Nigeria, Today the world woke up to the rude and socking news of the untimely death of Comrade Peter Olayinka Odumakin in the early hours of Saturday, the third of April, 2021, and ever since been thrown into deep mourning and in torrent of endless tears.
The prominent Activist died from respiratory issues due to complications resulting from COVID-19, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).Joe Okei-Odumakin, his wife, said her husband recovered from COVID-19 a week ago before his death.
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Yinka Odumakin was a Nigerian human rights activist and politician. Until his death, he was the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group.
Born in Moro, Ife North,in the present Osun State, Nigeria on 10 December 1966.
What a significant day to be born! The Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December every year. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation on 10 December 1948.
It was thus spiritually symbolic and significant that Yinka, as he was popularly called, was born on the day set aside to address issues that relates to the defense and promotion of human rights and dignity worldwide.
Odumakin efforts to acquires western education, brought him under the tutelage of missionaries as he attended St. Augustine Primary School, Ondo State, before proceeding to CAC Grammar School, Edunabon, Osun State and Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Studies, and also graduated from University of Ghana.While in the secondary school, his leadership and activism had begun to blossom, but was more impactful while he was in the university.
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He later transmuted his regional based activism to a national scale as he and other activists fought the government of Sani Abacha after the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election.
The core issues that drove his later years activism was the need to help pilot the destiny of the nation to its desired directions, as the ship of the state continues to moves without a rudder.
Yet the spineless scourge; the dreaded covid 19 came like a thief in the night and stole you away from us, without granting us the opportunity to negotiate your release or bid you farewell.
The renewed hope of recovery was high and we were all hopeful that you will be back on your feet and continue to do what you know how to do best, sadly, this was not to be! You have been translated to other side of eternity.
Since the announcement of the rude and sudden death of this illustrious son of Africa, the heavens have continued to rend its suspended waters in sympathy and solidarity for the soul of this departed comrade and all what he stood and lived for.
Since the announcement of his untimely death, all your multilayered constituencies have not ceased in mourning your untimely demise; the leagues of dedicated activists have yet to come to term with this grim reality; the political class are dumbfounded and utterly dismayed to reconcile your untimely exit with your expected roles as a sentinel of justice and inclusion.
All the community of the coalition of pressure groups are too aghast to your sudden exit, so also the down trodden which you have identified with and defended for over two decades.
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His births at the period of national crisis that culminated into a 30 month long civil war in Nigeria, may to an extent have thrusted a messianic role on his broad and able shoulders, which he quickly realized very early in his life.
The was further credenced by the coincidence of his birth with the United Nations Rights Day, celebrated every 10th of December, annually.
Though, he started his western education under the care and tempered hand of the missionary in the mission schools in South West Nigeria, the latent fires of robust activism that laid dormant in his underbelly was woken up during his undergraduate days at the prestigious University of Ile-Ife,Oyo state, now Obafemi Awolowo University.
He stoked the fires of activism in him aflame, so that he could fulfil his callings. This, thus began his life long journey of activism and resilient advocacy. He loosed the canon of bottled-up courage, discarded the garbs of timidity and self-restraint, to frontally took on the cause of liberty and justice, confronting headlong the powers that be.
He had brush with the university authorities and got scalded in the process. He enlarge his horizon of activism and synergize with other like-minded comrades to play key roles in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fought the government of Sani Abacha after the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election.
The risk to his limbs, freedom and life was very high during the brutal dictatorship of General Sani Abacha, year he courageously shoulders on, engaging all platforms and operating on all possible fronts to politely tell the military goons, that it is time for them to pack and go.
This, he did, not out of youthful exuberances, but a prophetic belief and subscriptions that, if our nation must endure and rides to progress and prosperity, we all have price to sacrificially pay.
He did not deliberately stick his neck on the guillotine of the military press to be pleasurably severed of for the fun of it; but deeply convinced that military junta, anywhere is an aberration and as stumbling blocks towards genuine and organic national development
He had the keenest of mind and deepest of foresight to have seen and appreciated the myriads of challenges that has held our nation back for long and purposed to be in the vanguard of those who will strive to address it.
He was concerned about the structural injustices and lack of committed inclusions in Nigeria, by policy and actions. He was concerned about the increasing preference for ethnic nationalism instead of a patriotic and selfless nation building.
He was concerned about the structure of our federation and the types of pseudo federalism we practice, realizing that this cannot carry our nation any where and had been the core causes of insecurity, imbalance and all sorts of setbacks we have suffered as a nation.
This are many other issues fueled his activism and continues to energize his unrelenting advocacy. It is no wonder why he was committedly engaged in many pressure groups platforms; He was among the spokespersons of the Southern and Middle Belt Leader’s Forum (SMBLF).
While he laid in trenches to checkmate military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha, he found a co-comrade in the trenches too. He found his future wife Joe Okei-Odumakin at a detention facility in Alagbon, after she was transferred from Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, due to her involvement in pro-democracy campaigns. They married on 4 November 1997.
With the home front secured, he continued to shoulder on as a soldier of democracy and conscience of the nation. He forayed into the murky political turf and became and active participants.
He joined and served as the spokesman of Muhammadu Buhari when he contested the 2011 Nigerian presidential election under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change.
In 2014, during the government of Goodluck Jonathan, Odumakin and his wife were the only married couple among the 492-member 2014 National Conference which was held in Abuja, Nigeria.
He later step aside from the active politicking back to activism, where he became a fierce advocated for national unity and development. He was concerned about the future of Nigeria and the fate of the Yorubas, without diminishing his sympathy and considerations for other ethnic component in the nation.
For all his engagements in life and for humanitys sake, we saw an undiluted commitment, devotion, courage, resilience and deep empathy to humanity, most especially the oppressed and marginalized.
A dedicated family man, a true son of the Yoruba nation, a patriotic Nigerian and a proud Africa man.
An advocate of good governance, true federalism, justice, freedom, human rights, inclusion and strategic management of our complex diversities.
He cherished and lived his life for the ideals of democracy, where people can enjoy equity of opportunity so that they could live harmoniously in unity, yet, not without brickbats and virulent criticisms.
To him justice and equality were indivisible and had to be relentlessly pursued irrespective of religion or tribes and without fear or favour. Remarkably, he never deviated from the consistent, principled response to injustice and inhumanity throughout his life even when it was easy to be compromised.
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We can all take solace from the fact that his life was a life truly well lived in the service of his fellow beings and in the cause of spearheading the agenda of the Yoruba nation
He was indeed the voice and strength of the Yoruba people, for like a wall he did not shake in the face of intimidations. Instead with courage he stood up for human rights, freedom for the oppressed, justice, and the right of your people to live with dignity and choose their own destiny.
He inspired selfless love and sacrifice for his people in a humble and quiet way. The impacts of his deeds are enervating and reassuring. Today, it has helped contributes to build a better society and nation and the process is ongoing.Well all miss his voice of conscience and commitment.
To Dr Joe-Okei Odumakin and family, we convey our most sincere and deepest condolences. May you have strength and courage in this time of mourning and letting go.
Yinka you have left us during a critical time when we feel that hopes for the future are fading and insecurity had taken over the land, making life extremely cheap. This is not what you fought for. It is only our mistakes that have made us land where we are.
May your selflessness and courage continue to be a beacon of hope for the downtrodden in our struggle to be freed from all forms of discrimination and social exclusion. Even though you have ceased to be with us physically, your spirit lives on in our hearts. Life is short, yet we must all strive together and agree to serve Nigeria for the betterment of all.
The best tribute we can give to Yinka, would be to emulate many of the principles he stood for, to speak truth to power and to continue to build on his legacy of equality for all.
You have fought a good fight and you have finished your course!
Thanks to you for the sacrifices that you have made for all of us!!! May you rest in perfect peace and rise in glory!!!. It is my sincere hope that Yinka Odumakin will be among those who will receive these magnificent and lasting blessings through the resurrection hope that Gods word, the Bible, extends to those who fallen asleep in death. Acts 24:15; Job 14: 14,15; Revelation 20:12, 13
May he rest in peace.
May those who followed in his leadership shoes learn the art of selfless serving and sacrifice. May we all renew our resolve to let no one suffer when we can do something about it. We will miss you dearly and every day of our life.
Sunreooo!!!!!!!. EGBON
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