Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has called for the proper documentation of
the activities of politicians in Nigeria who made an impact during their
time as political office holders.
Bruce who represents Bayelsa
East Senatorial District in the Nigerian senate made the call on Friday,
September 25, when he visited the home of the Awolowos in Ikenne, Ogun
state to commiserate with them over the death of their matriarch, Mrs.
Hannah Awolowo who died recently.
Speaking to
newsmen afterwards, Murray-Bruce said it will be unfair to allow the
memories of the former Premier of Nigeria’s Western Region, Chief
Obafemi Awolowo and his wife to fade away due to lack of documentation
by Nigerians.
Murray-Bruce who took a tour of the expansive
compound of the Awolowos, said: ”As I look at this amazing place, and I
am saying to myself, when people like this (Late Mrs. Awolowo) leave us
what next?
”Do we document them enough to preserve their memory. I
don’t think we do. For example, M.K.O Abiola was a great Nigerian when
he was alive.
”He ran for office of the presidency and won, the
people in Lagos including the students went on strike, they shut down
the city, because he was deprived the chance to be president.
”20
years later, they changed the name of the University of Lagos to M.K.O
Abiola University (M.A.U), students turned around to say they didn’t
want the name of the school to named M.A.U and it makes me sad.
”I
hope that one day, the people in Yoruba land won’t say they do not want
the name of Awolowo to be named after an institution because his name
was not preserved.
”I hope we teach Nigerians about this family and we imbibe the lessons we learn from them.”
Asked
what can be done to correct this anomaly, Murray-Bruce said: ”It is
leadership, I am a senator now and even in the senate, I don’t know if
they document what happened in the previous senates.”
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