest in his sphere. The similarities between us only kept growing, and with time, I noticed that he walks the path I walked, but better, smoother—and he was not alone in his journey.
As the curtain closed on NUESA, the only remaining door left for him to open was the SUG. So, he did. With overwhelming intensity. Against all odds. Immediately, I named him “Prince with a Thousand Enemies” because I knew the obstacles he would face. He faced them, and to be honest, I have no idea how he survived them, but he did—and today, the story is complete.
The vision has always been about the people to be served. An Esther from Port Harcourt, whose stomach aches because of an unsterilised water tank. A Bello from Kaduna, whose pocket is exhausted on monthly malaria treatments due to recurring cases. A Damilola from Oyo, whose talent could be tapped in other ways but is stuck in academic stalemate. And many others of different faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The vision has always been about all of us getting to the promised land, every single time.
We have, in our own course, tried our very best to change the tides, and today—we have someone whom we believe can and will steer the affairs differently and far from the clichés of the past.
Fahad, people believe in you. People love you. You are phenomenal and crucial to the flight. Your emergence marked the breakdown and destruction of a long chain of puppeteering, nepotism, and political slavery—a system we have been trying to wreck for a long time. However, do not forget this: While you may have defeated one system, do not become part of another, lest all you did be for naught. You have no cause to retaliate against or compensate anyone unless it aligns with what you deem right by yourself. You have no enemies.
You are, for the first time in a long time, the most powerful President, for you will have no one to puppet your moves for you. But also, you are the most vulnerable president, for you will have no one to guide you through the rain and mud of your responsibilities. But whatever it is, no matter how hard it gets, always remember the strength of all of us who stood by you, and the spirits of those before us who dreamt of this moment. We shall walk with you in your journey—here and beyond.
With your victory, I have closed my curtain on unionism forever, in sha Allah. I’m grateful to Allah for allowing me to close it in grand style. The Eagle is not dead, but it is gone. This is the Citizen’s Era, and I wish you the best of luck navigating through it. Thank you for the opportunity to support you, my president.
Written by Suleiman Fanty, SF.
Proofreading by Gift Luckson, Editor at Neptune Prime.
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