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Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola: 21 Years After

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By Eric Elezuo

If and when bookmakers decide to write a comprehensive book on the person of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popularly as MKO, the book will make the best read, considering the fact that the man who is reputed to have won the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, amassed so much personality in his 60 brief years.

On July 7, 1998, five years after his electoral victory, and four years after he was arrested and incarcerated by the General Abacha Sani junta, Chief Abiola died in prison, bringing to a partial end of the demand for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate. Many people believe that he was murdered. He had declared himself the lawful in 1994 at the Epetedo area of Lagos State, drawing the angst of the military government.

Born on August 24, 1937, Abiola was a splendid businessman, who touched the lives of almost everyone he came across. Not only was he a businessman, he was also an accomplished GCFR publisher, politician and aristocrat of the Yoruba Egba clan, coupled with the prestigious of the Aare Ona Kankafo of the Yoruba land.

Abiola, from day one, has been a survivor. He was the first of his father’s children to survive infancy in as much as he was born after 22 of his father’s children.

He attended African Central School, Abeokuta for his primary education. As a young boy, he assisted his father in the cocoa trade.

At the age of nine he started his first business selling firewood gathered in the forest at dawn before school, to support his father and siblings. In search of the greener pastures, Abiola founded a band at the age of fifteen and would perform at various ceremonies in exchange for food. Abiola was eventually able to require payment for his performances, and used the money to support his family and his secondary education at the Baptist Boys High School Abeokuta. He was very hardworking.

At the age of 19 he joined the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons ostensibly because of its stronger pan-Nigerian origin compared with the Obafemi Awolowo-led Action Group.

In 1960, he obtained a government scholarship to study at University of Glasgow where he later earned a degree in accountancy and qualified as a chartered accountant. He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

MKO Abiola, whose sense of reaching out to the general Nigerian public, contested for the presidency in 1993, an office he believed will help him distribute equitable wealth. Unfortunately, the election results were annulled by the then military president, Ibrahim Babangida because of allegations that they were corrupt and unfair.

A prolific investor in both Nigeria, Africa and the Middle East, sub-region, he set up Abiola Farms, Abiola Bookshops, Radio Communications Nigeria, Wonder Bakeries, Concord Press, Concord Airlines, Summit Oil International Ltd, Africa Ocean Lines, Habib Bank, Decca W.A. Ltd, and Abiola football club. He was also Chairman of the G15 business council, President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Patron of the Kwame Nkrumah Foundation, Patron of the WEB Du Bois foundation, trustee of the Martin Luther King Foundation, and director of the International Press Institute. The list is endless. The beauty of all his investments is that he used the proceeds to see to the wellbeing of the ordinary people.

Many years after the agitation for the recognition of Abiola as the authentic winner of the June 12 election, President Muhammadu Buhari on June 6, 2018 awarded Abiola the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, posthumously and changed Nigeria’s democracy day to June 12.

Abiola’s friendship and humane disposition cut across all religion, tribe, geographical zones and even societal strata, and these explain the support he got in the June 1993 presidential election. By the time of his death, he had become an unexpected symbol of democracy.

As Nigeria celebrated the first democracy day on June 12, 2019, Buhari renamed the Abuja National Stadium in his honour. It would be recalled that in 2012, the government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had renamed the University of Lagos after him. This was however, rejected by the generality of the Nigerian public, and the idea was dropped.

In recognition of Abiola’s exploits in the field of politics, business, sports and many other fields of human endeavours, various institutions have be named after such as Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Ogun State, MKO Stadium among others.

Moshood Abiola married many wives and fathered many children. In fact, he took care of everyone of them handsomely. Some of his well known wives were Simibiat Atinuke Shoaga, who he married in 1960; Kudirat Olayinka Adeyemi (1973), who was brutally murdered in 1996 after publicly declaring support for the June 12 cause; Adebisi Olawunmi Oshin (1974), Doyinsola (Doyin) Abiola Aboaba in 1981, Modupe Onitiri-Abiola and Remi Abiola.

Two great things have happened to Abiola since his death on July 7, 1998. They include the posthumous award of GCFR, which is only reserved for presidents and the recognition of June 12 as the authentic Democracy Day for Nigeria. One, and the ultimate, is left, and that is recognising him as a former president with all benefits and entitlements.

Whether that will ever happen, the watchword is ‘kashimawo’ – let’s wait and see.

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KFC Reacts As FAAN Shuts Down Its Operations in Lagos Airport

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The Management of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has reacted to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)’s move to shut down its branch at the Muritala Muhammed Airport, for violating laws protecting the rights of people with special needs.

The action was confirmed through a statement released on Thursday by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah.

The official statement, titled ‘FAAN shuts down KFC outlet at MMIA,’ highlighted that the closure was in response to the outlet’s breach of the Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, specifically referencing Part C, Section 55 of the General Provisions on Discrimination.

Responding to the development, KFC posted on its official X account that it opposes bias and discrimination, stressing that the incident did not reflect its standards.

The organisation disclosed that it had embarked on efforts to address the situation and urgently implemented sensitivity training for all its employees.

The statement read, “KFC is unwavering in our stance against bias or discrimination in any form, with inclusivity and respect as non-negotiable pillars of our values.

“However, this recent incident has underscored the pressing need for immediate action. We have embarked on efforts to address the situation and extend apologies and deeply regret the frustration and distress experienced by our guest.

“In response, we are urgently implementing sensitivity training for all our employees. This incident is not reflective of our standards, and we will act swiftly to rectify it.

“We are actively exploring solutions to equip our team members and establishments better to ensure that every guest feels genuinely welcomed and that we deliver empathetic customer service that proactively addresses the diverse needs of each guest.”

KFC had during the week, denied Adebola Daniel, son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, access to their facility at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport  because of his disability.

Daniel had recounted his experience at the KFC outlet of the airport in a series of tweets posted on Wednesday via his X handle, @DebolaDaniel.

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Ezekiel Bolarinwa Ajayi: Mentor, Philanthropist Revels at 80

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By Eric Elezuo

The ancient town of Ile-Ife was agog weekend, when Professor Ezekiel Bolarinwa Oladele Ajayi, a renowned educationist, accomplished mentor and elder brother of veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, pulled all the stops to mark a resounding entry into the octogenarian club, celebrating his 80th birthday with fanfare, pomp and class.

The event, which attracted family members, colleagues in the academic world, friends and well wishers, was another testament in the expression of influence, clout and connection.

Held at the Rock Rehoboth Cathedral in the centre of Ile-Ife, the event brought out the best in the Stanford trained PHD holder, as beamed with contagious smiles, absorbing accolades from a crowd of well wishers and dignitaries, most of whom traveled half  way across the world to felicitate with the newest octogenarian.

A lavished reception followed after heartfelt prayers were said for the celebrant flanked by his wife of many years, children and grandchildren. The reception witnessed guests savoring the best of continental and local delicacies as well as dancing happily to the old school tunes.

The highpoint of the event was the cutting of the gigantic cake by the birthday boy around whom were dotting family members.

As guests expressed their profound, hearty and sincere congratulations towards the octogenarian, whose event changed the landscape of Ife, many recalled how they have come a long way from their very humble beginning in Gbongan Olufi.

Fondly called Ladele, Prof Ajayi was born on March 23, 1944 in Gbongan, Osun State, where he had his earliest beginnings.

He statted his education at the Saint Paul’s School Gbongan, before moving on to Saint Judes School, Ebute Metta, and later to Saint Stephens School, Ile-Ife, where he completed his primary education.

After his elementary education, he was admitted into the Government College lbadan, where he was described as having  ‘passed out in exceedingly bright colours’. As many that knows him has confirmed that Prof Ajayi was a walking encyclopedia, and vibrated with intelligence while at school.

It was not therefore, surprising that he later proceeded to the United States of America, after his secondary education, where he attended various prestigious Universities including Stanford University. It is worthy of note that all his appearances for university education were on different scholarships. It was also at Stanford that he bagged his PhD honours.

On the completion of his PhD programme in Stanford, Prof Ajayi was recruited by the University of Ife, as it was then known, before its transmutation to Obafemi Awolowo University, where he later became a Professor of Physics, a position he jealousy guarded until retirement from active classroom duties.

According to a very close family member and confidant, Bola Adeyemo, who spoke glowingly about their fond relationship, Prof Ajayi “also became active in things of God. Like a proverbial gold fish, he has been recognized as a Pastor. Ladele played a mentoring role in the final years of school for my twin daughters who both graduated from the medicine program in the same University.

“The mutual fondness between Ladele and I remains very much intact. Ladele and l share common ancestry. His father who was the Otun Olufi of Gɓongan was a much older cousin to my mother and was fondly referred to as baba mi ile ASORO. They both had the same tribal marks. Ladele can be classified as belonging to the royal class as his father was the OTUN OLUFI while his mother was the daughter of the ÒOSA, first class chief in Gbongan.”

A life of Prof Ajayi without a mention of prolific publisher of the Ovation brands,  Chief Momodu, remains incomplete. It is worthy of note that apart from both sharing the same mum as siblings, the Prof was instrumental in shaping and mentally mentoring Momodu on the path of education. His 80th birthday was a reminder of how it used to be in times past as it marks a form of reunion for the Ajayi extended household.

Among those who attended were his daughter, Kemi Ajayi-Ingram, who flew in all the way from the United States of America, with her entire family; his niece, Yejide Ajayi among a host of others.

We wish the ebullient octogenarian a splendid birthday, and many ore years of splendid celebrations.

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Easter, Ramadan: Adeleke Releases March Salaries, Pension, Palliatives, Approves Promotion for Personnel

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved the release of salaries, pensions and palliatives for the month of March for all public servants in the state, as well as approved the promotion of service personnel due for promotion from 2023.

Adeleke’s show of love for the entire workforce, is in spite of the fact that the State allocation from the Federation account is yet to be released, according to a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed.

The Head of Service, Mr Samuel Ayanleye Aina confirmed the approval of the March salaries, pension and palliatives, noting that the fast tracked approval covered all categories of state and local government employees including tertiary institutions in the State.

“I can confirm that Mr Governor has approved the March salaries, pension and palliative wage awards, including the usual payment of the outstanding half salary for retirees under the contributory pension scheme yet to obtain their bonds. Mr Governor requested for the file and granted immediate approval.

“Any moment from now, alerts will be landing in our peoples’ accounts. This is a preemptive step on the part of Mr Governor to meet the needs of our people”, the Head of Service explained.

Governor Adeleke who has been hosting inter faith leaders at the Government House said he approved the early payment to ease the burden of the workers ahead of the Easter period.

“As I wish muslim and christian faithfuls blessed fasting season, the early payment is a gesture of support for workers whose welfare remains the number one priority of our administration”, the Governor noted.

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