#16years today, Remembering the loss of Chief Bola Ige in South West political landscape.
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“Daddy Daddy, Won ti pa Bola Ige” – Dec 23rd, 2001, I ran inside with my radio.
“With a radio and a hoe at hand, weeding the bush in my dad’s newly built house 16yrs ago, the news of Chief Bola Ige filtered in. I rushed in, to call my Dad’s attention to the breaking news! I have heard too, he answered”.
He sat me down and lectured me about Cicero of ESA Oke, how he uncommonly, could speak all the three major Nigerian languages, Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa fluently, and how he wasn’t a lawyer initially, as he first studied Classic at Ibadan, but decided to study Law because of his wife Atinuke – a lawyer, who used to question him on so many things, as a lawyer.
Also reflected was his free Education in the old Oyo state, “Èkó Òfé Bola Ige” and how each pupil has his own locker (desk) and free textbooks.
He told me, what happened between 79-83; how he lost his return election, his bloody hot political campaign; especially how Hon Wole Odelola, member representing Modakeke in the old Oyo State House of Assembly, was murdered in 1981, when Gov Bola Ige’s convoy was attacked at Ife.
And how he also escaped death when nobody knows how he disappeared from bullets shot at his car in a village around a farm village during campaign tour in modakeke. His betrayal outburst when he lost and his voice on radio shouting “Eyin ara Iwo, se ba se Jo so ni yii? Eyin ara ila, se ba se Jo so Niyi?”
Notably recollected was his role in the newly created state of Osun province. I was told by father before anyone else that Bola Ige registered the Party called PDP and ANPP, and invited certain few well meaning Nigerians to write both the manifestos and constitution of the parties. After which he ran back to AD because of those who hijacked both PDP and ANPP.
More like it, Dad also told me, how he snubbed advice from his party “AD” to be part of Obasanjo’s govt, first as minister of power and secondly, as at Attorney general of the federation.
And While some of the then South West governors tried to shield some PDP from Pan Yoruba Movement called “Afenifere”, Ige was the one that cautioned them that “Afenifere is different from AD”.
Ige’s death is the first thing I remember on every 23rd of Dec. and till today, it remained a death I so much felt. Let me say I love Ige, and I have since read about his life and times more than any other politician in Nigeria, and from which I discovered that Ige is not just an ordinary man, but a real man in the greatest sense of it, powerful and brainy.
Ige’s death like Hon Misty Odunayo Olagbaju ( A member of Osun house of Assembly representing Ife, who was assassinated weeks before Ige), changed the political face of my town, Ife and Osun at large, and 16years down the line, the vacuum is still been felt.
Like many political deaths in Nigeria, from Dele giwa to Kudirat Abiola to Funsho Williams, to Dipo Dina to Ijan Ekiti born Dr Ola, to several many others, too numerous to mention, the killers are still at large and that of Ige remained a special one, that only God can fish out the masterminds behind that dastard act.
Till we meet again, I say Adieu Cicero Ajibola Ige. We miss you baba, Ma gborun so’run ire ooo.
