Oyinlola: Toast to peacemaker at 70

I will tell you a story. When Abacha was scheming to transmute to a civilian president and opposition to his schemes mounted from the South West, the system descended on Yorubas in the Federal Service. They were being systematically removed. I was the MILAD (Military Administrator) of Lagos and, one day, I met the late Ooni Okunade Sijuwade and discussions veered off to this matter. I told him that it was the crack in Yoruba’s wall caused principally by the quarrel between him and the Alaafin that was responsible for the lack of respect and fear for the Yoruba. I told him that if they spoke with one voice, the whole country would be afraid to touch any of their children who were then suffering persecution. The Ooni asked me what I thought he should do. I told him he and Alaafin should resolve their differences. The Ooni said he was ready. I phoned the Alaafin but I could not reach him. So, I sent my protocol officer, Ayilara, from Lagos to Oyo to deliver the message to Alaafin. Kabiyesi Alaafin agreed immediately and also told me to fix the meeting for any venue. He said even if it was Ooni’s house, he said he would attend. To test his resolve, I fixed the meeting for Ooni’s Ikeja residence and Alaafin was there. They met, discussed dispassionately and resolved their differences. That is the spirit of unity we need in today’s Yorubaland among the leaders, otherwise the people will just continue to suffer and grumble forever.” Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who clocks 70 today, told the Nigerian Tribune this in an interview a few days ago. The steps he took here sum up the life of a patriot and a peacemaker.

Life for some is a skyscraper; for others it is a modest one, two, three storey building. Yet for some others, the metaphor for the years in their lives is just a bungalow. In the third world where life expectancy is a miserable forty-something, people of skyscraper years are the very lucky chosen few. Among the very lucky ones who managed to count the years beyond 60 to 70, how many of them have the years counting for them? Today, February 3, 2021, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, retired General of the Nigerian Army, former Military Administrator of Lagos State, former Governor of Osun State, former National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) steps on the 70th floor of life. We not only count the years for him, it is marvelous in our eyes that the years count as well.

He bears a name that is very uncommon in Yorubaland. Those who know say his old man, Oba Moses Oyinlola gave him the name “Olagunsoye” in appreciation of a ‘commoner’ who was dragged before his court in a civil matter. The ‘accused’ dazzled the Kabiyesi, his chiefs and other court officials with an intelligence uncommon in depth and wisdom garnished with disarming wit. An impressed Oba Oyinlola asked the gentleman what name he bore. The man answered “Olagunsoye”. The Oba’s 43rd child who came shortly after that encounter got that name and Kabiyesi wrote in his diary “Ki Olorun se omo naa ni omo rere, amin”— meaning  “May God make the child a good, lucky, successful one, amen.” If you follow Prince Oyinlola’s 70 years journey so far, you will agree that that prayer of his dad has been following his every step wherever he steps. And the name ‘Olagunsoye’ – (Nobility fittingly sits on the throne) – are you still of those asking what is in a name?

Olagunsoye Oyinlola, LLB (Hons), Buckingham, United Kingdom; MSc, Defence Studies, Madras, India; MSc, Strategic Studies, Ibadan, Diploma in International Relations, Ife; orphan at age 9, joined the army as a Private in 1969 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at the age of 20 in 1972. At 42, he became Military Administrator of Lagos State, moved on to become acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), retired in 1999 from the Army as Brigadier-General at age 48 and at 52 was elected Governor of Osun State. He left the office of governor in the closing months of 2010 and by 2011, was at the Nigeria Law School, Abuja where he was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar. He got married to peaceful, graceful Omolola in 1978 at the age of 27; they are blessed with kids who are also trail-blazing in their chosen fields-one of them a chartered accountant before age 25, another a lawyer, others quite very promising in their careers- and all happily married with children.

In and out of uniform, wherever he is mentioned, it must be about service and peacemaking or peacekeeping. Currently he is the chairman of a committee tasked with putting out the fire of conflict in the south west flank of his party, the PDP. It wasn’t by sheer chance that the lot for that task fell on him. It is his turf. About 16 years ago, he was chairman of PDP’s special panel charged with resolving the Ngige-Uba -Anambra crisis; he also brought together Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar after years of tempestuous relationship between them. In a very profound way, his peacemaking efforts permanently buried the over 100 years old Ife-Modakeke war. His years in Osun State, which I witnessed as a participant – as his media aide – were years of peace and plenty in homes of workers, artisans, farmers, obas, chiefs, all.

Decades before his Osun years, there was a deadly conflict between soldiers and townspeople in Epe, Lagos State, then Captain Oyinlola was drafted to that theatre of conflict to prepare the ground for peace. He went there as a well-schooled Yoruba Prince and Omoluabi; he delivered that meal of peace with grace and reported back to his commanding officer with the proverbial plate of satisfaction. He went, saw and vanquished the conflict with the affliction never to rise again. His later years in the army took him to Chad to put out another fire, and later to Somalia as Commander of the Nigerian Contingent of the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission there. He did so well on that assignment that the American Marine commander there, General Charles E. Wilhelm sent him a carefully worded letter which spoke directly to Oyinlola’s professionalism and Nigeria’s leadership in peacekeeping during that period. The letter, dated 2 March, 1993, reads: “Dear Lieutenant Colonel Oyinlola, I would like to take a moment to commend you and your soldiers for your professional and courageous performance during the recent disturbances in Mogadishu. The firm and resolute way in which your troops held their positions at H-4 in the face of frequently intense sniper fire and mob violence was noteworthy….Speaking on behalf of all US Marines, we consider it an honour and a privilege to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with a tough and professional force like yours.”

A month after the above letter was written, Oyinlola›s Reporting Officer in the Nigeria army, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar wrote an assessment of the officer on 19 April, 1993 describing him as “a highly professional officer and very dutious.” He added that “These qualities actually informed and reinforced our decision to select him to command the battalion that is currently engaged in peacekeeping operations in Somalia. Since then, his unit has gotten international acclaim for its outstanding performance. Ola has continued to be one of the best officers the Armoured corps can boast of. He holds the promise of a brilliant career in the SVC.”

There is no war that peace cannot conquer. The man of peace in Yoruba is also called an Omoluabi. Someone looked at him and said an Omoluabi is that man with 200 friends. As a connoisseur of friends, this prince is as peaceful and trusting as he is brave and daring. Ten years ago, I submitted that an Omoluabi should be as effective in peacekeeping and peace-enforcing as he is in peacemaking. Nothing has changed with this old man who clocks 70 today. The grace of God is always with all people of peace. Peacemakers always ride all storms and arrive with grace at the harbour of fulfillment. Their Eagle, with ease,speeds past the wiles of enemies who scheme with leopard skins and the ones of the scally-backed alligator (awon alawo ekun ati alawo agilinti). People of God, like this officer and  gentleman, are winners always. Happy birthday sir.

• Olagunju, Editor of Saturday Tribune, was Prince Oyinlola’s Chief Press Secretary during his governorship of Osun State.

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