Something caught my attention on getting to Ogbomoso as i walked pass Soun’s palace. It was the newly built hero’s arcade that was the object of attention and attraction at the king’s palace. Our focal point in this article is AKINTOLA, whose portrait (with his visible tribal marks) appears first amidst the identified heroes of the town.
Was AKINTOLA a hero?. What really makes him a hero? And was he a hero because he was killed in the first Nigeria coup of 1966? Was AKINTOLA extraordinary in his deeds to warrant being labeled a hero?. Should hero be local or global or should he be limited to a particular people.
I will wish you my esteemed readers, to draw your conclusion on whether he was a hero. You don’t have to be in government to be heroic. Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa etc were never politicians and the world still celebrate them till date. What really inspires me to pen this article is, must the people be told who their hero’s were or must an arcade be built in their memory. The story of the Titanic ship came to mind as I write this article. When it was built and ready for it’s first voyage in 1912.
The builders concluded then, it can never sink. But, after it sank as it could not conclude it’s first and only voyage, a man opined ” if the Titanic ship can sink, anything made of man can fail”. The point is, the arcades like every structure will crumble. Was the arcades meant to remind the people who their heroes were. Why are many Nigerians, especially the Yoruba ethnic stock of which AKINTOLA belongs, find it difficult to see him as a hero nor accept him as their hero. Can the type of death people died makes a hero out of them? Why did AKINTOLA’s death failed in making him a hero and FAJUYI’s death makes him a hero the same day?
Tellingly, and to limit our conversation to the Yoruba ethnic group. Why do people find it easier to be called the associates and disciples of Awolowo and Abiola than to be associated with AKINTOLA. History teaches us that people are always proud of their heroes and the people never forget the King, whose time they prospered. As I conclude this piece, it seems there is a perception of villain with AKINTOLA in Nigeria and especially with his ethnic stock. If rising to premiership of the Western region and the circumstances of his death could not make him the people’s hero, I wonder what could. Thank you for reading my articles in the just concluded year. Am poise to serve you well and better in 2020. I wish you all the good things you wish yourself in 2020.
Do have a prosperous year.
Written from Ogbomoso by Oyelekan Sunday
Olalekan Ajimoti – Blogger, Content Writer, and Digital Marketer helping brands and retailers build 8-figure e-commerce since 2016.
As a corporate trainer, brand communications expert, and brand consultant, I help people start, stay and grow in business leveraging digital skills and traditional expertise.
