YESTERDAY marked exactly 13 years that the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential elections, Chief MKO Abiola, died in Federal Government detention while struggling to reclaim his mandate.

After 13 years of endless wait on the Federal Government to immortalise Abiola , his son, Jamiu and personal physician, Dr. Ore Falomo, have suggested new ways of casting the memory of the late business tycoon in stone. The most effective  way of immortalising Abiola, who died on July 7 1998, they said was not in naming monuments after him but also banishing the crushing poverty in the country, which was uppermost in the heart of the late politician and which he made the epicentre of his “Farewell to poverty” 1993 presidential campaign.

Late MKO Abiola

In a chat with Vanguard yesterday, Falomo in a tearful tone, said 13 years was like yesterday and every anniversary since 1998 had brought to mind how Abiola died and what he died for.

Lamenting that the number of poor Nigerians had quadrupled since Abiola expired, Falomo said: “If Abiola had political power, he could have improved their lot and reduced poverty. That could not be done because he was assassinated in detention and now the poor have become poorer. Nobody has taken the mantle to improve the poor people. I hope it is not a loss forever. I hope somebody like Abiola will emerge in future to help make his dream of banishing poverty come through.”

Since he died, Falomo said Nigeria had not got somebody of equal status with Abiola, in terms of his contributions to ensuring democratic rule in the country and checkmating poverty, adding that the whole world was poorer for Abiola’s death.

“All those gallivanting about today reaping the fruits of democracy know little or nothing about how Abiola fought for the democracy they are enjoying. So, until they immortalise Abiola, they are owing him a debt.”

He continued: “Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua promised to immortalise him before he died. Now, President Goodluck Jonathan is saddled with so many problems including forming his cabinet. When he settles down, he owes Abiola that much.”

On how to immortalise the late business mogul, Falomo said: “There are many ways of immortalising Abiola. He was a sports lover and the pillar of sports in Africa. Since he died, nobody has been able to step into that shoe. Many milestones can be named after him in all parts of the country.

The government could create a big farm where many people can be employed and call it Abiola Farms. Abiola did big farms in Ogun, Kwara and Plateau states when he was alive. The government can do a bigger farm in his memomry.”

Relatedly, Jamiu Abiola, who said it had not been easy living without his father and mother (Kudirat), said the thing that was uppermost in the mind of members of Abiola was halting the increasing wave of poverty in the country.

His words: The most important thing for us in this family is to see that there is good governance in this country, there is accountability and things are moving forward. That’s the only way as far as I am concerned, that my father can be immortalised.

Even if you name all the streets in Nigeria after my father and my mother and yet there is bad governance and all that, definitely that means the democratic struggle was not worth it and then, it will be most painful. My father wanted to fight poverty and they should fight poverty through their policies by creating people-oriented programmes that touch the lives of the people directly. They should revive the economy from the bottom to the top and not just from the top to the bottom.”

On how life had been as an orphan, Jamiu reportedly said: “Emotionally, life is not the same. There is a gap but in terms of our well-being and our welfare, we are doing very well. All of us have flourishing businesses and we thank God for that. There is no level of retrogression or anything like that.

“In terms of business, we are yet to resolve a lot of issues. Because you see, a Will was in place and a board was set up and we already have the people that are entitled to the inheritance but for some reasons, everything has been put on hold and so, there is really nothing that has been done. But in terms of the family, we keep in touch from time to time.

“The only problem we have is that we have not been able to resolve the issue of my father’s assets and you know because of the issue of the June 12 and all that, a lot of people are not do not want to create conflict. But if we are going to resolve it very soon, we will employ other means to ensure that nobody is cheated. That I can guarantee you.”