Adekunle Fajuyi Deserves To Be Immortalised

By ‘Dimeji Daniels

Born Francis Adekunle Fajuyi in Ado-Ekiti in 1926, he joined the Army in 1943 as a non-commissioned officer. Trained at the now defunct Eaton Hall OCS in the UK from July 1954 to November 1954, this young officer soon became the toast of his superiors and colleagues alike as his brilliance, bravery and commitment to duty were no secret.

In 1951, he was awarded the British Empire Medal for helping to contain a mutiny in his unit over food rations and in 1961, as the ‘C’ Company Commander with the 4QONR under Lt. Col. Price, Major Fajuyi was awarded the M.C. for actions in North Katanga and for extricating his unit from an ambush. Adekunle Fajuyi was the first indigenous Battalion Commander of 1st Battalion in Enugu until January 1966 when he was re-assigned to Abeokuta as a Garrison Commander. Upon the emergence of General Aguiyi Ironsi as Nigeria’s Head of State on 17 January, 1966, Adekunle Fajuyi became the first Military Administrator of the Western Region.

Although he did not participate in the bloody overthrow of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, the mantle of leadership fell on Ironsi as the most senior military officer at the time. This, however, was inconsequential to the northern officers led by Major T.Y. Danjuma who were on a revenge-seeking mission because northerners were killed in the January 1966 failed coup.

On July 28, 1966, the Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces had come to the Ibadan, headquarters of the Western Region, to address a conference of traditional rulers in the region. He was through by evening and wanted to head back to Lagos, but Fajuyi would not let him. He requested that he spent the night in Ibadan. Unknown to Aguiyi Ironsi and his host (Fajuyi), Major T.Y. Danjuma and his men were lurking in the dark, ready to swoop on them.

29 July, 1966 was the last day Ironsi and Fajuyi spent on earth. For Ironsi, it was for lack of choice, but for Fajuyi, it was out of choice, loyalty and heroism. He paved the way for Ironsi to gain some headstart and pleaded with TY Danjuma to spare his guest. Danjuma would have left Fajuyi alone, but Fajuyi insisted that if he (Danjuma) must kill Ironsi, then he had to kill him (Fajuyi) first, as he would never consent or allow the killing of Aguiyi Ironsi. Danjuma would not be persuaded or swayed; he killed Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi and hunted down Aguiyi Ironsi to kill him.

Such was the tale of heroism and loyalty to the point of death – loyalty at the expense of his life. Never in this land have I heard a similar story of commitment and fatal loyalty. In this, Colonel Adekunle Francis Fajuyi stood alone.

Today, this tale is fast being consigned to the dustbin of history, no thanks to our leaders who have made it a point of duty not to immortalise him. Save for a small park in Ado-Ekiti, that could pass for a beer joint, nothing tangible has been named after this heroic son of Ekiti State. Thanks to the likes of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who built a house for his widow and Mr Segun Oni who renovated the Fajuyi Park to at least make it look comely, no other thing has been done in honour of this man. Not by the Ekiti State Government or any Ekiti indigene. This must be the reason that the Federal Government has continued to scorn Adekunle Fajuyi’s memory.

In September 2010 when the Federal Government conferred special Golden Jubilee Independence Anniversary Awards on 50 distinguished Nigerians and friends of Nigeria for their various roles and contributions to the development of the country, while names like Olusegun Obassanjo, Ladoke Akintola, Aguiyi Ironsi, Yakubu Gowon were on the list, the name of Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi was missing from the list. Does this mean that loyalty and commitment no longer count for anything in Nigeria?

Back home in Ekiti, 46 years after he laid down his life at the productive age of 40, nothing has been done to honour or immortalise Adekunle Fajuyi? Save for the old and now refurbished Fajuyi Park, nothing!!! If former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu could deem it fit to build a befitting house for Fajuyi’s widow, why can’t the State Government do more by ensuring that the memory of this brave soldier is not consigned to the dustbin? Certainly, there are many in my generation and the generations after mine who know nothing about Fajuyi’s heroic deeds. Ekiti people pride themselves as honest, bold and loyal people, traits that Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi embodied. What better way to inspire and instil these traits in the younger generation who have lost touch with what it means to be an Ekiti person than by honouring Adekunle Fajuyi and bringing to the fore how he bravely laid down his life at the age of 40?

It is good that a street and a park have been named after him, but parks can someday be demolished. Despite the architectural and natural beauty of Clumber Park in the UK, it was demolished in 1938. A smaller replacement was planned but never built and the grounds were also put up for sale and purchased by the National Trust in 1946. Likewise, a change in town planning can someday sound a death knell on the Fajuyi Park. But hardly will universities be demolished in this manner. Harvard University, Yale University, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Adekunle Ajasin University and many more were renamed after heroes and are still standing till today. Our own university in Ekiti has had four names: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ondo State University, University of Ado-Ekiti and lately, Ekiti State University (EKSU).

When the name was to be changed from University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), I expected that it would probably be renamed after Adekunle Fajuyi, but obviously I was wrong. Consider the name ‘Adekunle Fajuyi University’. Apart from the integrity inherent in the name, it would help preserve our history, especially the memory of this brave Ekiti man that is almost forgotten and becoming unknown to most people of my generation and those after mine.

Governor Kayode Fayemi should make history. We cannot only be debating the immortalisation of MKO Abiola or the rightness or otherwise of Federal Government’s decision to rename University of Lagos after him when we have not honoured our very own. Charity begins at home. Adekunle Fajuyi sure deserves Ekiti State University (EKSU) to be renamed after him. The name is a national brand that is synonymous with loyalty, commitment, boldness and courage, those attributes Ekitis were respected for. Governor Kayode Fayemi can right the wrong that has been done to the memory of Adekunle Fajuyi by renaming Ekiti State University after him. Definitely there would be dissenting voices; that’s normal in any enlightened society, but most of these voices are given to politics and envy. Let us honour this heroic son of Ekiti once and for all. Maybe, just maybe, the Federal Government will then look in our direction and immortalise Fajuyi. Like I said, charity begins at home!

Most disheartening of all, representatives of Ado-Ekiti, hometown of the late Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi, since 1999 at the Ekiti State House of Assembly have never felt the need to lobby their colleagues to pass a resolution to this effect. We cannot only continue to recognise the living while we dishonour the dead, especially those who have contributed to keeping our respected identity intact. Seyi Shittu and Olayinka who presently represent Ado Local Government in the State legislature should task themselves with seeking the long-elusive honour for Adekunle Fajuyi. This way, they would have written their names on the erasable slate of history. Also, they would be demonstrating that unlike some, they are not scared to touch the topic.

Lest the mischievous tag me self-serving or town-centric, this is not about Ado-Ekiti Local Government; it is about doing what is right and consigning unnecessary envy and needless propaganda to the dustbin. Ekiti has always been one and collectively we must rally support to honour this heroic son of ours. Like I earlier said, we cannot only be recognising the living while we shun the memory of the dead.

•Daniels writes from Ado in Ekiti State.