Dr Michael Akinola
A young man was said to have once asked a wise man, “Tell me sir, in which field of life could I make a great career ?” Then, the wise man said with a smile, “be a good human being. There is a lot of opportunity in this area and very little competition.” Same could be said of Dr Anthony Abioye Akinola, my brother.
He was a great man, a good human being who did all those normal things a brother should do, teaching the junior ones how to ride a bicycle, holding conferences via telephone periodically to see how others are doing in the USA, or in Nigeria, watching football together, despite the distance to see how our Manchester United is fairing, (we would have said something about Christiano Ronaldo last goal that secured the victory against Atalanta in UEFA game of October 19, 2021), calling me each time Serena Williams was playing tennis, how you wanted her to beat the Women’s Tennis slam record; talking about the development in our hometown of Ikere-Ekiti; above all, talking together about the supremacy of God through the Lord, Jesus Christ.
That supremacy of God is being displayed here as the entire Akinola Family can only accept God’s wish as He alone knows the best. We know nothing will be the same without you, even though we all pretend all is fine, but all shall be well with Funmi, Abimbola, Tobi and your lovely wife Shola. We find it so unbelievable that you are not here to be called on the phone to discuss issues that concern this great family of ours. We know that a limb has fallen from the family tree, but the consolation lies in the fact the limb had produced others . These limbs will be cherished, nurtured as you would like them to be.
Little did we know that on that morning of September 28, 2021, a day that we all prayed together for, a day that a little procedure was to be done, that you would be called home. You were a brand to everyone who came across you. This personal brand was always there.
You were nicknamed “Fidel Castro” because of your potent outlook, instantly recognized face, your unique style, tall and admirable. You were also nicknamed ‘5050’ because you never believed in cheating, you believed in a fifty-fifty chance of winning, you shared and never wanted the other person to go empty-handed, your belief in sameness and equality taught me how to treat people for who they really are rather than where they might come from.
You kept your personal brand intact, your writings, numerous articles on the political situation in Nigeria. A scholar of high intellect, who tried to lead the world through academic discipline. An independent researcher in the field of Law and in the Nigeria political field. One who had written essays that had been read on BBC radio and other media outlets. A frequent commentator in The Guardian (Nigeria) and The Scoop. I could remember my first time reading his article entitled ‘The President Is Not Alone’ while commenting on late President Shehu Shagari’s style of governance, in the now defunct West Africa Magazine when I was back home in Nigeria, everyone that knew me then read that article through me.
I am very proud to be your brother. Your prolific writings made some of my friends to nominate you for the Chief Awolowo Leadership Award Prize during the year of 2018. You being nominated and being considered came because people loved your public policy writings. Your writing on our contemporary challenges that face the Nigerian Nation was exceptional. I was opportuned to launch some of your books here in Washington, DC, some years back when Dr. Charles Harris, who was your mentor in the Department of Political Science chaired the occasion.
Dr. Harris came there because he knew you as one of the brilliant minds he had known. One of the takeaways from that meeting was your personal brand of preparation on any assigned document. The facts, figures and such are your strengths and being very resolute in everything is a plus. You decided to defend your thesis while pursuing your Masters Degree at Howard University, even though that was not necessarily the requirement, your confidence and knowledge were good enough to see you through.
You finished at the top and got admitted into one of the finest universities in the world, the Oxford University, to read Law. That was in 1983. We weren’t opportuned to see each other when you were in Washington, D.C., but you facilitated me coming here, and with the strong Akinola family we are blessed with, all became well, and the tradition of strong educational values were never threatened, as 5 of us (and still counting ) have already passed through the same alma mater, that is Howard.
People loved you, not just because of those abilities you possessed, but also because of your relatability. You resonated with all. It is important to know here that a relatable style of life is a talent. Not many people could relate with others. That is a display of character which must have been derived from your early exposures. In an article in The Guardian during June 2016, Dr. Vincent Bamigboye wrote that “Anthony Akinola’s outlook to life, especially, as an individual who never discriminate against other human beings on the ground of ethnicity or religion, must have been influenced by his early exposures.”
We came from a polygamous family, but one with a distinction. A family where none of the children knew who the actual mother was, where there was only one mortar and pestle for the pounded yam. Our dinner table was for one, and for all. Our siblings could sleep in any bedroom of their choice. That was the kind of early exposure my Bro 50 was born into. He was selfless in his dealings with every human being, and he gave priority to the general interest of all.
He believed in the unity of that great country of Nigeria as opposed to its division. In all his writings, nothing but the unity of one strong Nigeria had been in the forefront. Just like the saying of Martin Luther King, Jr, which he really believed in, “we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools.” He often quoted Nelson Mandela famous statement that “the world will not respect Africa until Nigeria earns that respect, The black people of the world need Nigeria to be great as a source of pride and confidence.” Only a united Nigeria can achieve that!
He believed that our unity is our strength, and that the kind of diversity existing in Nigeria is our power and beauty, It was Priscilla Shirer who wrote that “unity does not mean sameness, but oneness of purpose.” He really believed in that quote, A united Nigeria would be strong, but weak if allowed to divide. What a man, what a loss!!
We love you, but God loves you the most.
Dr Michael Akinola, a clinical pharmacist, lives in Washington DC, United States of America
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