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Friday 9 March 2018

Abiola: Filial dishonour By Femi Macaulay

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, or MKO for short, was known for his amazing prosperity as well as his amazing generosity.  Indeed, the late businessman and politician was a generous soul with a generous spirit.  This is why it is amazing that his children are ironically divided over his assets, which is a sad sign that perhaps they did not inherit MKO’s legendary generosity of spirit.

A January 12 statement by one of MKO’s children, AbdulMumuni Abiola, painted a thought-provoking picture of sibling conflict:  “My brothers, sisters
and I, totalling 40 children of Abiola, are not fighting with them…But we need to step out of the past and of our father’s shadow. Kola, Deji and Agboola have been peddling lies in the media about my efforts to bring about changes to the dwindling fortunes of the Abiola family.”
AbdulMumuni added: “I am ashamed just like my other brothers and sisters that after MKO Abiola’s death, many of his legacies appear to be in a shambles. It shouldn’t be like that. That is not what MKO Abiola stood for while he was alive. I want the good people of Nigeria to prevail on Kola and his cohorts to stop using the police to harass me or those who are working with me to restore the lost glory of the Abiola family.”
It is noteworthy that this revealing statement came a few days after four men were reportedly arraigned for allegedly entering the late MKO’s bulk purchase bookshop in Oshodi, Lagos, to steal properties valued at N1bn.
AbdulMumuni said: “Why should some people be sending thugs and miscreants after me and those working with me to renovate MKO Abiola’s properties? Why should that be? … Why should only a select few of Abiola’s children sit on our father’s properties? I am not even asking them to give me and my other siblings a share of the money-spinning companies of my father that they sit on. Our humble request is that they should allow me and my other siblings who are interested in renovating Abiola’s derelict properties. They should allow us to revive MKO Abiola’s abandoned projects.”
Another voice reinforced AbdulMumuni’s voice. Aliu, also one of MKO’s children, spoke against his older siblings who were allegedly shortchanging the others.  Aliu was quoted as saying:  “The truth of the matter is, when things of this nature happen — 20 years go by, and a certain group of people sit on the commonwealth of others — then definitely those who have been disenfranchised, like my brother, Abdul, and many of us as he mentioned, have to seek redress by any means available. So, the assets in question are assets that everyone knows were owned by our late father. Such assets should be used for the benefit of all his children, rather than a small group of people.”
Aliu provided concrete examples: “There is a warehousing complex in Isolo, for instance, which is currently being leased out. Monies are being paid on annual basis for the property in question and no member of the family is taking any money from the money that is being paid. He (MKO Abiola) has the hangars at the airport that are being leased out — two of them are being leased out. Monies are being paid; nobody is taking a dime from that.”
It is curious that no voice from the opposing camp has publicly countered AbdulMumuni and Aliu. What could this mean?   Those who have been accused of bad conduct in this matter should know that their silence does not help matters.
MKO’s life and times should serve as a lesson to his offspring.  He was born poor. A profile of MKO says: “At the age of nine he started his first business selling firewood gathered in the forest at dawn before school, to support his father and siblings. He founded a band at the age of fifteen and would perform at various ceremonies in exchange for food. He was eventually able to require payment for his performances, and used the money to support his family and his secondary education at the Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta.”
In a striking story of progress, MKO later attended Glasgow University, Scotland, where earned a first class degree in Accountancy; he also “gained a distinction from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.” His business interests included: Abiola Farms, Abiola Bookshops, Radio Communications Nigeria, Wonder Bakeries, Concord Press, Concord Airlines, Summit Oil International Ltd, Africa Ocean Lines, Habib Bank and Decca W.A. Ltd.
MKO reportedly received 197 traditional titles from 68 different communities across Nigeria. These titles were reportedly conferred on him “in response to his having provided financial assistance in the construction of 63 secondary schools, 121 mosques and churches, 41 libraries, 21 water projects in 24 states of Nigeria.”
MKO was a phenomenal philanthropist whose giving spirit caught the world’s attention. This is what the Congressional Black Caucus of the United States of America said in a tribute to him: “Because of this man, there is both cause for hope and certainty that the agony and protests of those who suffer injustice shall give way to peace and human dignity. The children of the world shall know the great work of this extraordinary leader and his fervent mission to right wrong, to do justice, and to serve mankind. The enemies which imperil the future of generations to come: poverty, ignorance, disease, hunger, and racism have each seen effects of the valiant work of Chief Abiola.”
There is no doubt that when MKO died in detention under a military regime on July 7, 1998, after the unjust annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election which he won, millions of Nigerians were shattered. His magical life inspired a popular belief in his capacity to turn things around in a country that needed transformational leadership.
It is food for thought that his inheritors who are reaping where they didn’t sow won’t reflect on the sower. Eating the fruits of MKO’s labour can be done without the noisy infighting that dishonours the great man.


Ref: http://thenationonlineng.net/

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