Tokunbo Ajasin, the eldest child of former governor of Old Ondo State, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, has protested the non-inclusion of his father’s name and other veterans of June 12, 1993, struggle as heroes in the President Bola Tinubu’s list on Democracy Day.
In his protest piece titled: “The incomplete list of June 12 Heroes,” Tokunbo reeled out other names as contained in a book published by Chief Olusegun Osoba, two terms governor of Ogun State and veteran of June 12 struggle.
“Much as I hate to get personal, I would be lying if I didn’t say that I and other members of my family were rather surprised that the name of our dad was not among those honoured by President Tinubu as he doled out National honours to June 12 heroes.
“Besides, I have been inundated with calls from friends and well-wishers wondering why my late dad’s name, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin was omitted from the list.
“As is characteristic of the Ajasin family, our deeds are mostly altruistic, since there is usually no craving for any reward, notwithstanding our privations. Consequently, our deeds and performances very often go unnoticed/unrecognised.
“However, it is unconscionable that the leader of the group (NADECO) best known for fighting the military and bringing about the much-touted democracy never got a single mention in the scheme of June 12 celebration/anniversary,” Tokunbo said.
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), a group led by the late former governor of Old Ondo State was the arrowhead of the democratic struggle to reverse the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by late Chief Moshood Abiola.
He added that he did not know whether the conspicuous omission was deliberate or not, “but be it known that Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin CFR in his lifetime doubled as the Leader of Afenifere and NADECO, the two organisations that were the arrowheads and in the forefront of the fight against military dictatorship.”
He recalled that it was Afenifere that provided the leadership for all other activists and civil society organisations which included the Campaign for Democracy (CD), Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Movement for National Reformation (MNR), National Conscience Party (NCP), Concerned Professionals (CP), among others.
Chief Osoba in his book, “Battle lines: Adventures in Power”, identified 49 founding signatories of NADECO including Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Mallam Lawal Dambazzau, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Major General Adeyinka Adebayo (retd.), Chief Bola Ige, Commodore Dan Suleiman, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Professor Anya O. Anya.
Others are Colonel Yohanna Madaki, Reverend Father Moses Adasu, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, Reverend Tunji Adebiyi, Chief Ade Ojo, Chief Ralph Obioha, Chief Empire Kanu, Chief Michael Anyiam, Dr. Sola Soile, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo, Chief E. Duru, Mr. Nick Dazzang, Mr. Labaran Maku, Dr A. A. Akingba, Mr Babas Eko Oyekanmi, Mr Alex Ayatolla, Mrs Sarah Jubril, Alhaji Ganiyu Dawodu, Mr O. P. Edodo, Mr A. Barber and Otunba Olabiyi Durojaiye.
Also are Chief Olusegun Osoba, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Alhaji Mohammed Siraj Hamza, Dr. Wahab Dosunmu, Otunba Aboyade Cole, Major General Olufemi Olutoye (rtd), Chief Sobo Sowemimo, Dr. Steve Achema, Chief Olaniwun Ajayi, Chief Olu Falae, Brigadier-General Jonah Jang, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Mr. Alao Aka-Bashorun, Mr. Emmanuel Njiwah, Chief Vincent Nwizugbo and Dr. Uma Eleazu.
Other prominent NADECO leaders include, but were not limited to Mr. Ayo Opadokun, Mr. Wale Osun, General Alani Akinrinade, Femi Falana, Bola Tinubu, Lam Adesina, Chief Segun Adegoke, Chief Adebayo Adefarati, Clement Nwankwo, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu and Senator Kofo Bucknor, to name a few.
Tokunbo noted that while Chief Ajasin was the leader of NADECO, Chief Anthony Enahoro was the Deputy leader, and Mr Ayo Opadokun was the General Secretary.
“None of these names appeared on the published list! Even though the above list is by no means exhaustive, yet, most of the above names are missing from the list of heroes of June 12 that got published today (Thursday). So what happened? Why are the bureaucrats getting it wrong?
“At the risk of being immodest, my father, our family and indeed the Owo community were subjected to all sorts of risks from the marauding goon of the Abacha regime. Even where no awards or rewards are dispensed to these heroes of democracy, they certainly deserve to be recognised and mentioned in a country that has a dearth of heroes.
“Many members of the group fled abroad on exile, others were imprisoned while some were martyred, yet many are still alive to tell their stories,” he said.
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