Friday, February 8, 2013
PDP challenges APC to debates on national issues
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TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE writes on the celebration of the former Minister of Transport and Director of Organisation of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Ebenezer Babatope who clocked 70 recently.
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Politics
“As representatives of the people, we... have all agreed to work enthusiastically in support of this national rescue mission” –Senator George Akume
Celebrating Ebino Topsy @ 70 WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM BABATOPE IS TO BE IDEOLOGICAL IN
OUR POLITICS...
S
aturday, January 26 was a remarkable day in the ancient city of Ilesha in Osun State, as eminent Nigerians, especially political gladiators, converged to celebrate the former Director of Organisation of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and former Minister of Transportation, Ebenezer Abayomi Babatope, on his 70th birthday anniversary. The occasion, which Babatope had earlier told National Mirror would be a small party to dine and wine with friends and associates, turned out to be a political carnival of sort as politicians from across political parties and groups came to rejoice with Ebino Topsy, as the celebrant is fondly called by his associates. Dressed in a milk coloured Guinea brocade flowing agbada with a cap to match, Babatope, a die-hard Awoist and member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was full of excitement throughout the event, responding to cheers by admirers, who travelled from far and near down to Ilesha to honour him. During the ceremony, political gladiators, friends of the celebrant, media practitioners, traditional rulers, Nollywood stars, among others extolled Babatope’s virtues as a versatile and dogged politician, administrator, social crusader, activist, public commentator, historian, journalist and prolific writer. Among those present at the ceremony were; Minister ofState for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada; Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko; National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the PDP and former governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni; former Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya; former governors of Oyo, Osun and Ogun, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Gbenga Daniel respectively; former Minister of Sports and Special Duties, Taoheed Adedoja; former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye and former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Raji Rasaki. Others in attendance were former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the PDP, Shuaibu Oyedokun, former National Vice Chairmen (South-West of the PDP), Yinka Omilani and Tajudeen Oladipo; National Publicity Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Lai Mohammed; Senators Iyiola Omisore, Isiaka Adeleke, Anthony Adefuye, Lekan Balogun, Ayo Otegbola, Femi Okunrounmu; former deputy governor of Lagos
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
MANY
OF THOSE WE HAVE IN PUBLIC OFFICES TODAY ARE MAKING THE PLACE UNRULY
Babatope
State, Kofoworola Buknor Akerele; Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran, among others. President Goodluck Jonathan in his goodwill message to the celebrant, described Babatope as a respected politician and one of Nigeria’s living icons whose great contributions to democratic ideals would remain indelible in the history of Nigeria. Jonathan, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Public Relations, Olusanya Awosan, while showering encomiums on Babatope, tasked Nigerians, especially politicians, to emulate the political style of the former Minister of Transport in making useful contributions towards enhancing Nigeria’s growth and development. His words: “The price Babatope had paid through his involvement in democratic struggles was enormous. A son of respectable Methodist clergyman from Ilesha but whose birth took place in IfakiEkiti exactly 70 years ago, Babatope’s contribution to Nigerian journalism cannot be overlooked. To some of us that grew in the area of print and electronic media only, we knew how well refined and how our lives have been shaped and brought to the force of political, socio-cultural and economic knowledge by the versatile mind of Ebenezer’s political panorama.” In his own address, the chairman of the occasion and immediate past governor of Oyo State, Alao-Akala, showered encomiums on the celebrant, describing him as a great nationalist who has contributed immensely to many sectors in the country as a politician, journalist, writer and activist. He said Babatope is a dogged personality who gave his all to whatever he believes in and succeeded despite the
daunting challenges of life. He therefore urged all politicians to see Babatope as a role model worth of emulating considering his good virtues and active political experience of over 40 years. Alao-Akala, recalled Babatope’s ordeal in the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s detention centres in Kirikiri, Jos and Yola prisons in the 1980s, stressing that he (Babatope), as a dogged personality has paid his dues as a versatile politician, journalist and historian with his ‘Political Panorama’ column in the Nigerian Tribune, on burning national issues for many years. He also noted that considering Ebino Topsy’s wealth of experience, Nigerians have strong belief and confidence in hisreservoir of knowledge, personality and historical antecedents. Erelu Obada also praised the celebrant to high heavens, describing him as a brother and political mentor. She noted that the immense roles and contributions of the former Minister of Transportation in the emancipation of the country cannot be forgotten. The Minister of State for Defence, while speaking on Babatope’s political virtues, described him as a politician whose opinions are well respected by other politicians across parties because of his wealth of experience in politics. Former governor of Ogun State, Daniel, described Babatope as a great leader. His words: “Chief Ebenezer Babatope is a great leader and someone who have played active role to better our society. I met him in the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and my over 30-year relationship with him has shown that he is a versatile politician, administrator and activist. I will use this medium to appeal to all Nigerian politicians to emulate Babatope’s style of politics, which is politics based on ideology and principle.” In his view, former Minister of Sports, Adedoja, described Babatope as a faithful and trustworthy politician. He attributed patience as one of the good virtues that has distinguished Babatope from all his contemporaries and therefore urged Nigerian politicians to always be patient
while in public office. Adedoja said: “Babatope is truthful, faithful and trustworthy. He is somebody I like so much and he has paid his dues in Nigerian politics. I think one of the attributes that has distinguished Babatope from many politicians in Nigeria is patience. He is very patient in handling situations and I think that has helped him to achieve a lot in his life time.” A PDP chieftain, Balogun, described Babatope as a principled and ideological person, saying: “Ebenezer Babatope has been my friend for over 40 years. He is a wonderful man, a principled man, very ideological and upright. I love him a lot. I think what we can learn from Babatope is to be ideological in our politics. We must have ideological pursuit in our politics. Many of those we have in public offices today are making the place unruly at the moment. We must learn that we need to be ideological and principled in pursuing our goals.” Oyedokun, while showering encomiums on the former Director of Organisation of the defunct UPN, recalled his long association with Babatope. He pointed out that the celebrant was a pragmatic personality, who demonstrated brilliance in all his activities during the Second Republic. Oyedokun said: “I have known Babatope for many years as a friend and we met in politics. In those days we belong to different political parties; he was in the UPN while I was in the defunct National arty of Nigeria (NPN), but despite our political differences, I respect him a lot and some NPN members also feared him because of the ways he analysed issues during his days as UPN Director of Organisation. “In those days, if Babatope released a statement, many of us will not sleep overnight because of how he will present facts and figures in his report. What he is doing to our party then is like what Lai Mohammed of the ACN is doing to the PDP today. In the present dispensation, we were both PDP members and the party has benefitted a lot from Babatope’s political experience.” In his response to the avalanche of encomiums, Babatope appreciated those who honoured him with their presence. His words: “I thank everybody for coming to rejoice with me on my 70th birthday. I never knew that I will live to the age of 70 but by God’s grace I am 70 today. Very early in life, I was diagnosed to be hypertensive and as a young man, I never knew the repercussion of hypertension until much later in life. That I am able to survive till 70, I have all cause to glorify God. I thank you all and I can assure you that if God grant me more years, anytime you all are celebrating events like this, I will be there.”