Remembering late Gov Lawal
This could be curious, but when you looked into the face of the late former Governor of Kwara State, Muhammed Lawal, all you would see is this satisfaction of astronauts who ride the space shuttle. But then, this is the look you see on the face of consummate golfers, not those who are in the game to blow up ill-gotten status of the rich.
Golfers come in different modes. Some, like Chief Tom Ikimi would pick their nose before they return your greeting. Some are like former Senate President, Iyorchia Ayu who could do the Michael Jackson’s ‘Moonwalk’ when he holes a needed putt. Some are like another former Senate President, David Mark who has got just one route to happiness… that is doing ‘jamming-jamming’ with professional golfers who could fleece him out of his last one thousand naira note. But the Senator loves this. He wants the pros to clean out his wallet while he gains home-grown experience from them.
In my days on the golf course, I have come to know courses where the beer is good and the company cordial. Sorry to say, Ilorin Golf Club was not one of them. The first time I set my feet on the Ilorin course, I was cringing for a bulldozer that could flatten the eye-sore on ground. The place was one rat hole. The clubhouse could compete with dumps where people go when they are really pressed. And the fairway of the course indeed looked like the thickest rough you could find at the IBB course in Abuja. I’m not exaggerating.
Then Muhammed Lawal, the consummate golfer came into power. The first thing he did was to fix the Kwara Hotels since hotels will always complement great courses. He knew the Hotels would serve the purpose of golfers across the nation. When he was through with the place, the Kwara Hotels was looking like something designed by Cesar Ritz. From there, the man moved into the Ilorin course. In a jiffy, he put on ground a clubhouse that could effectively compete with the one at the IBB course. That clubhouse was aptly tagged ‘Muhammed Lawal Clubhouse’. The pity is that a governor who came in his stead, Bukola Saraki, ordered that the legend be yanked off the Clubhouse. But the late Lawal’s name is back on the Clubhouse.
Then came the point I would know Governor Lawal. The man was tired of the course on ground in Ilorin. If you know anything close to golf, you could be tired of that course, too. You could hardly see lush grass. All you could see were those stony places.
Lawal didn’t like all these, he wanted things to be turned around. At once, he invited a course builder, Tony Uduimoh, to move in and re-grass the course. Uduimoh was on the job when I was called in to have an interview with the Governor who did so much to bring ‘heavyweights’ into Kwara through the game of golf.
I was to meet the Governor before his game on this Sunday morning. I arrived the course early. I was in the clubhouse going through the numerous questions I wanted to ask Lawal. I wasn’t bothered about missing him. I knew the siren would announce his arrival. When I came out of the boredom you get when you have to wait till eternity, I moved out and ask if the Governor was still coming. I was shocked when one of his aides told me the man was on hole 6… over an hour of golf game at the time. I was shocked. How come I didn’t hear the siren. The aide laughed and pointed at a Peugeot 604. He told me: “The Governor drove himself in. He hated sirens”
I was advised to wait for Lawal to putt out on the 18th. Some three hours wait, of course. No sweat. I waited. When Lawal putted out, the whole club was already filled to the brim. How they knew he was on course that day, I wouldn’t know. An aide introduced me and he offered this bewitching smile. He would soon be with me. Then he bellowed to those who played with him. He asked in Yoruba: “Tani mo no, taalo no mi?” What that means. Well, it was time to reconcile on-course bettings. Every golfer does it. Get to Arkansas and dream of playing alongside Bill Clinton, just be sure to hold your 10 dollars per hole.
Some weeks back, a huge tourney played out at the Ilorin Golf Club and the whole place was filled to the brim. Even the sitting Governor of the State, Abdulfatah Ahmed played. The entire atmosphere was pristine and the course was indeed lush. Even the sitting Senate President sent in words he would sponsor the next tourney at the Ilorin Golf Club. All these pretty things happening in a once forgotten Club and you could not help but remember the late Muhammed Lawal. Especially when the manner he toiled to rebuild the Club from nothing is put in perspective.