Family members and political associates of the former Oyo State governor, the late Lam Adesina, on
Thursday gathered in Ibadan for the fifth anniversary of his memorial lecture.
Among those who were present at the event was his widow, Sarat, the eldest of his children, Dr
Ayobami, a former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Lai
Olurode, professor of history, Bolanle Awe, and former managing director of Daily Times, Areoye
Oyebola.
Olurode, who was the key speaker, lauded the courage of the late Adesina, making reference to his
meeting with Muhammadu Buhari on the menace of Fulani herdsmen in the Oke Ogun area of the state.
“When Buhari visited Adesina to lament that farmers were disturbing the herdsmen in Oke Ogun,
Adesina, who was the governor then was courageous in his reaction. He told Buhari that the herdsmen
were killing the farmers and destroying the farms,” he said.
Olurode said that second term aspiration of governors in Nigeria was having a negative impact on
the nation’s politics and national growth, noting that many governors began second term plan as
soon as they were sworn in. He also lamented what he described as the use of public power to
oppress private sector.
While speaking on the life of his father as a politician, Ayobami said that today’s politicians had
a lot to learn from the late governor. According to him, courageous politicians have died with no
one courageous enough to tell the government the true state of the nation.
“There is a lot that today’s politicians can emulate from the life of my father as a politician.
He believed in progressives’ principles of free education, free medical service, rural development,
creating jobs for the youth and industrialisation for the good of the society. He was
incorruptible.
“Nigerian politicians should look at the society and how they can use processes and policies to
better the life of common people who are suffering on daily basis. We need people who are
courageous, who can tell the government that the masses are suffering. That was what my father did.
This is an area where we are missing Lam Adesina. The courageous politicians like Obafemi Awolowo,
Adekunle Ajasin, Bola Ige, Abraham are dead but hopefully, we will find more of such people one
day. That is what I stand for,” he said.
