Awo’s Statue: Between Lam, Ladoja and Akala

By

Hakeem Babalola

mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

The birth and building and the death and demolition of Awo’s statue opposite the Government House in Ibadan is a demonstration of democrazy and destructive spending of public fund by all the parties involved.

The bad politics with which the three civilian governors and a soldier governor had played and still playing with the late sage’s integrity also bothers me. The disrespect for Awo’s statue has weaken my believe that doing good is good. It has shown me that it is so easy to slap we – the Yoruba – in the face and go scot-free. Whoever it is behind the destruction of Awo’s statue have murdered the Yoruba and shall never be Yoruba again.

However, I am quite sure that the uneconomical erection or extravagant destruction of Awo’s statue could not take away the man’s historical history which has elevated him among his people. The man Awo was too much for mere mortals to destroy, even in death. At least, he distinguished himself among his peers; among the best in what he called geographical expression. Awo’s name simply goes past statue.

Why then should any government unwise in dealing with large sums in the name of Awo’s statue? For what they have been doing was to drag the man’s name to the mud. For what they have been doing was spendthrift in the name of Awo, the man. For what they have been doing was to politicize Awo’s name for their own gain. There is no exception. The so-called Awoists are not different from others in this game of playing politics with Awo’s name.

With due respect, Lam Adesina, an Awoist and former governor of Oyo State, started the game – of reckless waste. It was he who replaced the original statue of the Unknown Soldier erected by the soldier-governor, Abdukareem Adisa, with that of Awo’s at the cost of N3m. Lam must tell us his basic intention for such replacement. I am quite sure that Lam knew from the beginning that his political opponents would dismantle the statue after he might have left the office. Yet he went ahead. For that matter, he did it at the end of his administration in 2003. If Adisa as a military zombie walked like the drunken man tottered over the table, I expect Lam to have walked steadily. I expect him to have applied the wisdom with which Awo was blessed with.

Lam shouldn’t have destroyed before he built. What’s wrong in building Awo’s statue alongside that of the Unknown or is it Known Soldier – at least to save some money? I also believe there are many other historical and better places in Ibadan to erect Awo’s statue. He took such decision perhaps to score a political point, which I repeat was unnecessary. I want to believe he knew that whoever succeeded him among the PDP aspirants would eventually destroy Awo’s statue and replace with the original one. But this didn’t bother him probably because his real intention was to cause confusion. He needed to paint his successor as Awo’s antagonist so as to lose the people’s vote. But he would be deadly wrong because none of his successors would need the people’s vote before winning any election.

Meanwhile his prediction came to pass as Awo’s statue was eventually vandalized during his successor, Rashidi Ladoja’s tenure. Although Ladoja, who also claimed to be Awoist, denied any involvement in dismantling Awo’s statue, it was clear to me then that the game had just begun. Was it a coincidence that the Awo’s statue pulled down on May 29 when Ladoja was being inaugurated? And why did he fail to re-erect the structure during the three years and one month he spent in that office? Perhaps he was being careful and sensible – a prudent manager in deed.

And so they started the game. Didn’t it exhaust them? I mean the drag up the hill of Awo’s statue. If Lam Adesina who could rightly be described as an Awoist, took a dim view of things, why not Alao-Akala? Akala has accused his predecessors of playing politics with the replaced statue. I would like to add that everyone of them is playing politics with the statue. Who then would you blame? Is it Lam or Ladoja or Akala or the soldier-governor Adisa? Or is it their godfather, the Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadan, the "Garisson commander" who seems to have the Oyo State treasury in his pocket?

Fast forward to the issue that must be taken for what it is. If it were to be one of the Awoists that had replaced the late sage statue, then tongue or even tail could wag. What did Alao-Akala gain from Awo for the former to want to keep in safety and protect from decay or loss Awo’s forest and the lakes? Akala does not owe Awolowo anything inspite of his fake adulation of the sage. Whereas he has benefited from Unknown or even Known Soldier hence he must honour and, or pay his debt. A debt that can lead to his removal on failing to pay it. Either way, I suspect Alao-Akala will carry his regret to the grave concerning Awo’s statue. It seems to me that the man has dug his own grave with this Awo’s statue. Time will tell.

I think he was merely playing further politics when he promised to construct a befitting statue for Awo at the State Secretariat, Agodi, this year. Akala should stop worrying his conscience after the damage has been done. He should stop fooling us further by saying, "The replacement of Awo statue with that of an Unknown Soldier did not mean that he had anything personal against the late sage". Damn right it is not personal but Akala should be man enough to tell us who exactly is behind his audacity to replace Awo’s statue.

However, Alao-Akala, like Lam Adesina who had replaced the Unknown Soldier’s statue with that of Awo’s, has demonstrated he is not a betrayal. Alao-Akala, by committing N17.5m to the renovation of the Remembrance Arcade, has proved himself to be the dog that never forgets its owner. He has paved way for further Amala politics to be played regarding Awo’s statue. Now Adedibu has said he would erect Awo’s statue at his Molete Den. Did Adedibu instigate his godson to replace the statue of Awo so that it can be erected around Adedibu’s vicinity? What does Adedibu tend to gain in all these?

One thing is clear to me though. Replacing the statue of Awolowo is a bold move from Akala considering what Awo’s name means to Yoruba people. Then, to really show how bold he is, perhaps he should have replaced the statue with that of Obasanjo’s or Adedibu’s. At that point it will have been cleared to us the intention behind the whole thing. It is an open secret that Obasanjo never liked Awo. And I won’t be surprised if Obasanjo is involved. Now, the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) through its factional leader, Gani Adams, has appealed to the present governor, Alao-Akala, to replace Awo’s statue and move the Unknown Soldier’s statue to some other area in the city.

Whichever way one looks at it, I think Awo wouldn’t have approved of his statue replacing that of the Unknown Soldier. Awo being a prudent and highly intelligent man would have preferred the money to be spent on education or something along the line of which might benefit his people. Too much money had been wasted unnecessarily over the statue. Lam Adesina destroyed the Unknown Soldier’s statue and erected Awo’s with the public funds. Ladoja or Obasanjo (permit me the assumption) destroyed Awo’s statue and now Akala has replaced it with the Unknown Soldier’s. I hope one day they would be compelled to account for how the money had been spent.

Thus, it becomes a question of whether Awo’s achievements surpass that of the Unknown Soldier or Known Soldier in our midst? Awo instituted free education among other things useful to his people till today. His accomplishments and touch on every aspect of Yoruba life will remain forever. Says Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, Action Congress (AC) Gubernatorial Candidate in Oyo State in the last election: Chief Awolowo’s contributions are evident in every aspect of life in Ibadan. His accomplishments as a politician and administrator were all achieved from Ibadan, the seat of power of the old western region.

Those who are on the side of the Unknown Soldier or Known Soldier argue that it is highly necessary to remember the fallen heroes of the first and second World Wars as well as the country’s civil war. They failed to highlight the Unknown Soldier’s contribution on every aspect of Yoruba life. What of the Known Soldier? I leave the readers to their own judgement. But tarry a little. Isn’t it possible for the two statues to stay beside each other? I mean for the sake of justice and em..peace...and em saving cost. Or does it mean that if an Awoist becomes a governor again, the statue will be demolished again?

Lastly, Awolowo in death remains as controversial as when he was alive. They love using his good name to raise themselves from a lower to a higher position; to make themselves the darling of the moment; they hate to love him and love to hate him. It appears they are jealous of the dead. Perhaps because they want to be like him but never will they be.

Copyright 2008 mysmallvoice@yahoo.com