The more they celebrate themselves, the more they ignore the unsung heroes of June 12. We, who made the struggle tick and thick. We were and still at the receiving end.
Those maximum rulers don’t want to hear us out. They occupy every space. And they are reaping with utmost impunity and recklessness where they never sowed. The actual sowers are left in the cold. To rot!
We sowed painfully with every pint of our blood. We put our lives on the line. But these latter-day democrats did not care a hoot. They are strangers to democracy.
Sad! They still dwell in their old, wild and weird ways. They continue doing things their queer manners. They flaunt their dubious character arrogantly.
No matter how hard they pretend. One day a Daniel would come to judgement. And a Pharaoh would certainly emerge who would not know Joseph.
They labour strenuously to curtail we, the unsung heroes of June 12 to the dustbin of our ugly history. That is the reason for this piece back. First published in my column, Daily Sun, Thursday, June 14, 2018, exactly 20 years after our release from detention.
It was in response to the recognition of some personalities as the heroes of June 12 by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 12, 2018. None of us, 40 in all, was recognised or remotely mentioned. That has not been remedied till date. We remain the “Unsung Heroes of June 12.” The piece:
Prisoners of War (PoWs), remember them? Sure, you must. If not, let us risk a quick flashback.
The story runs like this: On May 1, 1998, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, was shaken to its foundation. Protesters from three different locations invaded the city. It was a bloody Friday.
They were up in arms against the dictatorial government of the despot, General Sani Abacha. He had planned to rule us forever. The rioters vehemently disagreed and displayed their anger.
This was one of the violent spill-overs from the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. It was presumed, Chief Moshood Kshimawo Olawale Abiola won the election. It was a struggle of life and death.
The Ibadan 1998 May Day riots consumed lives and properties. The targets were Abacha’s cronies and everything associated with them. The city was literally turned upside down and inside out.
The following Sunday, I practically paved the way for my detention. The Sunday Tribune, which I edited, went to town screaming. Its banner headline was fearful. It roared, “Genesis of Ibadan bloodbath: The Untold Story.” Nobody could ignore it, not even Abacha’s security sycophants!
When the dust settled, 40 of us lost our freedom at different times and locations. We were framed up, clamped into detention.
We were strangely accused of planning to overthrow a military junta of Abacha mode. Our chief accuser and tormentor was the late Col. Ahmed Usman (retd), ex-military administrator, Oyo State. To his greatest delight, we were captured in the warfront. So, he came out publicly to recklessly pronounce us PoWs. And it sticks till today.
Sadly enough, none of our members made the list of honours for June 12 Pro-Democracy Heroes. To the compilers and masterminds of that list, we never for once existed. That is the weird thinking of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
Our team was by no means formidable. We had Chief Bola Ige as our undisputed leader. The last public office he held was Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation in the Olusegun Obasanjo civilian administration. He was initially his Minister of Power. Ige was before this, governor of the old Oyo State in the Second Republic. That was between October 1, 1979 and September 30, 1983. He was murdered in cold blood on December 21, 2001, in his Bodija, Ibadan residence.
Other members included: Alhaji Lam Adesina (late) former state governor; Comrade Ola Oni (late), the legendary rights activist; my humble self; Alhaji Lateef Akinsola, a.k.a Tokyo, former chairman, state National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW); Alhaji Billy Akanji, a.k.a Baba 70 (late), Kehinde Adesina and Sunday Morenikeji, aka, Baba Blessing (late).
None of us spent fewer than 32 days in detention while Abacha had his way. We regained freedom through bail the second day he lost his life. His gross loss was our bountiful gain. Such is life.
But President Muhammadu Buhari ignored the whole pack of us. He left us in the cold; all alone to lick our wounds, all by ourselves. What an unfriendly deal! Is it because we are not government-connected?
We are not alone in the cold. Prominent National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftains were equally and embarrassingly left out. NADECO was one of the major platforms used to fight for June 12.
The affected NADECO chieftains included Chief Abraham Adesanya, SAN (late). Abacha’s foot soldiers were always on his trail. We were grateful to God we did not lose him to the struggle. Others were Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Sir Olanihun Ajayi (late) and Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (retd). There are several others of the like minds.
None of us could make the list in the reasoning of the compilers. Pity! We are not APC-compliant! Only Chief Bisi Akande in that category made it. He was the first and only interim chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC). He also ruled Osun State between 1999 and 2003.
Undoubtedly, the pillar of the struggle was Chief Alfred Rewane (also late). As a matter of fact, he lost his precious life in the thick of the agitation. He was the silent and main financier of NADECO.
To be sure, no dispute about those “lucky” to be so honoured now. And certainly, no grudges against them not even one. If it took 25 years to recognise MKO; then there is still hope for the PoWs and others. We have clocked 24 years having been detained in May 1998.
We, the PoWs never ran away. Some of us had ample opportunities to do so. But we refused the urge and the pressure. Yet, we are alive today with those who bolted away.
Nevertheless, what is sauce for the goose is equally sauce for the gander. There is no half way to it. No half measure either. What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.
We’re spurred to shout, “Egbe kini yi wa, awa lokan.” We insist: “Awa lokan.”