By Akinremi Akintola
Friends, family, followers, proteges and associates of Chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin will soon gather to celebrate the posthumous centenary anniversary of a first-class statesman, who was at every turn of his life, a unionist, politician, a humanist, community leader and a reformer.
When the immortal English “Bard of Avon” William Shakespeare (1564-1616) expressed in one of his iconic plays “Twelfth Night”, lines 2.5.139-41 that “there were only three categories of great men, _”some (men) are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them…”_
The late Chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin eminently belonged to the second tribe of great men which the accomplished wordsmith had in mind. For J.S Olawoyin lived purposefully and achieved true greatness in his life-time.
It is therefore a singular honour and privilege, for me, to be called upon to write a tribute in honour of an astute grassroots politician, charismatic and committed Yoruba leader.
Twenty-five years on after his passage, his name does not only ring a bell, it heavily sounds the huge brass alarm because he was a great man among men, a statesman among politicians. He was a man of great accomplishments.
To some, he was a hero, a legend, a mentor, and a role model. He was all these and even more.
The main thrust of his political ideology was to liberate his people from the fiefdom of regional subjugation, oppression and underdevelopment. Chief J.S Olawoyin was a firm advocate for liberty and social justice. I suspected that he must have been motivated by his Offa cultural maxim of _”Pinre-lare, okon ogbodo ju kan”_ sentiments which advocate for equity, justice and fair-play.
Historically and in reality, Offa is a bonafide Yoruba town, but due to either geographical accident or through a deliberate or outright act of political _Gbajue_ (a euphemism for deceit) the ancient yoruba town has found itself where it is today; sandwiched in the central web of northern, Nigeria!
In Reverend Samuel Johnson’s famous book “The History Of Yoruba (1921) on page 565, “… the Olofa was the head of all Ibolo district between Ilorin and Iwo which consisted of important towns like Ede, Osogbo, Iresa, Okuku, Ikirun, Inisa etc. With this, we can all see that Offa’s Yorubaness is more established than its Northernness.
Chief Olawoyin was a man of destiny. As a young man, he alongside his friend Adebayo Sogo attempted to join the Nigeria police force, but was turned down because he could not meet the minimum chest-span requirement. To him then, it was a great disappointment, but as it turned out God had a greater plan for him. Later on in life, he delved into other sundry pursuits, he became the foundation publicity secretary of the United Middle Belt congress (UMBC) in 1953 and subsequently became the General Secretary of the League Of Northern Yorubas’ in the northern region of Nigeria. This platform birthed the Ilorin, Oyo, Okun, Akoko, Ekiti and Igbomina Yoruba under the same canopy in the erstwhile northern region. J.S. Olawoyin was also the Administrative Secretary of the Offa Descendant Union (ODU) which has been founded to promote worthy Offa causes by strengthening its social, economic, political, religious and educational advancement of its people. Before venturing into fulltime politics, the power of his grassroots base and his charismatic mien won a massive following and made him the ‘beautiful bride’ among political leaders of the time. JS Olawoyin represented to the North-Central what JS Tarka (UMBC) was in the Tiv division of Benue, Ibrahim Imam was in the (BYM) in Bornu, Aminu Kano in (NEPU) to Kano and Isaac Shaahu to the people of Gboko.
The attributes I admired in him were his audacity of courage, accessibility, authenticity and down-to-earthness. To me, JS reminds me of some ancient warriors who were utterly fearless, bold and resilient, almost to the level of folly. He was recorded to dabbled into situations where the likes of Angel Gabriel and Angel Michael would fear to tread. Today, most of our politicians are seasoned artful dodgers, turning themselves into ‘Elemoso’ (eni ti ako ri).
Chief Olawoyin was an exceptional man, he was dependable, accessible and fair to all men. He belonged to a different era when politicians took their calling seriously. These days, the values that JS and others advocated are disappearing. During the time of JS, almost all politicians were transparently visible. Simply, JS was a man of the people who understood his people’s needs, concerns and fears and did his utmost to liberate his people from the shackles of oppression and underdevelopment. In Offa, aside from his biological family, many have claimed him as their putative father because they have benefited immensely from his benefaction. His companionship and connection with the Offa people defied logic.
Chief Olawoyin was awarded the numero uno title of Asiwaju of Offa, while rewarding his pioneering role and in appreciation of his total commitment to the Offa project. The immediate past Olofa, Oba Mustapha Olawore Olanipekun, Ariwajoye II and the entire people of Offa were united in bestowing on him the prestigious title of Asiwaju of Offa, which in ancient history translates as the chosen leader.
For decades, he remained the Igi-Araba in Offa and indeed throughout the country. His palatial residence ‘Ile-gogoro’ was never dry, as the sea of legs swam to its portals ready to drink from the fountain of his political philosophy cum milk of human kindness. It was a sort of Mecca to his teeming supporters. He was the common denominator among the political elite in Offa. In demonstration of affection for one’s home-town, JS was one of a kind. He was nothing short of an Offa irredentist.
JS overtook other politicians in the region in fame, influence and contact – even in controversy. Such was the awesome influence and impact of a man who rose from the calling of a ‘progressive’ politician to that of a revered statesman. Indeed, he was the ‘Awolowo’ of the North-Central Nigeria. Nostalgically, the ‘Democratic socialism’ of Chief Obafemi Awolowo found a sympathetic follower in JS Olawoyin, where he had almost a lifelong political romance with him. He was a die-hard Awoist by political bent.
JS became so powerful to such an extent that no decision on any important matter concerning Offa was taken without his knowledge and consent. He had the ears of all successive governors of Kwara state, right from the days of Brigadier General David Bamigboye (The first Military Administrator of the Old Kwara State) He too, as gubernatorial candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) narrowly missed the opportunity of being the governor of old kwara state (now Kwara and Kogi states) in 1979 to Adamu Attah of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
Unfortunately, the Borgu electoral hat-trick worked against him; it threw a spanner into the wheels of progress. Nevertheless, JS topped the polls as the most popular Offa politician and statesman of all time. Clearly, he was utterly gifted and by the sheer grace of God, he was lifted above his peers. Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande (Baba Kekere) was his alter-ego. Their relationship and comradeship knew no bounds. He had unprecedented political patronage, popularity and power. Infact, he had power to stay on top and the ability to stay there. His staying power was nulli secondus (second to none). Till the end, he served Offa community and polity as a true and honest guide, inspirer and leader of men, bringing sanity and equilibrium into an otherwise volatile political arena. Were the late Chief Kingsley Mbadiwe alive today, he would certainly have classified him as a ‘juggernaut’, man of timber and calibre. During his life-time, and even after his demise, his name reverberates in many high-wire political discourses and in some critical national issues. Remarkably, he was motivated by the expediency of developmental politics.
On a lighter note, there has hardly been a time when these two stories are told of what transpired between our own incomparable patriarch and statesman, Chief SL Akintola (Premier of the defunct Western Region) and Chief JS Olawoyin that hilarious laughter is not triggered, it brings mirth and lightness of mind to me.
In 1962, during the hot-war between SLA and AWO, SLA made concerted efforts to draw JS to his side – SLA in his signature shrill voice drew the attention and connection between the two politicians “Omo iya mi, (referring to JS Olawoyin), Odo mi loye ko wa, Omo Oyo-Yoruba kan nan ni wa!
Oriki (cognomen) temi ni Ajala Agbe, Iwo omo ile Agbe,
Ajo tun ko ila ni” (Both of us have tribal marks)
The second episode was when JS tricked a police officer and snatched the warrant of arrest to be served on the then Olofa, Oba Isioye and sped away in his car.
Chief Akintola’s break with Chief Awolowo remained one of the ugliest episodes of Nigerian History. The march of history is in support of the position that the exclusion of a major group (even a minor group) is bound to generate animosity and instability.
His political life was not all milk and honey, it was a mixed-bag of celebrations, tribulations, trials and triumphs. One of such times was when he was incarcerated with his political leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo for treasonable felony. He had his own fair-share of personal travails, but it never daunted his ardour.
JS as a pioneer community leader belonged to the avant garde class, he was in the same achievement bracket or more with other Offa greats and heroes. He served Offa meritoriously till the end.
JS found his missing rib in a beautiful damsel named Ruth Mopelola, (now the Iya Ewe of Offa Kingdom), the illustrious daughter of Pa Samuel Asa Akinola of Ile Ojomu-Arojo, Offa. She stood by him like the rock of Gilbraltar at most critical junctions of his political life. Similarly, JS’ star is surrounded by a worthy satellite of sons and daughters. Some of whom are distinguished political actors in their own right. The goodwill enjoyed in his lifetime has continued a la morte ; his wife and children are basking daily in the warmth of its sunshine.
As an architect of political renaissance, he served with patriotic devotion. From the beginning of his political career, he dedicated himself fully to the worthy cause of fostering the aspiration of his people and nation. Political freedom, developmental progress and social welfare for the masses were his pre-occupation to the end. Indeed, JS has succeeded in reconciling Offa with its future – and this is his greatest legacy. He was a man of conviction, passion and vision who had put Offa on the political map of Nigeria.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us all continue to believe in his dreams, they are still valid. Let us carry them into our own today and tomorrow. May his gallant soul continue to rest where he truly longed to be, with God, his creator, the greatest source of all that be.
Atunde iji, Baba Ile Agbe, onikoyi dide ogun to lo, onile awosifila, Asiwaju akoko fun gbogbo Ilu Offa, Asoju-Oba ti Ile Ede.
Dr. Akinremi Akintola, Esq., FABI
Chief of Staff to the President, Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE).