Awoniyi: Still as Constant as The Northern Star – Abu Micheal

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The life and times of late Chief Sunday Bolorunduro Awoniyi, the Aro of Mopa, who died in November 28, 2007, in a London hospital from injuries he sustained in an auto crash on Abuja – Kaduna road, will again readily come to mind as many of his associates will be using his six year memorial anniversary to reflect on the state of the nation.

By his death, a very big vacuum was created in the nations leadership spheres. Awoniyi was no doubt a very great man.

Late Awoniyi, in his life time demonstrated the highest level of integrity and was accountable in both public and private life in the tradition of the late premier of the Northern region, Sir Ahmedu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto under whose tutelage he (Awoniyi) honed his leader-ship skills.

With the crisis rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a party Awoniyi co- formed, the leadership crisis in the country as well as the planned national conference, his views would have gone a long way in addressing these key issues.

Several commentators are of the view that, the man died too early – for them this is the time Nigeria need him for his forthrightness and patriotic ism. He never called a spade by any other name. He stood truth on the head.

Awoniyi, who would have been 81 this year, would be remembered for his various contributions towards the building of the Northern Nigeria Civil Service and a network of friends and political alliances, that still endure many years after.

A yoruba of Okun extraction from the North Central state of Nigeria; a Christian and minority, who led the Muslim and majority Hausa/Fulani dominated Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Awoniyi’s imprints, his ideals, positive contributions to national development and his insistence for the entrenchment of internal democracy are those things he would be remembered for.

Delivering a spell binding 5th Arewa lecture some years back, Awoniyi’s comment on leadership, just like it is today, remains relevant. He had stated:

One statement on which there is hardly a dissenting voice in Nigeria is the political clichés that “what Nigeria lacks is leadership”, implying that, the day the legendary leader appears from that day onward, Nigeria’s problem will begin to disappear rapidly.

Danladi (Sunday) as he was fondly called by the detribalized Sardauna of Sokoto (Ahmedu Bello), sees the North like the Sardauna as “One North, One People, One Destiny” and will always urge particularly the middle belt youths then to “ignore” whenever expressions like “Core North”which connote that other parts  are “peripheral or marginal North.

On his views of what a united, strong and self- reliant nation ought to be, Awoniyi had this to say, “to unite this country, require better knowledge of ourselves.  Our unity has to be looked at as a deliberate choice rather than chance. “it has to be achieved incrementally – one group removing causes of dissention within it and then reaching out to achieve accord with the next and the next and the next.

Still on late Sunday Awoniyi’s concern about the nation’s unity,he said it is slow and tedious but he maintained it merits a determined effort adding that it will not happen with the kind of national conference being proposed, but it will only happen if as a people, we work at it consciously  and continuously and with the greatest of determination to succeed.

A great man of Okun descent,he would be remembered for his politics of decency.  Late Awoniyi while alive would always, insist on a just and egalitarian society where a leader must ensure the rule of law, and provide a level playing ground for all competing interests.

Making Nigeria “a land bright” and full of opportunities for all citizens” and a free and democratic society was his major pro-occupation.

Late Awoniyi, a one time ACF Chairman Board of trustees in 2000 and chairman of the forum’s central working committee in December 2004, saw transparency of the electoral process as what the nation needed, He believed that once an electoral process is faulty, the entire ‘edifice’ will be faulty and unacceptable.

As the nation approaches 2015, Late Awoniyi would have naturally call for a considerable improvement in the quality of Nigerian politicians by deliberate actions. It is regrettable that 6years after his demise Nigeria has not outgrown the politics of ‘chop I chop’ a thing he detested with a passion.  For late Awoniyi, “Even if we achieve the miracle of sanitizing the electoral process, the Nigerian politician will continue to fool us so long as his quest for high office is a case of neck or nothing for which he is prepared to sacrifice the good of his country.

A simple man by nature, described by many as father of modern Okun politics,he also while alive was tolerant. Though a christian,he embraced people of other faith without any acrimony.

Late Awoniyi has since gone,but the issues he felt about religion has not changed. All his life,he wished Nigerians could out grow the petty sentiments attached to their faiths. He believed in one indivisible Nigeria. His religion was Nigeria – one Nigeria.

Late Awoniyi’s disposition to public office and politics today stands him out in a country where leadership, politics, disunity and religion have become the issue.

At the 5th Annual lecture in honour of Sir Ahmadu Bello,while speaking on the harmonious co-existence of the country, his suggestion would certainly assist in the National conference been proposed, where he said let us not forget that we owe our past achievements in no small measure to our ability to compromise and make friends  of former foes readily comes to mind.

Late Sunday  Bolorunduro Awoniyi, got involved in politics after a successful Civil Service career when he represented his people of Kogi West in the Senate on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC).

He also participated at the constitutional conference organized by the regime of the Late General Sani Abacha.

With the political process that followed the conference, Awoniyi, joined forces with politicians of like minds to form the defunct All Nigerian Congress (ANC).

He was the pioneer Chairman of ANC and in 1998 played a prominent role in the formation of the PDP and in the emergence of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as PDP candidate and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Abu Micheal is Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi State Deputy Governor


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