ANAYO EZUGWU reports that prominent Nigerians, including leaders of civil society groups have paid tribute to the late spokesperson of the Afenifere, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, at a lecture to mark the second anniversary of his death...CONTINUE READING
For those, who knew and worked closely with the late spokesman of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Comrade Yinka Odumakin, his memory will live forever. Most of them consider Odumakin as an activist par excellence, who lived and died struggling for Nigeria’s democratic development…..CONTINUE READING
In honour of his memory, most of his close associates, colleagues, friends and relatives gathered in Lagos on Sunday, April 2, to celebrate the second anniversary of his death. The event, organised by the Oluyinka Odumakin Foundation (OOF), provided opportunity for progressives to assess the state of the nation and further chart a path of attaining a plural society under democratic governance. Speaking as the chairman of the occasion, Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, paid glowing tributes to the doggedness, untiring, patriotic and selfless life of Comrade Yinka Odumakin who during his lifetime served the organisation on pro-bono.
He commended his widow, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin for keeping her husband’s legacies and ideals alive. According to the Afenifere leader, the history of the country cannot be complete without the mention of the incorruptibility of the late Odumakin. He said: “I miss Yinka and he is one of those heroes that should be immortalised and properly celebrated based on his contribution to the enthronement of democratic governance in Nigeria.
He lived for a united Nigeria built on justice, equity and fairness. “Yinka was not just a man but one of the heroes of Nigeria, who have been put aside. He was a courageous and selfless fighter and not among those that fought for their personal gains and political appointments. He was a devoted and relentless fighter. He practised righteousness without falling into temptation and being compromised. “Since Yinka joined Afenifere, he never looked back.
May God bless his soul. I wish we had more of him. I missed Yinka, particularly now. The main thing is to thank Joe (widow of the late Yinka Odumakin) for organising this event. He was a man who served his country at the expense of his own life. He served Afenifere with all his strength. It was when he left that I appreciated him more. “I wish God would provide more of him, so that Nigeria will be on the path of progression.
As long as I live, I will be present at this kind of occasion. He was known for his incorruptibility and his truthfulness. The issue of this country and its incorruptibility cannot be complete without the mention of Yinka Odumakin.” Speaking as the keynote speaker, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), said Odumakin was one of the breeds of Alao Aka-Bashorun, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and Dr Beko Ransome- Kuti, who kept the struggle’s fire burning at a time, when Gani, Beko and himself were detained in Kuje prison for leading protest against the General Ibrahim Babangidida’s government. Falana charged the youths to take ownership of their country as no one else would free them from the shackles of bad governance, injustice and gargantuan corruption unless they organise themselves to do such.
He recalled how Odumakin started the struggle against injustice right from his university days when he approached his chambers to help fight for some students detained for protesting against the killing of four of their colleagues. He said: “Yinka led some students to our chambers at Ebute Metta, the Aka-Bashorun Chambers, to ask for our intervention in respect of those students. ABU students were killed, Nsukka students were locked up, and Ife students came to Lagos to mobilise lawyers. Aka-Bashorun said, ‘Femi, you have to go to Nsukka’.
The late Aka-Bashorun provided logistics for me to go to Nsukka with an instruction: If those students are not released, don’t come back to Lagos.” Falana expressed displeasure that Nigerians can no longer exercise their democratic rights which Yinka fought for. “Don’t make this a family affair.
Involve all close associates and friends of Yinka even when we are gone, we will be able to celebrate what the late Yinka stood for. Men and women of idea don’t die because their works live after them. “But today, there is nothing to offer Nigeria which was why politicians whip up religious and ethnic sentiments so that Nigerians would not remember to ask questions. Nigerians can no longer exercise their Democratic rights which Yinka fought for. Democracy is about expressing your views and not verbal or physical attacks. Whether you are Obidient of whatever, don’t abuse people or call them names.” The human rights lawyer said the reason why his son targets the government is because of what he was made to experience while growing up. He said his frequent arrests as a legal practitioner always bothered his son in the past.
He noted that this made Falz raise a question if his father was a criminal because of the frequent arrest. “One of these guys one day said Falana talk to your son he should stop embarrassing the government. I say which government? Do you mean that boy who is an adult? “Can I give you his number so you can talk to him? But be careful because when that boy was growing up, I was being arrested from time to time.
So, the only language he understood was detention, arrest and the rest of them. “One day, when that boy was six, he asked his mother, our teacher taught us that only criminals were arrested. Is my father a criminal? Why is he always being arrested? And the mother had to say that in Nigeria, under the military only two sets of people were arrested; criminal suspects and political suspects. Political suspects are those who are out to expose the criminality of the government.
That is what you see going on,” he said. A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, on his part, described the late Comrade Odumakin as a genuine and patriotic persona. He said: “He led a genuine and patriotic Nigeria. As Pa Adebanjo said, Yinka was not the type of naira or dollar or any currency that could change. The youth need to look at the life of Yinka and emulate it. Some youth came to me requesting to know the meaning of progressive; I referred them online to search for the life and times of Yinka Odumakin. To me, that is the meaning of progressive.” In his goodwill message, Comrade Olumide Fusika called on the family of the late Odumakin to institutionalise the memorial lecture. He said: “I appreciate Comrade Joe for bringing together once again to remember our friend, the late Yinka Odumakin.
I don’t know what we can do to institutionalise this event. Some of us may not be around, institutionalised this event will go beyond the shoulder of the immediate family of the late Comrade. “Our people think when they hear about Afenifere, it is not about hatred for anybody. Those behind Afenifere are not about the superiority of one ethnic group over another but about organising the country in a way it will be beneficial to all Nigerians. We must commend Pa Adebanjo for keeping the spirit of Afenifere alive. “I want to encourage us to heed the advice of Pa Adebanjo that we should be known to stand for something and not dollar or naira. We should be genuine in our concerns. The future of this country is in the hands of those that are young. Please keep up that spirit.
We hope the situation of the country will turn around for the better to the benefit of all Nigerians and the country will be a thing of pride for all.” A former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Jimi Agbaje, in his goodwill message said: “It’s two years after, I will be right to say Nigeria misses Yinka Odumakin. When Yinka was on a cause, he would work with anybody who believed in that cause and the moment he fell apart, he would move away from that cause. “You could see where he stands at any point in time and he would fight it with all his strength.
There are not many people like Yinka Odumakin. He had opportunities to make billions but he didn’t. He was a wise gentleman.” The chief presenter of the book launched to honour Odumakin’s second anniversary, Fola Adeola said: “About this time on a Sunday, I would have Yinka in custody for discussion. It is difficult to forget Yinka because he was selfless.
I am here for Yinka because he was selfless. Let the youth come out and vote. Don’t allow your emotion to get the better of you.” In her remarks, the President of the Oluyinka Odumakin Foundation, Joe Okei-Odumakin, said her husband was heavily committed to the soil of his birth until his death. She said, “He never wanted an ethnic Nigerian. He wanted a restructured Nigerian. He never advocated for a break throughout his lifetime and was always willing to give everything he had for the struggle…..CONTINUE READING
