June 12/MKO Award Celebration: AGF Faults FG For Leaving Olajumoke Ogunkeyede, Olisa Agbakoba, Others Out Of Celebration

The leadership of Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation, AGF in Osun State has faulted President Buhari’s led Federal Government for leaving out some notable and leading advocates of June 12 struggle in the celebration and conferment of the posthumous GCFR award on Late Chief MKO Abiola.

Otunba Olajumoke Ogunkeyede

The sociopolitical organization berated President Mohammed Buhari for leaving out some heroes who it said have played vital roles during the thick days of the struggle out of the celebration.

Some of the heroes according to AGF are; Otunba Olajumoke Ogunkeyede, Olisa Agbakoba among others.

AGF registered its grievances in a letter addressed to the President, and the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (AGF), a copy which was made available to CityMirrorNews in Osogbo on Tuesday.

The letter which was signed by the AGF leader in Osun, Comrade Adeboye Adebayo, the Foundation commended President Buhari for declaring June 12 as a true democracy day and the posthumous conferment of the GCFR award on the Late business mogul but however frowned at the decision of the Federal Government to leave out some heroes who it said had played vital roles during the thick days of the struggle out of the celebration.

According to the letter, “We appreciate you Mr. President for declaring June 12 as the true democracy day and for the conferment of the highest award in the land on Late Chief MKO Abiola but we strongly frown at the decision of your administration to leave some key people who played vital roles in the struggle of June 12 and restoration of Abiola’s mandate out of the celebrations; the likes of Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE, Olisa AGBAKOBA & some others were exempted from the celebrations despite the key roles they played during the struggle” the letter reads in part.

“In as much as we believed that not everyone that participated in the struggle can be mentioned or invited or recognised or remembered, we believe that Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE’s name should be mentioned, recognised, remembered and his person supposed to be invited to grace the Occasion. It is on record that it was Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE that worked hand in hand with Late Pa Anthony Enahoro to coordinate the struggle in the United States, it is on record that Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE’s house was the only house razed down by the then military junta in the United States, that was on June 15th, 1996 to be precise.

“It is on record that despite all the antics of then Nigerian Military government to arrest, blackmail, decimate, illegally repatriated him to Nigeria, Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE and his organization in the New York City were able to secure a street named after the late democracy heroine; Kudirat Abiola at the beautiful heart of the New York City, a feat that was achieved after years of rigourous battle with Federal Military Government of Nigeria in front of the US authority.

“It is worthy of note that Late Nelson and his wife Winnie Mandela were the first black people that would get a street named after them in the whole of the U.S, Kudirat Abiola Boulevard is the second. Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE came back to Nigeria as a hero alongside his leader; Pa Anthony Enahoro among others and they were welcome back to the country by six South West Governors then amidst funfair of bringing back Nigeria to Democratic era after a lot of struggles.

“It also note worthy that after the naming of the street after Late Kudirat Abiola, Nigerian military junta tried all means to get the decision reversed but all to no avail which prompted them to rename the street that house the American Embassy in Lagos after a perceived enemy of the U.S. Government and it was the government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu then as the Governor of Lagos state that renamed the street to Eleke Crescent after the restoration of democracy ” the letter reads.

The Foundation then urged President Mohammodu Buhari to redress the situation by doing something to recognize the efforts of these great Nigerians; Otunba Olajumoke OGUNKEYEDE and Olisa AGBAKOBA among others so as to encourage us; the young ones to continue to contribute to the greatness of this country.

“All the claims aboved can be checked and they can all also be attested to among other people, by Mr. Laolu Akande who is now working as a spokeman to the Vice President but was then reporting for a New York city newspaper then. Hence we are humbly urging you; Mr. President to please redress the situation by doing something to recognize or encourage these people mentioned not for their own self aggrandizement but to encourage us; the young ones to continue to contribute our quota genuinely, commitedly and indeed progressively to the development of our Nation. We thank you, Mr. President ” the letter concluded.