It is good to ask: Why is it that many had mounted this stage (world) and gone unsung but a few had their elegies sang to high heaven? The answer is not far-fetched, it is as a result of what they stood for and the feats they accomplished. Success cannot be rated on the altar of material acquisition but on the number of lives touched. William Shakespeare once remarked: Success is not measured based on the number of breaths we take but on the moments that had taken our breath.

The passage of Moses Musa Afolayan was shocking, for there was no sign or signal of imminent death, he bore no sickening posture. However, the consolation his mourners have is that his life remained worthy of emulation. He was here, he saw, he toiled and he conquered; but death was insurmountable, hence he bowed to it. Until death struck, he was the lawmaker representing Oke-Ero constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly.

I happened to be a distant admirer of the late politician. He was a principled, people-loving and pragmatic advocate of politics-without-bitterness. That was his hallmark! Why do I say this?V

I discovered that his politicking was with breathtaking virtuosity. At a time he was in an opposing party to his friend, late Prince Yemi Afolayan, he never bulged, though he wasn't comfortable. The late Oko prince was, in serial succession between 2003 and 2013, governor's special adviser on politics, lawmaker representing Irepodun local government area at the Kwara State House of Assembly and later made the chief scribe of the ruling party - Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and later All Progressive Congress, APC. During this period, the former contested election and lost. His friends made jest of him, he never reclined, and he held no grudge against anyone. That was the period he was in political wilderness (mind it! not in political oblivion), a friend did said.

This was a man who emerged the council chairman of Oke-Ero local government area when it was still at infancy (1997 – 1998). As a trustworthy administrator, he brought the council to limelight and gave it a befitting building as secretariat. I believe his people would forever cherish him for this rare feat. But not long after, he plunged into what a friend called political wilderness. Emerging out of it he surfaced as a legislator for the constituency he had served as executive arm's head.

For what he stood for, Dr. Ali Ahmad, Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly said: "We have indeed lost a comrade and Kwara has lost a veritable and humble son. We are still in shock but we leave all things temporal to the Almighty and commit him to the hands of the Good Lord." J. S. Omotosho, a professor and Asiwaju of Idofin, described the death of Afolayan as 'the fall of a star' while Senator Dr. Rafiu Ibrahim described him as a "gentleman peacemaker."

Dr. Billy Olajide of the University of Ilorin said, the deceased life has been short but amazingly effective. In the same vein his successor as council boss, Anthony Kayode Towoju, a lawyer and former commissioner said, "his death wasn't only painful but very untimely" while Otunba Taiwo Joseph, state commissioner for environment and forestry questioned: Why so soon? This implies that the man quit the stage when he was needed the most.

Smarting under the pangs of his dad's demise, Adekunle Abayomi Afolayan, an engineering graduate and son of the late politician, agreed his father's life is worthy of emulation and that he meant so many things to him. "He was a leader, mentor, friend-of-all, simple and goal-getter in orientation," he remarked, adding: "His life thought me that one should always do good when the opportunity is given." Victor Gbenga Yusuf, geologist, business manager, politician and an in-law to the deceased said of the late politician, "he was ever-smiling and happy-to-be-with problem-solver kind of person. He was a grassroots mobiliser, easy-going, quite (but-nobody's fool) burden-bearer front-liner and true democrat."

The late politician would be dearly missed not only by his immediate family but by many whose lives he had touched. He had nurtured many children of the poor to maturity. Findings revealed that until he breathed his last, he was father-figure for a number of less privileged of the society, ensuring they are fed and catering for their education. He believes education has no age limit. In his mid 50’s, he reverted back to school and obtained a degree in law. He was yet to attend law school before the cold hands of death caught up with him.

In a country where dishonesty has become a national pastime, where bare-faced opportunism, impunity and inordinate scramble for things mundane are now prevailing characteristics of politicians, Afolayan held his head high. He wasn’t an opportunist but a seasoned leader.

Now he made me remember William Shakespeare in his romance classic, Romeo and Juliet: "Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."