The governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has once again urged the federal government to honour the late Lt. Col. Adekunle Fajuyi, a former military governor of the erstwhile Western Nigeria, for making the ultimate sacrifice for maintaining national unity.
On Sunday night, during a Command Performance of FAJUYI FOR NIGERIA, a stage drama that reenacts the valiant deed of the late military governor, Oyebanji made the plea at the Muson Centre in Lagos.
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The governor said that the valiant act of the Fajuyi is an enduring legacy of patriotism, heroism, and sacrifice that should be celebrated by all Nigerians. He had previously made the call during a similar performance of the play in Ado-Ekiti last month as part of activities marking his first year in office.
A Federal Government award and acknowledgment of the late hero, according to Oyebanji, will act as a symbol of togetherness to uplift the next generation and ensure that Fajuyi’s name remains in the annals of Nigerian history.
The late Fajuyi, an Ado Ekiti native, was most known, according to the governor, for his selfless decision to risk his life in order to save Major General Aguiyi-Ironsi, the then-head of state, during the Nigerian Counter-Coup of 1966.
According to him, Nigerians would always be motivated by the legacy of the late Fajuyi to uphold moral principles in all circumstances, to be men and women of integrity, to instill moral principles in their place of birth, and to show the utmost level of patriotism for their nation.
On the other hand, Oyebanji said that the Ekiti State Government will rebuild the late hero’s burial site at Fajuyi Park, Ado Ekiti, and make it a national monument. The government would also continue to honour the late hero and provide support to the family.
In order to memorialise Fajuyi permanently and help perpetuate his memory, he urged the Federal Government to take immediate action and consider designating a national monument in his honour.
“This evening, history has once again been presented to us. It has taught us, educated us, warned us, and inspired us to always do the right thing, no matter what the circumstances. It has also taught us to be men and women of integrity, to have moral values of consistent commitment to our place of birth, and to have the highest level of patriotism for our country.
In order to maintain the unity and oneness of our nation, Lt. Col. Francis Adekunle Fajuyi volunteered himself as the lamb that our country needed. For this reason, I firmly believe that Nigeria has not done enough to honour this hero, and we also believe that the nation has not demonstrated gratitude equal to the magnitude of Francis Adekunle Fajuyi’s sacrifice.
Francis Adekunle Fajuyi died for the people of Ekiti and all of Nigeria, and as your governor, I hereby demand that a national monument be dedicated in his honour right away in order to honour him forever and further preserve his memory. Two, the Nigeria Army should give his family an annual financial support grant and bestow upon him a posthumous national award, the governor stated.
The moment the first sons of the fallen military officers were called to the stage for the customary handshake across the Niger was a key high point of the Command Performance that the families of the Fajuyi and Aguyi-Ironsi observed.
As the two men shook hands and gave each other an embrace, a cloud of stillness fell over the packed Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, the performance’s location.
