Friday, September 10, Nigerians and indeed some foreign nationals gathered at the Eko Hotel, Lagos to benefit a cause: the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy(KIND). That is the NGO set up in memory of the slain heroine of democracy, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola to mould young women into the next generation of leaders nation-wide. It was a colourful night to remember. Percy Owaiye was there for Vanguard.
“I formally welcome you to this occasion, you are all welcome.” With those words Mr Debo Adeyemi, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), declared the event open. It was the formal endowment of the KIND Centre and the public presentation of a book of tributes to late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola at the Grand Ballroom of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos on Firday, 10 September.
The event itself started about an hour or also after the advertised time of 4.oop.m. But not many people were bothered about the delay. It was reminincenes, colour, poetry and people from all walks of life that graced the KIND event All of the people gathered in memory of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola the well-acclaimed martyr of democracy, and also in acknowledgment of how well the children have flown the banner of her good legacy since her demise.
They came in their numbers, and from all walks of life; the prominent and the not so prominent. People from causes she benefitted in her life time. In attendance were Professor Wole Soyinka who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NGO, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori of the June 12 mass strike fame, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, one of the early arrivals who had to leave at some point as the ceremony got under way, Odia Ofeimun. and co. On the government side, we had Princess Funke Adedoyin, who represented Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Mr Femi Pedro, representative of Governor Bola Tinubu, Alhaja Salamotu Badru, also representing her state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
There was also Chief Bode George, Dr Bode Olajumoke, Funso Williams all chieftains of the ruling PDP. Also in attendance were Mrs Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Niran Malaolu, Dele Alake, Opeyemi Bamidele, Rauf Aregbesola, commissioners in Ogun and Lagos administrations. Present also were Senators Kunle Amosun and Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Abike Dabiri and Lola Abiola-Edewor, all of the National Assembly. How will ever account for the numerous others who were there and did everything to hide their presence? Not many for example, will know that the man popularly known as Uncle Sam, the publisher of the Vanguard newspapers was there too. He made his presence felt, as usual, in his unobtrusive and brief manner. And I spotted Ohi Alegbe and Dr Abubakar Momoh, stars in their own right both. There were the women too from the various interests which Kudirat benefitted in her life time, who never fail to attend such events given in her memory.
After Mr Debo Adeyemi’s brief welcome address, the programme quickly moved to a video tribute to the life and times of Kudirat Abiola, especially the well-known events leading to her assassination by the agents of state under late General Sani Abacha.
But the best part of the night was to follow immediately after. And that was the formal presentation of the book- KUDIRAT: Steps in Time. First to speak was Odia Ofiemun. He started by saying that the fact that the audience acknowledged those who stood for the truth, fought for the truth, and are still standing for the truth is one justification for the gathering that night. He clearly had Chief Frank Kokori in mind. Nigerians would not forget in a hurry his principled stand on the side of justice and his able leadership of his union, the National Union of Petroleum and natural Gas Workers in the fight to upturn the June 12 annulment by the military government of General Ibrahim Babangida. A struggle which earned him untold personal suffering and incarceration for many months.
Notable poet and literary critic, Odia Ofiemun then went ahead to recall a story as told him by the late Chief Bola Ige in the hey-days of the June 12 struggle. It was at a rally in Yaba, and Kudirat Abiola was said to have noticed the policemen who had been assigned to monitor the event, pointing their guns rather menacingly at some young children in their midst. The Alhaja sensing danger, instantly moved to the front of the children, and ordered the policemen to point the gun at her instead. Her motherly heart could not take it. So too, her sense of responsibility and mission.
Mr Ofiemun went on to state that what stood Kudi out is that “she did not only stand by her husband, but also in the process, carved a niche for herself.” Kudi metamorphosed from a wife and mother, to a participant in politics, and had a good run amongst the participants in the struggle for June 12: Kokori, Enahoro, Adesanya and the journalists to carry it on this day. He summarized by saying that Kudi’s life is what her life signifies: she stood by what Nigeria gave to herself. Nigeria gave to herself Abiola.
Nobody had the right to deny them what they gave to themselves. He closed by reading an extract from his poem which he contributed to the book, having acknowledged that he would have preferred to read from Soyinka’s but for the latter’s aversion to his public reading of them.
Soyinka took the podium shortly after and startled everyone by declaring that his intention on the day was just to sit through proceedings and not say anything at all. A wordsmith of such international repute attend a function and keep mute? Before the audience could recover from this surprise, the Nobel laureate launched into a salvo:“I am in a state of abject terrorism. [And this] for a simple reason. I have become afraid of how the pressmen report what I say.” Soyinka was referring to years of misrepresentation in the press, a burden he said he could no longer put up with. It was no doubt, a thumbs-down for the press, candidly given without any malice whatsoever, as he said his future engagements with the press will be in the form of press statements.
The night marked the birth of this new approach, as he issued his press statement on a ‘sabbatical’ from the press-a matter which was to dominate the headlines the Sunday after. Soyinka anticipated this outcome and tried to warn against it in his statement:“ I feel sad that I should be compelled to announce my own sabbatical on the occasion of a commemoration of Kudirat Abiola, a combatant in the struggle for the soul of this nation, and for democratic justice.” I doubt now that he is not disappointed that his silence-resolve had managed again to dominate the headlines, instead of the purpose of the day’s gathering. But the papers must get their headlines.
He underlined his own compelling reason for his action when he stated further that:
“However, we all have responsibilities in the struggle, and , principal among these, for the media, is accurate reporting of the pronouncements of the participants in that struggle. We should not be burdened with the extra task of constantly correcting misrepresentations- careless, deliberate, or ignorant, it does not matter. We deserve a mutually respectful collaboration.”
Soyinka returned to the subject of the day, acknowledging the ‘tragic sacrifices’ of both Alhaja Kudirat and Bashorun MKO Abiola. He wondered why “this regime(referring to the federal government)is so reluctant to honour the martyrs of democracy.” Noting that he had challenged journalists before, he charged them again to stop referring to the stadium at Abuja as ‘National’, but to join him as he did during the last All African Games that the magnificent stadium hosted, to call it: MKO Abiola Stadium. This drew a huge applause from the audience.
For those who have had the opportunity of listening to Hafsat Abiola speak, she is such a consumate speaker, and she did not disappoint on this occasion which was clearly one of a great fulfilment. To have the privilege to document her mother for posterity, she told this reporter was a thing of immense joy. She had her siblings, Jamiu and Abiodun and other members of the Abiola and Adeyemi(Kudirat’s roots)family to share the joy of the day with her.
But the greater import of the day was not lost on her: the future and the work of KIND. She appealed for the strong support of all present to build a KIND Centre to advance the work of the NGO. The target is N100million, and a major reason for the evening’s gathering. KIND as part of its immediate work, she said, was targeting 1,000 undergraduates next year out of the 15million population within KIND’s orbit of influence-young women who form the pool of the next generation leaders in the country and indeed, beyond. She closed her exhortation by reading from a poem she wrote in tribute to Kudirat, underlining the fact that:“ she paid our people’s price”.
Thus the stage was set for the fund raising proper. This aspect of the event was supervised by Honourable Abike Dabiri who was assisted by her colleague, Lola Abiola-Edewor, first child of the Abiola family. Of Lola, her striking resemblance to her late father never ceases to confound, and that was on much display this evening. Anyway, it was Princess Funke Adedoyin, representing Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who was unavoidably absent who kicked this bit off.
After delivering Vee-Pee’s goodwill message, she announced a N1million donation on his behalf. This set the tone for the night as Femi Pedro and Alhaja Salamotu Badru announced the same figure respectively on behalf of their state chief executives who they represented too. But Ogun contingent, perhaps realising their greater duty as the home state of the democracy martrys, came out to steal the show.
Deputy Governor, Alhaja Salamotu Badru, called out the various categories-Senator Ibikunle Amosun, commissioners, local government chairmen and departmental heads- and after all the pomp and pageantry, they made a combined donation of N2,250,000. It would probably be the highest donation by any single group.
It was Chief Bode George who was taking his turn when this reporter had to return to the office to file the story of the event. Time was about 8.20p.m and the evening was far gone. At the end of the event more millions would have been raised for a good cause. Ones only fear is that it would be enough to get the project off the ground. KIND is a great idea that rose from the ashes of the tragic loss of an illustrious parent worthy of the support of all good Nigerians, at home and in the diaspora.
