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Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has paid glowing tribute to politician and businessman Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, describing him as a central figure in his political awakening during their days as student activists at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
Sowore recounted that a recent meeting with Olawepo-Hashim stirred memories of his early immersion into ideological student unionism in the late 1980s. According to him, his journey into radical activism began shortly after he arrived at UNILAG as a fresher, already drawn to the ideological wing of campus politics.
He recalled how his path crossed with Damian A. Ugwu, an underground student activist at Henry Carr Hall, who quietly played a key role in identifying and recruiting radical-minded students. Ugwu, Sowore said, eventually introduced him to Olawepo-Hashim, who at the time served as the Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
By then, Olawepo-Hashim had already gained prominence within the student movement and had been arrested and detained for his involvement in the 1989 anti–Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) riots. Following their first meeting, Olawepo-Hashim directed that Sowore be enrolled in underground ideological training sessions held at Henry Carr Hall, where activists were exposed to the ideas of the Thomas Sankara Movement (TSM).
Sowore said the training sessions were transformative, shaping his political consciousness and commitment to social justice. Not long after, he rose within the student leadership structure and was appointed Welfare Secretary of Henry Carr Hall. One of his earliest actions in that role, he recalled, was installing a ceiling fan in Olawepo-Hashim’s room, unaware at the time that Olawepo-Hashim had already graduated but was being sanctioned by the university authorities.
The repression against the activists, Sowore noted, intensified in the early 1990s. Olawepo-Hashim was censured for supporting fellow activists, while Sowore and others were expelled in 1992 as part of the “UNILAG 47” for insisting on the resignation of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida.
During their recent interaction, Sowore said Olawepo-Hashim revealed that UNILAG seized his BSc certificate in Mass Communication for five years as punishment for his activism. Olawepo-Hashim later moved briefly into human rights work with the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) before venturing into business.
Drawing parallels between their experiences, Sowore lamented what he described as a pattern of injustice in Nigeria, where activists are punished while oppressors thrive. He disclosed that his own academic and official documents, including his NYSC discharge certificate and international passport, have been withheld or seized at various times.
Despite the years of repression, Sowore said the memories of their shared struggles remain a powerful reminder that a conscience awakened in the fight against injustice can never truly be silenced.
