Today, we are
holding a special parliamentary session in honour of a former member. It is an
exceptional event because this House only holds such sessions for its former
Speakers who have passed on or sitting members who died while still serving in
the House. The House decided to give the honour because like a Speaker of the
House, late Chief (Hon.) Oluwole Awolowo is the son of the prominent Nigerian
leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo who is well revered both within Nigeria and outside
for his political wizardry.
“It is an
established fact that at the altar of Yoruba's greatness, Wole Awolowo, like
his visionary father before him, made himself the 'sacrifice'. For this cause
and reason, the Lagos State House of Assembly deemed it worthy to honour an
exceptional Nigerian, son of the 'President Nigeria never had'. Chief Awolowo,
your footprints can never be erased from the sands of the Niger because your
enduring legacies have become an institution embedded in the Nigerian polity.”
With these words,
Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. (Hon.) Adeyemi Ikuforiji,
opened the floor for the start of a special parliamentary session in honour of
the late scion of the Awolowo Dynasty, Chief Oluwole Awolowo.
Waxing
philosophical, Ikuforiji quoted the great Williams Shakespeare in his book,
Julius Caesar that “When beggars die, there are no comets seen, the heavens
themselves blaze forth the death of princes. Here lies a prince of Yoruba, the
son of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. When Awolowo died, we did not have that
opportunity to celebrate him in the Assembly, but today gives an opportunity to
do what we did not do then, now that his only surviving son has passed on,”
Ikuforiji stated.
The late
vice-chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN Plc) was not only a
member of the Assembly between 1979 and 1983, representing Apapa Constituency,
he at various times, served as chairman of committees on Education and
Environment.
Oluwole Awolowo's
body rode in a glittering ash casket in a blaze of glory into the Assembly for
the historic special parliamentary session, straight from London in a
presidential jet.
Memories of both
the senior and junior Awolowo were relived at the special parliamentary session
as legacies of both were enunciated by different speakers in the high-profile
gathering that also had in attendance the former Lagos State governor, Alhaji
Lateef Kayode Jakande.
Also at the
session were former Lagos State deputy governor, Abiodun Ogunleye; Senators
Tony Adefuye and Olabiyi Durojaiye, members of the Awolowo family led by Dr.
(Mrs.) Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, spokesperson for the Action Congress of Nigeria,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, former Lagos State Attorney General, Professor Yemi
Osibajo.
The lawmakers, who
spoke in turn, said the sage was an icon of progressive politics that gave
meaning to the lives of many Nigerians through his free education policy, among
others, pointing out that his late son equally touched many lives, just as he
remained humble despite being born into an affluent and prominent family.
In his tribute,
Ikuforiji, said Wole lived a good life worthy of celebration as an individual
and lawmaker, pointing out that his contributions to lawmaking and people's
welfare could not be quantified.
He urged that the
good life lived by the deceased should be emulated by his children and prayed
God to strengthen Mama, HID Awolowo and for all members of the family the
fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
In his
contribution, House committee chairman on Education, Wahab Alawiye-King, who
currently occupies the position the deceased held in the second republic
described late Awolowo as a unique person who had a mind of his own.
Alawiye-King
recalled that the young Awolowo at the age of 17 decided to join the opposition
party, the defunct NCNC despite the fact that his father was the leader and
founder of the progressive party, the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
Another lawmaker,
Hon Rotimi Olowo, said the deceased lived a modest life and never craved to
accumulate wealth despite being born into affluence.
The lawmaker said
the deceased deserved being emulated, just as he also lauded his ability to
manage the Awolowo dynasty after the exit of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
pointing out that there was never any family dispute over the assets left
behind by his father.
He said, “His
ability to manage the family deserves emulation. He was a great manager of
people and assets and a great welfarist who decided not to have his car at the
expense of his staff and editors.”
Hon. Bisi Yusuf on
his part noted that the late sage's quotation inspired him to become a
politician. He added that the senior Awolowo had no rival in terms of his
contribution he had been able to achieve especially in relation to free
education he bestowed on the people of the western region.
Hon. Olumuyiwa
Jimoh, representing Apapa, the same constituency that the deceased represented,
described late Awolowo as a true son of his father, saying he was worth the
honour being done him.
The legislator described
him as the most successful Nigerian newspaper publisher having been able to
pilot the Nigerian Tribune successfully over the years as the oldest surviving
newspaper in the country.
According to him,
the other newspapers that existed alongside the Nigerian Tribune had since
folded up.
He, therefore,
enjoined the younger generation to continue to emulate the virtues left behind
by the deceased.
In his own
contribution, another lawmaker, Hon Abiodun Tobun, described Oluwole's death as
a big loss to the country in general and Lagos State in particular.
He saw the death
as a big loss to prominent towns and settlements across the country where the
deceased was honoured with chieftaincy titles, including Ikenne, Odofin, Owo,
among others.
“I pray God to assist
the family to bear the irreparable loss,” he said.
Also in his own
contribution, Hon Lanre Ogunyemi, said the deceased former lawmaker and
publisher would be remembered for his modesty, not being extravagant and humble
as well as his major contribution to governance and lawmaking.
“At this point, we
cannot but commiserate with Mama, who went through the pains of losing a dear
son in the 60s and has to go through another pain right now with the passage of
Hon Oluwole Awolowo,” he said, just as he prayed God to give Mama and the rest
of the family the strength to carry on with the responsibilities required of
the Awolowo family.
Speaking, Hon A.
Omisore, who recalled that he was a beneficiary of the free education policy,
declared that the entire Yoruba both within and outside the country were
mourning over the death of Oluwole Awolowo.
However, he
charged the Awolowo family to ensure that the legacy left behind by the sage,
which was kept intact by the deceased while alive, should not be allowed to
flounder.
He specifically
requested that the Nigerian Tribune newspapers must not be allowed to lose
their progressive posturing.
“It is not how
long, but how well a man lives that matters. This man lived a life of example
and give succour to people,” Hon. Omowumi Olatunji-Edet declared.
She prayed that
God would continue to sustain the Awolowo family, and for people to remember
them for the problems they were able to solve and not the ones created.
For Hon Dayo
Fafunmi, the death of Awolowo should be seen as an opportunity for Yoruba to be
more united under the progressive banner, adding that “the unity of Yoruba is
sacrosanct, let us remain united and indivisible so that we can forster the
interest of Yoruba.”
According to Hon
Bayo Oshinowo, who went jocular as he exchanged banters with Speaker Ikuforiji,
said he would not have been a lawmaker neither Ikuforiji; were it not for the
free education policy introduced by the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“Today is not a
sad day. Why we are here is because Papa (Awolowo) has paid a worthy price. It
is, therefore, a blessed day,” he declared, pointing out that the deceased was
undergoing a journey that was already written by the Creator.
Leader of the
House, Honourable Ajibayo Adeyeye, said the deceased lawmaker was passionate
about Apapa Constituency he represented, as he recalled the argument he made on
the floor on the need to move a trailer park off the Apapa road due to the
menace the trucks constituted.
The lawmaker said
even though some of “that problem is still staring us in the face.”
Deputy Speaker,
Taiwo Kolawole, in his contribution, described the late Awolowo as very bold.
He also counselled
the progressives to come together under an umbrella so that the Yoruba could
remain united.
Son of the late
publisher, Babajide, who spoke on behalf of the family, eulogised the virtues
of his father, saying he was the man of the people and always ready to help
someone in need, sometime against his own personal comfort.
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