Except for the undiscerning mind, everybody would agree that the mood of the nation changed dramatically since the news of the demise of Nigeria's First Lady, Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo, during a trip for cosmetic surgery in Spain on October 22. A few hours before that, a Bellview plane with 117 passengers on their way to Abuja from Lagos crashed three minutes after take-off and killed all on board.

The entire nation was thrown into mourning and many people had another opportunity to see how empty the life of a human being is. To some Nigerians, who are busy building castles and emptying our common purse for selfish pursuits, it was another opportunity to reflect.

To draw the matter nearer home, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, the fiery lawyer and social critic, described the surgery of Stella as "needless, empty and totally unnecessary beautification surgery".

The totality of the death of Stella and 117 victims in the air disaster could simply be described as one death too many! While many Nigerian families seriously affected by the loss of their loved ones are yet to come to terms with the reality, the truth is that all the victims are gone forever. Many had been wondering what would happen to their children and other dependants: who again would be our breadwinner, many wives are asking. The pain runs deep. Our Lord Almighty is a God of provision. He will provide for their needs.

The aspect that is of interest to this column is the fact that situations of this nature humble human beings. Stella must have gone to one of the best-reputed hospitals in the world to carry out the surgery, but what could she have done when there was an appointment with her maker? Nothing! She died.

Not even the feverish preparation for her 60th birthday could postpone the appointment, nor the love of her husband as amply demonstrated by Baba himself, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. I'm sure Baba would not mind having her around for a lot more years to assist in this urgent and Herculean task of governing a difficult nation like Nigeria.

Mama Stella's death has actually opened another chapter in our social engineering process: death has become another weapon of unity. From the outpouring of love and condolences for the first family, this is one death that has united Nigeria. People came from far and near to commiserate with Chief Obasanjo for the painful loss of his wife, who many have come to know as a bridge builder and dutiful supporter of Mr. President.

One man many people would not fail to recognise in the condolence crowd is Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), a former head of state and presidential aspirant of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He has been in the forefront of the agitation for annulment of April 2003 presidential elections. Even though our courts have given verdict in favour of President Obasanjo, Buhari is one man who is yet to agree. And because of that principled stand, he has since not been seen near the State House or openly embrace the president. Though invitations for State House functions and meetings of the National Council of State are usually extended to him, he has refused to honour any. This he did on the premise that the man in Aso Rock did not win the presidential election and therefore deserved no recognition from him.

Many people had tried to persuade Buhari that his decision not to attend National Council of State meetings was an abdication of responsibility, but that has not changed him. How can the man truly describe himself as man of the people and still shut all windows of opportunity available to make positive contributions to the welfare of the same people he professes to be leading, many have asked.

It took the death of Chief (Mrs.) Stella Obasanjo for Gen. Buhari to break his principled stand, come to Aso Rock Villa in the company of former heads of state to condole with President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Even the irrepressible Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, governor of Abia State, who for a long while had been trading corruption charges with the president, said that with Stella's demise, he would stop all altercations with the president.

Since, to Uzor Kalu, the only mediator between him and Baba had gone, the only thing to do in her memory was to stop any attack on the president. See what death has done?

President Obasanjo himself did not fail to comment on this aspect of his beloved wife. He knew that Stella was always there for him when it came to settling petty quarrels between him and his numerous friends.

In life, Stella was said to have risen over and above such sentiments to make life worth living. Few weeks ago, when Chief (Mrs.) Oluremi Tinubu celebrated her birthday, Mama was there physically to share the joy of the occasion. This was despite the fact that there had been no love lost between Governor Tinubu and the president.

Tinubu, an AD chieftain, has never hidden his distaste for some of Obasanjo's policies. As a matter of routine, only his deputy, Mr. Femi Pedro, comes to the airport to receive the president anytime he visits Lagos. But that has not stopped the chummy relationship between Stella and Tinubu's wife. She was always looking for ways and means to make the burden lighter for her husband.

Most people who had one score or the other to settle with Baba had taken advantage of the death of his wife to pay homage. Chief Mrs. Oluremi Adiukwu-Bakare was one woman who could not hide her joy after embracing Baba at the burial ceremony. She's happy that the quarrel between Baba and her husband, Chief Bakare, has now ended.

One man many Nigerians would wish that Stella's death settled the rift between them is Chief Obasanjo and his deputy, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku. It is to Atiku's credit that he cancelled his lesser Hajj engagement few hours to take-off when he heard about Stella's death. Atiku himself had spoken glowingly of the woman, who was a veritable bridge builder between him and the president.

Would the president let Atiku be? Would he forgive him all his sins as a mark of respect for his late amiable wife? Would the duo return to the old ways of doing things, confiding in each other and making the machinery of government move faster? Would they reconcile all their irreconcilable differences?

Methinks the duo should take advantage of this situation to right all wrongs between them. I know it is not in the interest of some people to see the two come together again. It would not profit them. But Atiku should seize this golden opportunity to rise above all obstacles to achieve peace and concord with his boss.

Chief Obasanjo himself made several references to this subject as one of the things that would make it impossible to forget his wife in a hurry. Her death had brought together many people that had not seen themselves or had anything to do with one another for a long time. Her death should be part of the leaders' resolve to forge greater unity and make this country a better place for all.

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