Condolences have continued to pour-in for the late Chief Oluwole Awolowo’s as some governors, senators and the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, among others yesterday mourned the death of the scion of the dynasty.
Oluwole, the first son of the late sage and former Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, died on Wednesday in a London hospital following alleged complications from a ghastly motor accident he was involved in 2006.
Asiwaju Hamed Tinubu, Yeye HID Awolowo and Aremo Segun Osoba
Those who sympathised with the family yesterday included the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, the Senator representing Ogun Senatorial District, Adegbenga Kaka, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, among others.
The ACN in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said it was extending ‘’its deep condolences to the Awolowo family, especially to its matriarch, over the death of the family’s scion, Chief Oluwole Awolowo, which the party said it received with great shock and much sadness, and prayed that God will grant him eternal rest and comfort those he left behind.
The party hailed the late Chief Awolowo’s contribution to deepen the freedom of speech, a key ingredient of democracy, through his great efforts in sustaining one of the country’s oldest surviving newspapers, Nigerian Tribune.
’’Sustaining the rich legacy of the Tribune, which was founded by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is a remarkable achievement, especially at a time that the newspaper publishing industry is facing great challenges, including from the so-called New Media.
’’It is therefore to Chief Oluwole Awolowo’s credit, as the publisher of the irrepressible Tribune for many years, that he ensured the paper has continued to wax stronger and stronger.’’
Fashola, Ashafa, Kaka, others mourn
Governor Babatunde Fashola of LagosState has expressed sadness at the passage of former Publisher of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, Chief Oluwole Awolowo, describing him as a leader and a gentleman.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Hakeem Bello, Fashola said he was particularly pained by the fact that the former member of Apapa Local Council passed on at a time he was needed most to propel the enduring legacy of the Awolowo family.
“It is indeed saddening that Chief Oluwole would pass on at this point in time when he is most needed to continue to provide needed support to the family, especially to the matriarch of the Awolowo Dynasty, Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Awolowo, who turned 97 recently,” Fashola said.
According to him, “That Chief Oluwole played a leading role in the affairs of the prominent Awolowo family, especially since the translation of Papa Awolowo, is never in doubt. His indomitable presence as Vice-Chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, publishers of the Tribune titles and overseer over the other family interests has gone a long way to keep the legacies of Papa Awolowo alive years after his translation. He was a genuine leader and a natural gentleman.” Governor Fashola further said, recalling the political career of Chief Oluwole Awolowo, especially when at a tender age, he demonstrated his independence of mind by joining the youth vanguard of a party opposed to that of his father.
The Governor pointed out that this was just one example of the broad mindedness which “dominated the entire life of Chief Oluwole. But Papa Awolowo did not rebuke him for that. Instead, the Sage admired him for it and gave him the nickname “Unbreakable”, a name which he obviously lived in full both in his public and private life.”
Senators Gbenga Ashafa, Adegbenga Kaka also mourn:
Ashafa, hailed the virtues of Wole in a statement yesterday saying “I recall, ‘Wole was a successful parliamentarian and a smart political operator with a high sense of responsibility and unusual capacity for hard work and vigour which are the hallmarks of the Awolowos. As a parliamentarian, he headed several legislative committees on Environment, Education and Health.
“Also, in 1984, Chief Wole led the delegation that visited UK, Canada and USA on special assignments. He never discriminated against friends and relations who knew him as ‘Unbreakable’.
“Above all, his death is a big pain and loss to all of us who are followers of the sage. We pray that the Almighty God strengthens our Mama H.I.D Awolowo and the entire family in this difficult moment. May his amiable soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.”
Senator Kaka, representing Ogun East Senatorial District, said that Nigerians were unfair to the late scion of Awolowo family, Chief Oluwole Awolowo by comparing the deceased with his late father, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Kaka spoke when he paid a condolence visit to Mrs Awolowo and other members of the family at their Ikenne country home.
He said, ‘’We can only thank God for the good life he lived and for trying to be himself throughout his life. The country as a whole erroneously continued to judge him by the standard of Baba Awolowo, forgetting that Baba Obafemi Awolowo was not just an outstanding leader in Nigeria but is incomparable worldwide.
”So, I will say that Nigeria was unkind to uncle Wole by judging him by the standard of his father. He was also outstandingly a great man, gentle,loving and of course generous to those that are very close to him. So, all I can say is that he was erroneously judged throughout his life by the incomparable standards set by Papa Awolowo without due consideration for his outstanding virtues. May his soul rest in peace.”
Also,former Gubernatorial candidate of the National Conscience Party, NCP in Ogun State, Lanre Banjo described the death of the only surviving son of Awolowo as shocking.
According to him, his loss was a painful one as it has definitely created further vacuum in Papa Awolowo’s dynasty.
”Given the struggle of the late Chief Awolowo for the masses of our country, those of us from Ogun State are uniquely and deeply aggrieved by this loss”.
Also, a law maker representing Egbado South/ Ipokia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Abiodun Akinlade said, “Uncle Wole was an exceptional Nigerian who touched so many lives. He was a great man till death. He will be greatly missed by all.”
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