A two times governor of Ogun State, the home state of Bashorun MKO Abiola, Chief Segun Osoba, has described the the conferment of GCFR honours on the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, as a welcome and symbolic gesture.
Chief Osoba made the remark Tuesday during the honours award ceremony in Abuja, saying that as a sitting governor during the period under review, he felt the pains, fears and anxieties of fellow Nigerians.
He congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and members of his cabinet for the gesture, and pledged to match on with him on any ‘further legacies to construct on the solid June 12 foundation’ already laid.
Below is the full text of Chief Osoba’s speech:
A WELCOME, SYMBOLIC GESTURE
(REMARKS BY H.E. CHIEF OLUSEGUN OSOBA, CON AT THE JUNE 12, 2018 POSTHUMOUS CONFERMENT OF THE NATIONAL HONOUR OF GCFR ON CHIEF MOSHOOD KASIMAWO OLAWALE ABIOLA, WINNER OF THE JUNE 12, 1993 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION)
Mr President
Fellow Nigerians,
I join all of us in expressing gratitude to Almighty God for making us witness the historic occasion. As the sitting governor of Ogun State, home-state of the late Bashorun MKO Abiola in 1993, I was in the forefront and an active participant in the politics of the era. I shared the fears, pains, and anxieties of fellow Nigerians about those developments. Since that annulments; our efforts at building an enduring democracy have not always been smooth. Many have sought to falsely consign the promise of the June 12 election to irrelevance. We have lived in denial for so long.
The decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the deceit, and repair the damage by taking the symbolic step of recognizing the promise of June 12, the sacrifice of Bashorun Abiola and many other heroes of democracy-the artisans, human rights organization, students, traders, journalists, academics, various professionals, organized religion and the labour movement through this conferment of the GCFR award on Chief Abiola is welcome. So is the proclamation of June 12 as our Democracy Day. It is never too late to correct a wrong. We congratulate Mr President and members of his government for this historic action.
We commit The President to the guidance of Almighty God for the courage and wisdom to Do MORE by building on the larger implications of the June 12 election for the sustainable progress and development of Nigeria.
During that campaign our T.V. advert clip of Hope 93 slogan was “on the March Again-MKO is our man O.” In the spirit of Hope 93, we are prepared and ready to March behind you on any further major legacies you want to construct on the solid June 12 foundation that you laid today.
God Bless you Mr President. God Bless us all and God Bless Nigeria.
H. E. Olusegun Osoba (CON)
Former Two Times Governor of Ogun State.
