OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY MARTYRS' DAY: JULY 10
George Iwilade (AFRIKA) As The Symbol

By Bamidele Williams


“ The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins" —Søren Kierkegaard

"It is the cause, not the death, that makes the martyr."—Napoleon Bonaparte


Every country, religion institution and family has its own history and its own story.

One of the ways to heal from loss and to honour the dead is to dedicate a day or a monument or a square, or even poems, to them so that they are never forgotten.
Of all the countries that use the designation Martyrs’ Day, each has a story that captures an important moment in each country’s history.
The Day is to celebrate both the dead and the living heroes including all those who suffered various deprivations as a result of wars.
It is a date to salute the sacrifice of soldiers who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of their nation.

The term martyr is religious in origin and predates Islam. One of history’s first martyrs is said to be Jesus, known as Issa in Islam.
The word martyr serves Christian and Islamic traditions and originates in the term “witness”, as in the embodiment of faith. A martyr is someone who dies for their beliefs and for defending a cause.

Martyrs’ Day is important to mark and celebrate so that every generation remembers the heroes and their great sacrifices.
Safety and security of a country should never be taken for granted, as it means there are courageous people who have protected and defended it for all of us to live in peace and harmony.

May 6 is celebrated in Lebanon and Syria as Martyrs’ Day. The date is tied to 1916, given the turbulent histories of both countries.
Under the rule of Jamal Pasha, popularly known as “Al Jazzar” (the butcher), tens of thousands died from the Great Famine.
Pasha also ordered the public execution of 21 Syrians and Lebanese for “anti-Turkish activities”.
They were executed in the Marjeh Square in Damascus and Burj square in Beirut, which have since been renamed Martyrs’ Square.
The square in Lebanon was later dedicated to the fallen heroes of the civil war (1975-1990) then picked as the final resting place of the assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

In India, Martyrs’ Day is January 30, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in 1948.

In Armenia, April 24 is Martyrs’ Day. It marks the massacre of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923 in what has been called the first genocide of the 20th Century.

In Tunisia April 9 commemorates the fallen heroes who led protests in the streets in 1938 for their country’s independence from French rule. Twenty-two died and 155 were wounded.

Iraq marks December 1 as its Martyrs’ Day to honour those who fell in the war with Iran from 1980 and 1988. Its grand martyrs’ monument, also known as Nasb Al Shaheed, and whose massive turquoise domes are an instantly recognised icon in Iraq, was unveiled in 1983.

Almost every nations in the world, fallen soldiers are honoured on Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day.

It is the natural progression of any country that, as it grows stronger and develops, sacrifices become bigger; as defending one’s country has become real in a sense.

There is no higher sacrifice than giving up your life for your country. So commemorating this selfless, brave act is part of showing appreciation for those who protect us and our country.
There is no greater sacrifice than one’s life for the reign of peace and an end to terror and oppression— For freedom.

In Nigeria, in view of some significant historical developments, it is celebrated on the 15th of January every year,
in commemoration of the surrender of Biafran troops to the Federal troops on 15 January 1970, thus signaling the end of the Nigerian Civil War that sought to tear apart the unity of Nigeria.

From thence, it has become a national ritual when on every January 15 nationwide, military personnel including the Army, the Navy, the Air force and the Nigerian Legion converge in different centres across the nation to celebrate the day and give honour to the fallen and living heroes who hazarded and continue to hazard their lives for the territorial integrity of the nation and for peace to reign worldwide.

Every nations in the world; America, Italy, France, China, Germany, Britain, South Africa — among others, when asked will definitely have one or two things to say about their martyrs who lost their life in the service of ensuring peace and pursuit of freedom( mostly in terms of gaining their independence from their intruding master).

Like any and every of those nation that celebrates their fallen heroes who have selflessly fought for the peace and emancipation of their people from the gruesome reign of oppression and anarchy; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, "as a nation" also has its own side of the story to remember.

June 10, 1999. Exactly 17 years ago. A group of cultists, confraternity, invaded the Obafemi Awolowo University in what is believed by the students as a sponsored attack by the then Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Wale Omole ( 1991-1999), judging from the various factual incidences that surrounded it, in order to silence any forms of reproval from the then gallant young freedom fighters on his purposed inhumane increment of the school fee from #590 to #10000.

This very attack led to the death of the five young stars of the university. Selfless activists whose death put an end to the reign of antisocial groups on the campus. Whose death brought the very ray of freedom of expression without any intimidation or fear of subsequent attack from anyone.
George Akinyemi Iwilade (aka Afrika), Secretary General of the Student Union then; Eviano Ekeimu, Yemi Ajiteru, Babatunde Oke and Godfrey Ekpede, were all brutally killed under the covering of darkness.

“ There are perhaps many causes worth dying for, but to me, certainly, there are none worth killing for.
Albert Dietrich,

This year remembrance of the martyrs' is anchored by the Students' Union security committee of the university, preceded by signing of condolences register and film show on 9th and enlightenment symposium on the 10th and bonfire on the evening of the day with candle night at the late hour of the day.

"The martyrdom of some people brings peace for other people so martyrs are the real heroes. The dignity of a martyr cannot be explained in words, because it is a great achievement, great reward for that person. He sacrifices his life but he remains alive in hearts of his people"— this quote of the Former UAE President defines the side of the story in Obafemi Awolowo University.


They are the martyred heroes of a holy crusade for freedom, emancipation and human dignity.

The martyrs of our history of freedom were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the reign of terror and trepidation didn't die in vain.

I would remind you that
extremism in the defense of
liberty is no vice ! And let me remind you also that
moderation in the pursuit of
justice is no virtue!

Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks— (Malcolm X)

Let us remember that Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction if care is not taken.
It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.

A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill.

Peace is not the absence of
conflict , but the ability to cope with conflict by peaceful means.
With the destructive power of today's weapons, keeping the
peace is not just a goal; it's a
sacred obligation . But maintaining peace requires more than sincerity and
idealism — more than optimism and good will . As you know well, peace is a product of hard, strenuous labor by those dedicated to its preservation. It requires realism, not wishful thinking.

Whether the present and future sect of Union leaders and the students of the university will gallantly, selflessly and jealously defend this legacy and emancipation is what is actually a concern to the writer.


OAU5 LIVES ON...


Bamidele Williams is a journalist, a public affairs analyst and the Convener of OAU Pigeonpost.

You can reach him on:
08134810254
profcube10@gmail.com

R.I.P Afrika