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Reinventing the Wheel: Ekiti State wants to immortalize Nigeria's worst Dictator, Sani Abacha By Dr. Wumi Akintide
There is nothing wrong with Ekiti State's desire to celebrate Sani Abacha for what they believe he has done for them. What I think is wrong and unethical, is doing it for the wrong reasons. Yes, Sani Abacha chose to create Ekiti State by carving it out of Ondo State with a stroke of the pen, not only to appease Ekiti people per se, but to also consolidate his divide and rule propensity, and to find a little island of support and understanding for himself and his policies in an ocean of opposition and resentment in the rest of Nigeria but more so in a unit of the wild wild West that has demonstrated, time and again that it does not take nonsense, and they had the scars to prove it.
The Omoboriowo's mayhem and insurgency in Ondo State on August 16, 1983 had taught every Federal Government a lesson they could not forget in a hurry. It made little economic sense to create Ekiti State at the time Sani Abacha had done it. Only Sani Abacha could have taken such a leap in the dark, given the reality on the ground. I was not surprised, however because God has a way of turning things around even for the hopeless and the helpless in any society.
The Abacha move, like some bad moves, in most countries around the world, has proved to be a blessing in disguise. It has hastened the economic development of a section of Nigeria that was treated a "no go area" for a long, long time by the Federal Government in Nigeria because of Ondo State's congenital loyalty to Awolowo, arguably the most dynamic and visionary leader in our country. but who was treated as almost radio-active by the Federal Authorities because Awolowo foresight and dynamism were just too much for them to handle. Awolowo had to die before the Federal Government started singing his praises. It was a classic medicine after death, and the whole nation was the victim.
With Ado Ekiti and Akure now as State capitals in their own right, the two units taken together, used to be called Ondo State. The two are now on a fast track for economic development, never before witnessed in our area, because God or nature has intervened to turn things around for Ondo State in a miraculous way. Praise be to God who in his almightiness could decide to use an evil man to achieve his purpose just like Judas Iscariot was used as an instrument to validate the very pillar and essence of Christianity, if you can believe that.
What I totally disagree with is the insinuation that Ekiti was oppressed or was an enslaved entity in the old Ondo State. Come on, give me a break. The old Ondo State used to be totally dominated by the Ekitis any way you slice it. If any other part of Ondo State was enslaved, at the time, it was the other component parts of Ondo State without any question. I am saying so because it is the truth, and because I am an Ondo state man and I knew first hand how the Ekitis used to totally dominate the State at the time. A good example of such domination was most pervasive during every regime in Ondo State but more so during the regime of the only Akure man ever to be appointed a Governor in Nigeria.
I am talking of Commodore Michael Bandele Otiko, an old boy of Christ School who made sure that all or most of kitchen cabinet were mostly old boys of Christ School. but that did not stop the Ekitis from labelling the same man "Governor Ofifo" despite all the good things he did for Ekiti. He was much more helpful to Ekiti than he ever was to his own people in Akure but what did he get in return? Nothing, absolutely nothing.
Akure herself used to be an integral part of Ekiti until 1946 when Deji Afunbiowo, may his soul rest in perfect peace, along with a few Akure leaders of thought like Pa Adegbola, Pa Adelola Faloye, Pa Orisabinu Adedipe, Pa J.B. Arifalo, father of current Elemo Bolanle Adedipe working on close collaboration with Oba Afunbiowo, took a decision to create Akure as autonomous entity from old Ekiti without drawing a sword or drawing blood. it was a great decision that foreshadowed Akure's emergence at State Capital of the whole Ondo State close to 30 years before Ado Ekiti was made the Ekiti capital.
Ondo town helped by Justice Irikefe nearly torpidoed Akure as State Capital but for the help and honesty of members of the Murtala Mohammed regime like Brigadier General Bislla the then Nigerian Minister of Defense, Brigadier General james Oluleye and Navy Captain Olumide of Lagos State, The three individuals were instrumental to Akure's retention as State Capital against all odds. Even though General Bisalla was later executed after he was implicated in the Dimkar coup, he was one individual that Akure would never, ever forget for his role and contributions to retaining Akure as State Capital. Just like Obasanjo had thrown his weight behind Abeokuta to snatch the Ogun State Capital from Shagamu at the last minute, Brigadier Bisalla a Fulani man with little or no links with Akure was Akure's saving grace. For that reason the sergean Akintide Educational Foundation is hoping to posthumously honor the Brigadier at the Launching and formal presentation of the Lion King and The Cubs, A special tribute to Deji Afunbiowo Adesida, the pioneer architect of the Golden Century of Akure History taking place at the Auditorium of the Federal University of Technology, Akure on December 21, 2007
I can therefore fully relate to why the Ekitis may want to honor the memory of Sani Abacha for creating their State at the time he did. What I think is not so kosher, is for anyone to want to reinvent the wheel by crediting Abacha for helping to free Ekiti State from total enslavement or domination by the other units of Ondo State. That was a white lie. I know uncle Falegan who was one of the founding fathers of the move to create Ekiti State, would be the last man to make such a totally false claim. Somebody needs to put the records straight before it becomes a "fait accompli"
One man's meat could well be another man's poison. Abacha may be bad for Nigeria, but good for Ekiti for that single reason among others.
I rest my case. Dr. Wumi Akintide |