Any parent who has chosen a name for a child knows the challenge of that task. Much thought is required. Traditionally, a name is to tell something about an individual. And naming a child is a chance to express religious conviction or, better still, indicate something about the child’s future, according to the hopes of the parents.
Thus, in the Bible, Jacob at his old age when he begot a son he named him Joseph. The meaning of Joseph in Hebrew, ‘Yosef’ is “God will give” or “God will add.” Why not! God added unimaginable dimensions to the life of Joseph. He went through trials not because of any failure, but because of an incredible calling and destiny.
In other words, the life of Joseph gave a testament of the sovereignty and grace of God for those living faithful and righteous life. Despite being sold into slavery in Egypt by his own blood brothers, Joseph remained faithful and trusted God to deliver him from every tribulation. He was confident that God had a plan for his life, so he refused to be distracted by things of lesser value.
Therefore, Joseph carried out his duties, first as houseboy in the house of Portipher, and later as prisoner in prison, with diligence. And he became a true biblical hero who saved his family members, Egypt as nation and the world from severe famine for seven years.
Besides, Joseph possessed other impeccable attributes: his humility was exceptional, since he never allowed power and prestige of his office as Prime Minister to change him; he was gracious to his brothers who betrayed him; he showed compassion and mercy to his brothers in their time of greatest need; he supplied them food and forgave them; he was patience with his adversaries.
In fact, Joseph exemplified authentic leadership in practice through years of life-changing hardship and tribulations. Through his own virtue, pedigree, self-control, compassion and sense of purpose, he earned the respect and trust of Pharoah and high officials and, more importantly, he was found worthy by God who showed him divine favour and blessed him as Prime Minister of Egypt.
In the case of the Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Joseph Albasu Kunini (fondly called Alkinjoh), he exemplified the characteristics of the biblical Joseph. Prof. Kunini was born into a simple and peasant but royal family of Albasu Kinjoh in Kunini, Lau Local Government Area on 20th March, 1968. As the baby boy was laid on a bamboo cradle in a thatch-roofed hut in the then serene village, news went round about his birth.
Of course, the boy’s father (Albasu) and the mother (Ayo) were visibly happy because they thought of him as a wonderful baby boy. Then they decided to name him Joseph, with little or no knowledge of the biblical Joseph.
As for the neighbours and villagers who trooped in to catch a glimpse of the boy, some of them noticed an aura of confidence as he kicked in his cradle. His father was known to be very hardworking, a disciplinarian and a man of integrity who was respected and held in high esteemed in the village. Unfortunately he never lived to see his son grown up. He died when the child was still a toddler, thereby left the wife a widow to cater for the children by eking out a living in subsistence farming and petty trading.
The young Joseph grew up and was loved by many, running errands for elders and neighbours as well as desirous for hardwork. Ironically his mother too died without living to reap the fruit of her labour.
Nevertheless, the misfortunes and hardship never deter young Joseph from succeeding and excelling in life through hardwork, determination and resoluteness to build himself up to become an astute politician, quintessential legislator, seasoned administrator, erudite scholar, technocrat of repute, epitome of philanthropist par excellence, embodiment of transparency and humility.
In sum, if one understands his early struggle and suffering in life, one is bound to have respect for his philanthropic gesture and detribalised posture as an astute politician.
