₦airaland Forum

Eminent Nigerians on Wednesday gathered at the Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State residence of the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, to mark his 26th posthumous birthday.

Mr. Awolowo, former Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria (now South-Western states and Edo) was born on March 6,1909; and died on May 9, 1987.

Nigerians, who were present at the anniversary, described Awolowo as a great and visionary leader during his lifetime.

A former Lagos State Governor, Lateef Jakande, described Awolowo “as a visionary leader whose immense contributions to the development of the country cannot be forgotten.”

Mr. Jakande said the legacy the late sage left behind would continue to live in the minds of Nigerians.

In her remarks, Hannah Awolowo, said her late husband was “a nice, kind hearted and loving man.”

“I still remember him as if he is still alive. I will never, never forget him until I join him,” she added.

She, however, urged politicians to emulate the good virtues of her late husband for the development of the country.

“If only politicians can listen and follow the legacy he left behind, Nigeria will be better off,” she said.

A Peoples Democratic Party leader and former minister, Ebenezer Babatope, described Mr. Awolowo as a visionary leader who always had the interest of Nigerians at heart during his life time.

“He was a great and visionary leader who always thinks about the problem of the country and how to solve it.

“There was never a dull moment with him,” he added.

Jide Adeniji, the Chairman of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency ((FERMA), said researchers would continue to work on the legacy the late sage left behind.

Mr. Adeniji said the legacy he left behind was imperishable, urging politicians to follow his uprightness and integrity.

Omotola Oyediran, the eldest daughter of the late sage, said her father was a loving and highly devoted family man.

Earlier in his sermon at the communion service held in the honour of the late sage, Venerable Funsho Babajide of Our Saviour Anglican Church, Ikenne, said Nigerians would continue to remember Awolowo for his selfless service to the nation.

Mr. Babajide urged Nigerian leaders to emulate the good work of the late sage, adding that he was a man full of passion for mankind.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday in Abuja held a closed doors meeting with the visiting Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, during which a proposal for a visa free regime was discussed.

Mr. Sharma and members of his delegation were accompanied to the meeting at the Presidential Villa, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, said issues bordering on trade and free movement formed the basis of the meeting between the President and Mr. Sharma.

He said as parts of plan to gradually introduce the visa-free policy, ahead of the November Commonwealth Heads of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, “there is a proposal to exempt carriers of diplomatic and official passports from visa procurement.”

He said the gesture might be extended to members of professional bodies.

Mr. Ashiru said, “We also discussed the issue of free movement to promote people to people contact within the Commonwealth.

“In the past, it used to be that holders of Commonwealth passports could travel within the commonwealth countries easily without having to go and queue for visas. We are now thinking for ways to ensure that we bring back this old tradition of the Commonwealth.

“Already, the council of ministers have recommended for approval at the next CHOGOM meeting in Colombo the exemption of holders of official and diplomatic passports within the Commonwealth from the requirement of a visa if they are travelling within the commonwealth.”

The Commonwealth secretary also told State House correspondents that they discussed wide-ranging issues of mutual benefit to the group and Nigeria.

He said, “We talked of what contribution can be made by the Commonwealth in the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals.

“There was also the issue of deep bilateral collaboration between the Commonwealth and Nigeria.

“This extends to the election commission that has been working for a very long time and the observers even in the last election. It extends to the software we keep and renew on debt management.”

According to Mr. Sharma, the Commonwealth is also ready to work with the Nigeria government in the area of public administration.

“So, I am meeting a lot of ministers. I had a meeting in the morning with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance and discussed many of these issues, especially as they relate to trade and liquidity, which are in the forefront of our membership,” he added.