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Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode,has unveiled the 37-feet Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale, MKO Abiola’s statue.
The new monument at the Alapere area of the state was erected in honour of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.
The Governor spoke at events in honour of Abiol, including the June 12 Anniversary celebration at the Lagos Television, Ikeja.
Speaking at the June 12 anniversary, Ambode said the theme of the event, “Restructuring: Antidote for Ineffective and Ineffective Politics”, was apt, stressing that as a State and people, “our stand on a restructuring process that will lead to fiscal federalism, devolution of power is very clear.
“Our present democratic experience may still be far from ideal but we must all make concerted efforts to entrench fiscal federalism which is the only way to achieve true nationhood. We are absolutely convinced that it is the right way to go for us to realise the optimum potential and prosperity of the federating States and the nation.”
He said since the annulment of June 12, the struggle for its actualization had continued until President Muhammadu Buhari pronounced the day as Democracy Day and conferring posthumous award on Abiola, Chief Gani Fawehinmi and others.
The Governor said by this singular act of the president, he had written his name in Gold in the political history of Nigeria, adding that this formal recognition is a crown of victory to the struggle that had taken the lives of so many nationalists and patriots.
He saluted leaders of the struggle, including Gen. Alani Akinrinade, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Ambassador Walter Carrington, Justice Dolapo Akinsanya, Chief Frank Kokori, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, Mr. Wale Oshun, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and other Nigerians and Civil Society Organisations, trade and labour unions, among others.
Speaking at the event, Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Benjamin Olabinjo said June 12 stood as a universal pact for all Nigerians, saying that Lagos State had never lost sight of the importance of identifying with the struggle and the defence of democracy and the universal right of all individuals to actualize their maximum potentials.
The guest lecturer, Dr. Dele Ashiru of the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos, called for special status for Lagos being the commercial nerve centre of the nation and also called for the restructuring of the nation, saying that a situation where a behemoth sat at the centre and distributed resources to others was an anathema to federalism.
