Heritage Park in the Parker: Trees and Breeze on the Run

 

By Oludare Olufunmilola

Photo credit: Getty Images

The Yoruba language has never beaten the allegation of explaining things more clearly. Kindly understand my bias; there is no better proverb to describe the felling of Heritage Park trees other than “Kekere lati peka ìrókò, to ba dagba tan, a maa gbebo lowo eni” roughly translated as “The Iroko tree that is not cut at its threshold will demand sacrifices to be cut at its peak.

In the Premier university, various ìrókò are at war with the long-standing legacy we have all struggled to build and maintain over the years. Some of these ìrókò have begun demanding sacrifices from us that we do not realise. However, the school management must be commended for their wit and ability to have quickly identified one of the many Irokos demanding sacrifices from us: Heritage Park. 

In the silent hours of November 21 came the sweet sound of machines and tools cutting down the arrogant ìrókò of Heritage Park, who would have thought? The great Heritage Park was dusted into the parker. Imagine trees dictating what our heritage should be, who sets these rules? One of the greatest gifts of God to man is free will, so I ask why we cannot pitch our heritage anywhere we deem fit, in our cramped hostel rooms, poorly conditioned lecture theatres or even in our imaginations. After all, we can be anything in our imagination. 

Imagine if those demanding trees had been left to their own devices, constantly asking for sacrifices and attention. Where would we have found the resources to cater to more pressing concerns? And how would we have paid our exorbitant electricity bills, which seem to grow exponentially annually? We cannot but thank God for our brothers in ABH, this time last week, darkness was their closest companion. Sacrifices must be made, but we must prioritise the ones that truly deserve our devotion. The trees were not worthy of our sacrifices although they must have boasted of providing breeze and fresh air but, we no fold, everybody get AC and pesin wey no get AC get hand fan. We must all make our way in this wicked world. 

Don’t forget the bonus of demolishing the old and muddy event centre. This means a new era for subsequent convocation ceremonies. Sadly, ceremonies still took place at Heritage Park before its fall, only if the trees had fallen earlier, it’s a shame they couldn’t have been cut down at the start of the semester, sparing graduates the shame of celebrating under the shade of those arrogant trees. Now that we have successfully cut off the Iroko at its peak, event centres will undoubtedly reap a handful and “business will move fast”. Ultimately, there’s a positive change – convoking graduates will have a better place to celebrate, and hospitality enterprises will make more profits. A win-win situation for all.

The school management has outdone themselves in their benevolence, graciously tending Heritage Park. As a token of their generosity, they’re planting more trees, eagerly awaiting their germination to replace the ones that were felled. In my humble opinion, Heritage Park had it coming. Years of simply existing, sitting pretty and useless. It is only fitting that the school management would decide to utilise the land, rather than allowing those lazy trees to continue milking the school’s resources without contributing anything of value. But you, whose admission to UI is standing on one leg have the nerve to grumble at the school management’s choice to fell the trees? If you’re void of things to rant about, look at your relationship and see what your grumbling needs.

At a time like this, we owe it all to our student union body who have done well in calming the situation. Their diplomatic relations with the grumbling students and the parked ìrókò are one to commend. Here are my parting words to you: don’t let a little thing like location dictate where your heritage lies. Your heritage can thrive anywhere – this is the time to take over and ground your flag wherever your trees are.