Mopa in Mopamuro LGA of Kogi State witnessed the influx of personalities who came to mark the fifth year memorial Church Service of Late S.B Awoniyi,Aro of Mopa. Abu Mike, Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi State Deputy Governor writes on some of the late elder statesman comments that are relevant in the nations contemporary politics.

LATE Chief Sunday B. Awoniyi, is being remembered by family, friends and political associates five years after he departed what is referred to by many as this sinful world.For many who knew him, he is being remembered for his integrity especially when he joined the murky waters of Nigerian Politics.

Today, the nascent democracy he fought to enthrone has come to stay. Many will however say that his comments and caution to politicians while he was alive that seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, are today food for thought. A man who demonstrated integrity and accountability in public and private life, S. B. Awoniyi, cut his teeth in leadership under the tutelage of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto.

Commenting on the nations political leadership which he described as the bane of the nation’s problems, he said “Until we can considerably improve the quality of our politicians by deliberate actions, and until we are lucky to have leaders who are not bitten by the bug of self succession and who will not manipulate elections or destabilize the legislature or other arms, emasculate his own party and other parties at all cost, our democracy will continue to be a charade”.

Late Chief S. B. Awoniyi’s involvement in politics began in the ill-fated third republic when he represented his people of Kogi West in the Senate on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). According to S. B. Awoniyi, the Nigerian politician will continue to fail the people as long as his quest for high office is a case of neck
or nothing for which he is prepared to sacrifice the good of his country.

Having participated in the General Sanni Abacha’s Constitutional Conference, Late Awoniyi, joined forces with the likes of Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur with several others to form the defunct All Nigerian Congress (ANC) where he served as its protein National Chairman.

A visionary leader whose words seem to be coming to pass even after his demise, he once said: “I have grave fears for our country. The prognosis for clean elections in future in Nigeria are not encouraging. Our next series of elections in the future are likely to be worse than the series of elections in 1998/99 because the stakes are astronomically higher”. Late Chief S. B. Awoniyi, played a major role in the formation of the PDP in 1998 and also made input in the presidential victory.

Late Chief S. B. Awoniyi, who served at one time as Secretary to the Executive Council of Northern Nigeria, had this to say on religion “We have taken for granted for decades, the religious harmony we have enjoyed in spite of Nigeria being multi-religious and multi-ethnic. In cozy self righteousness, we wondered how Britain, our Colonial Masters,could have got it so wrong in their treatment of the Irish Catholics.”

Awoniyi, served as Chairman Board of Trustees, Arewa Consultative Forum in 2000  and Chairman of the Forum’s Central Working Committee in December 2004. Awoniyi is undoubtedly, a man who has left his imprints on the sands of time.