ABOUT MOSHOOD ABIOLA STADIUM ABUJA

Ten years ago when General Olusegun Obasanjo held sway as the god of Abuja, I wrote a piece in the Nigerian Tribune calling on the authorities, especially President Obasanjo who was the greatest beneficiary of Abiola’s supreme sacrifice to name the Abuja stadium after the Pillar of Sport in Africa. Since then, thanks to President Jonathan’s good sense, attempts have been made to immortalise MKO Abiola at the national level. Although Jonathan’s advisers did not give the most appropriate advice, it must still go on record that President Goodluck Jonathan believes in honouring our ‘heroes past’ as he recently did with Pa Akinwumi. History will surely be kind to Jonathan on that singular score. I have reason to reproduce the article I wrote for the Tribune on September 20, 2004 in the certain hope that some patriotic individuals will persuade the President to sign into law the proposal of the National Assembly to immortalize Abiola’s name by appreciating MKO’s monumental support and contribution to the growth of sport not only in Nigeria but in Africa as a whole. Please come with me and savour the article written ten years ago!

I almost went physical the other day when some one tried to suggest that the reason President Olusegun Obasanjo has delayed signing the bill naming the stadium in Abuja after Moshood Abiola was because some politicians were waiting in the wings for the monument to be named after them! What a thought? What a wicked thought! I reasoned. How could any one living be competing with a title with some body already six feet below? Since the past few years when the idea of honouring the late irreplaceable philanthropist Abiola with the National Stadium Abuja gained national currency, even at the National Assembly, Nigerians at home and abroad had been wondering what could possibly have been the cause of delay in implementing a simple national wish. I believe it is this unexplainable delay that has led to lots of speculations and wagging of tongues. Bashorun Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola sacrificed all that he had including his life so that the most elusive commodity called democracy might return to Africa’s most populous country. Abiola submitted himself to be killed so that democracy might live. And six years after making the supreme sacrifice nothing appreciable has come from those who benefited most from his self denying sacrifice.

Six years after Abiola’s death gave the Yoruba an unquestioned claim to central power, his name is almost being deliberately obliterated from the national psyche. Abiola alive or dead deserves the honour of having the national stadium at the country’s capital city named after him. Apart from Israel Adebajo, no other Nigerian has done as much to the promotion and enhancement of sports and sporting activities as Moshood did—with his personal fortunes. Abiola’s involvement in sporting activities was total. It is hoped therefore that by October 1, Abiola’s huge name, in glittering letters, would be at the four corners of the Moshood Abiola Stadium Abuja, And we do have a consolation: human beings have a natural way of immortalizing their worthy heroes. Two examples will suffice; when Dr. Victor Olunloyo designed a bye-pass to link the old site of University of Ife Ibadan campus with the old campus of the Ibadan Polytechnic, the holders of power refused to name the creative idea after him. But regardless of officialdom, the entire Ibadan people gave the name Olunloyo road to the bye pass. And that is the name the stretch of road is known and called by till today.

Governor David Medaiyese Jemibewon used his creative idea to decongest the popular Dugbe Mokola Oremeji road in Ibadan by constructing an alternative route by the Mokola barracks. Again, officialdom failed to name the road after him, but the people of Oyo State named the road Jemibewon and that is what the place is called and known by. It is instructive to note that we do not have to be Head of state or premier or governor to have our names immortalized. Mahatma Gandhi never became the Prime Minister of India. He did not even contest for the position. But today his memory lingers longer and his image looms larger than that of any Prime Minister that ever ruled India.  Moshood Abiola Stadium is in the millions of hearts of those whose lives he touched with his monumental contributions and gargantuan achievements.

Share on Google Plus

About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.