WHERE WERE YOU?

I would have loved to remain in my settee imitating my brother by shaking my legs, but posterity will hand me over to condemnation if I refuse to say something.

I read the argument for and against naming Unilag in honor of MKO Abiola the symbol of June 12 and hero of our democracy.

Some people have openly accused him of stealing money, that may be true, but at least we have not seen any proof to substantiate the claim till date.

He was not the first to obtain government contracts and he was not the first to steal if indeed he was a thief and will certainly not be the last. The money they stole in those days was chicken change and child play when will compare with todays monumental loot; from billion and trillion. Can any of you swear to heaven if he/she had never falsified common receipts in your workplace or offices in your entire life? Can any of you swear you has never cut corner and defrauded your parents when you were in the schools? Can any of you swear he/she has never committed any fraud no matter how little in your entire lives? Yet you are quick to label others ole, barawo, thief, gbewiri etc.

I have never seen MKO live when he was on this side of creation, so nobody can accuse me of defending him blinding. Only June twelve put us in the destiny coach. I have never spent his money. It was on records that I contributed to his wealth somehow by making sure I bought his newspapers every day.

Nobody can fault Mr. President's good gesture although belated and as the saying goes it is better late than never. The President himself is a distance beneficiary of the Abiola's martyrdom. No matter what anybody writes, he suffered and fought doggedly for enthronement of democracy until he dropped dead with a cup of tea. If he had succumbed to cajole, promises and tactics of the military junta, the jack boot idiots will still be ruling us today with decrees. It is doubtful if a man with minority insignia will smell the cabbage cans in Aso rock not to talk of being in the helms of affairs of the most populous black nation on earth.

Why wouldn't GEJ honor him? The students who are protesting have every right to do so more so they were infants when the Man fought and died for your democracy. The military retirees are trying to downplay MKO accomplishment, its okay after all they were part of the establishment before they join us as bloody civilians.

None of us ever pray for death to snatch our parents from us prematurely that is the case of Abiola's children. Dont they have every reason to be angry us for dishonoring their father with our outbursts? We are talking of foundation when the government is heavily indebted to the family.

1. Where were these antagonists when our educational system was in shambles, there were no quality text books for our tertiary institutions at that time. The few books available then were very expensive, this man used his Abiola Bookstores at Herbert Macaulay junction in Yaba to help Unilag students many of them are today alumni of University with good grade, no thanks to MKO. I wouldnt be surprised if the same people will not oppose MKO to be honored

2. Where were you when this man used his Concord Newspapers to breed first class Journalists, Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Mohamed, Dele Alake, Senator Anyawu the list is endless

3. Where were you when Nigerian were eating his high quality bread, Wonder bread

4. Where were you when this man in spite of poor services of the Nigeria Airways, he always patronized them, while most of you preferred KLM, BA, Air France etc

5. Where were you when he established Abiola farms that sold farm products at give away prices?

6. Where were you when he assisted under privileged people across the country and showered them with money at his Ikeja residence? Many who "stole" like him never assisted the poor7. Where were you when he donated heavily to all Nigerian Universities including Unilag?

8. Where were you when this man contested and won an election and refused to surrender the mandate of the people? Many of you would have chicken out, but he chose to died as a brave man

9. Where were you when he lost him wife and his business empire collapsed? Is anyone out there saying amen, that his wife should died the way MKOs wife died? See them? They are quite?

10. Where were you when this man employed the Nigerian youths in their thousands and you are accusing him of stealing? How many employment the thieves of today generate? Are there loot not stack away in foreign land?

11. Where are you? Add to the list

Has he done nothing wrong to have contested an election of the highest position on our father land? He won convincingly? Prof H. Nwosu who conducted the election confirmed it 15 years after.

Like a Lion, he refused to surrender until the last breath. Many of you ran away those who were in Diaspora then found it convenient to stay put and could not come home to lend helping hands to helpless common men and women, but can now find time to criticize one of the beneficiaries who right the wrong of previous regimes.

You may not realize that MKOs refusal was the tonic the progressive needed to challenge and propel the military to hurriedly package an election within a year, a clever exit package. We all have lease of life today. A democracy in place of militracy.If MKO were to be alive, the same people opposing this honor will shout hosanna on top of the roof MKO is our man o.

Almost two decades, we have forgotten the history this man made? He broke ethnic, religion, language, color barrier in our Nation since independence. Should I say I am ashamed of sharing the same DNA and common heritage with this unappreciative generation?

We are so wowo that we can no long appreciate someone who paid the supreme prize for you and I. No wonder no more sorry, no thank you in our culture. I still dont know how we get to this level of national disaster? I now know that truly Nigeria is not worth dying for?

Naming UNILAG, my beloveth alumni, great Akokites after MKO will never bring him or his wife back to live. If you like call the President names, yab him, call him both printed and unprintable names, he is deaf, dumb and blind go ahead and ambush him so that he yields to your pressure and revert the name, MKO Abiolas name has been written as well as cast in solid gold. None of you can come close to it because you are afraid of death.

MKO came, saw and conquered. The Obi Okwokwo of our time. I will siddon look and patiently waiting for GEJ to name UNN other alumni after Dim Ojukwu, another Lion of the East of the Niger and see if heaven will fall. Mind you MKO is his kins man yes I will defend and appreciate any Nigerian who excels and exceeds ordinary mortal.

I have said it earlier I dont know him from Adam. I am a Nigerian pure and simple. A citizen of the most populous black Nation on earth the super power of Africa. I am proud to be so addressed, a Nigerian.