By Sunday Ani
Seyi Jakande, son of first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, has revealed how in 1993, the late Moshood Abiola, winner of the presidential election influenced his father to join the late Gen. Sani Abacha’s government after the palace coup that removed the interim government of Ernest Shonekan.
He made the revelation during the maiden edition of Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture, put together by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) with the support of the Lagos State Government.
The theme of the lecture was “Alhaji Lateef Jakande: The Man, His Journalism, His Politics.”
Jakande thanked the NGE and his father’s associates and friends for extolling his virtues and accomplishments but stressed that a peep into his father’s private life would be necessary so that people could also see that part of his life.
“In 1993, after the annulment, the late MKO Abiola appealed to Alhaji Jakande to serve under the late Abacha’s government. At first, he was reluctant because it was against his principle but Abiola was adamant and kept insisting that he must accept.
“He took it to his committee of friends, and they had a meeting where they deliberated on it. As always, he would always put things through a democratic process and they put the matter to vote. At a point, he wanted one of them to go but they all said it must be him. They overwhelmingly voted that he should join the government.
“He joined the government as minister of works and housing, and as consistent with his policy, he went to work. I think he was constructing about 121,000 housing units at that time. When he was faced with the challenge of finance, he went back to the drawing board and came up with the idea of Banana Island. As minister of works, he took advantage of the prime land, the waterways behind Ikoyi, filled it up, sold it to the rich, generated money from it and subsidised the housing scheme.”
He called Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to name the Lagos State University (LASU) after Jakande. His argument is that former governors of old Bendel State, Prof. Ambrose Alli and his Ogun State counterpart, Bisi Onabanjo, who borrowed a leaf from Jakande to build universities in their states, had been honoured by having the universities named after them.
In his welcome address, President of the NGE, Eze Anaba, described Jakande as a media icon whose outstanding legacies had influenced many journalists in their daily lives. He stressed that Baba Kekere as he was fondly called lived an impactful life so much that nobody could discuss the drivers of modern journalism in Nigeria without talking about him.
“His footprints are everywhere. His shadow looms large over the media industry. He was an incredible talent whether as a journalist or as a politician; he had a response to everything. He devoted his political career to advancing the values of liberty and social justice. He also sacrificed the values of honesty, integrity, courage and fairness.
“He told the stories of the powerless and held the powerful to account. He founded the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), and brought the International Press Institute (IPI) to Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that the inaugural lecture was to honour and recognise his outstanding achievements, saying, “For us at NGE, we think it is important to institutionalise a culture of appreciation which at the same time will give an institutional memory to know how we got to where we are and how to build on the legacies and accomplishments of the past.”
In his opening remarks, chairman of the occasion, General Ike Nwachukwu described the event as the beginning of recognition and honour for a man who had done so much for journalism in Nigeria.
Gen Nwachukwu who recollected his days as a journalist with the Daily Service where he met Jakande before he joined the military said he led the Daily Service Newspaper very well and attributed whatever he became in the army to him. “He encouraged us to be forthright and courageous. It is a great honour to be chairing his inaugural memorial lecture. Whatever you do, remember him and follow his path. He lit the light on our feet and we have not gone wrong ever since,” he said.
In his keynote address, Prince Bayo Osiyemi who represented the keynote speaker, Prince Felix Adenaike stated that talking about Jakande was like trying to describe an elephant. He described him as a pioneer of plans for his many firsts. He traced his contact with journalism to the period when he left the Kings College Lagos after his brush with the white for the Ilesha Grammar School, where he edited the school magazine. “It was at Ilesha Grammar School that he caught his teeth in journalism. First, he started from the Daily Express, before moving to the Tribune, where he rose to become the Managing Director, and remained in that capacity until 1978 when he quit and contested for the Lagos State governorship election. He set phenomenal records in administration as governor. Governors from other states visited Lagos to see what they had read in the papers. His exploits in government were unequalled,” he said.
He equally noted that reciting his achievements and accomplishments in Lagos is just like reciting the litany of the saints. “He came to Lagos and he conquered,” he submitted.
In journalism, he also said: “He reached the top of his chosen profession, journalism. As a thoroughbred journalist, he endeavoured to make his reporters all rounders. He was skilled in editorial craftsmanship. Editorial writing was his forte.
“He was adept at conducting meetings; he could hear everybody out. He was an expert in drafting communiqués. He was very meticulous.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said his administration and people of the state will forever remember late Jakande for his good deeds to humanity.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said a life well-spent was not determined by how long one lives but by the number of lives one is able to impact positively.
“I am glad that we are here today to be part of this annual lecture instituted to honour the memory of a great administrator, an elder statesman, and the first civilian Governor of our state, Alhaji Lateef Jakande.
“Jakande did not only live long to the ripe age of 91, but whose life was a reflection of humanity at its abundance with several stories of positive impacts.
“Though the passing of Alhaji Jakande was somewhat painful to us as a state and to individuals who knew him personally because he was indeed a man of lovable personality.
“We wished he could live forever, we must give unreserved appreciation to God for blessing us with him and for also giving him the grace to live a life that touched and impacted lives.
“My administration and the good people of the state will forever remember Alhaji Lateef Jakande for his good deeds to the people of the state,” he said.