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Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), former President, Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), on Tuesday appealed to the Federal Government to accord the late M.K.O Abiola the respect due to a former president of the country.
Akeredolu, who is a governorship aspirant of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ondo State, made the appeal in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He also urged the government to declare June 12 a national day in honour of Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
“Honouring Abiola is a noble thing to do. It is somewhat belated but still necessary. In doing this, we not only acknowledge the sacrifice made by this exceptional man but also, and this is more important, to absolve ourselves of being dubbed hypocrites.
“Government should, without further delay, name a national monument such as the Abuja National Stadium after the man who died for the current politicians to thrive.
“The significance of the sacrifices of the late Africa Pillar of Sports and amiable philanthropist should not be limited to a regional university funded by the government at the centre.
“The greatest honour any government can bestow on Abiola still remains the commitment of its functionaries to the rule of law and good governance,” he noted.
While lamenting the level of joblessness in the country, Akeredolu observed that majority of the people were yet to fully reap the dividends of democracy since 1999.
He, however, called on governments at all levels to ensure that the ordinary people enjoy the dividends of democracy. (NAN)
