As the week-long activities marking the first year of the governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) in office ends today, one of the highlights of the activities that still lingers in the minds of many residents of Ado Ekiti, the state capital, is the stage performance recently organised in honour of Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, first Military Governor of the old Western Region.
The military officer is widely remembered for risking, and eventually losing his life when he stood up in defence of then Head of State, General Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi, a visitor to his Region, against some participants in the 1966 counter coup against Ironsi, which eventually led to the loss of many civilians and military officers’ lives.
The stage show, with the theme: “Fajuyi For Nigeria”, was attended by many Ekiti indigenes and friends of the state, including Engr Jide Akinyede, Mr Sola Esan of the department of Geoinfomatics & Remote Sensing in RECTAS (Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace Surveys), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, Mr Niyi Adebayo, Chief Sola Fasanmi, Mr Toyin Afolabi, members of the state House of Assembly, present and past government officials, among others.
The stage play, which was written by Professor Rasaki Ojo Bakare, who also doubles as the state’s Commissioner for Arts and Culture, held at the Obafemi Awolowo Civic & Convention Centre, Ado Ekiti.
The commissioner, who recently led the Ekiti State cultural troupe to a successful outing in Netherlands, expressed his gratitude to the governor for his unflinching support for Ekiti culture and tradition, as well as to the performers who thrilled hundreds of guests to a dose of how the Ado Ekiti hailing military officer lost his life while protecting his boss.
“The play depicts the heroic deeds of Fajuyi, a former Military Governor of the old Western State, who laid down his life for the unity of Nigeria,” the commissioner said.
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