Yinka Odumakin; One Year After…….
By Olufemi Lawson
Finally, I’ve found a bit of composure, to come to the realization of the reality, that overwhelmed me, on the morning of that fateful day, when my leader and your dear wife, DrJoe Okei Odumakin placed several calls to my phone, but I wasn’t readily picking because I was deeply asleep, having done our usual late night review of the health improvement of my Benefactor, Comrade Oluyinka Peter Odumakin, the night before. Then suddenly, my wife’s phone rang, “Dr Joe on the line”, she woke me up telling. The moment I picked that call, it was the very broken voice of your dear Wife and closest ally, that resonated. “HE IS GONE…..” She couldn’t express this further until I, immediately returned the call, and it was confirmed to me, that the Iroko has fallen. Yinka Odumakin left the Sinful world.
Between that very moment, and the time I drove to the Lagos State University Teaching LASUTH in Ikeja, against the instruction of Dr Joe that I shouldn’t get on the wheel, but should rather get someone to bring me over, till the very moment of seeing your lifeless body on the bed and eventually having you admitted into the morgue, it was like been woken up, from a nightmare. Every minute of my journey, was filled with “God forbid” coming out ceaselessly from my mouth, believing that the moment I get to LASUTH, that information will become untrue, but that never happened.
It was a day, that no one ever wished would come in decades, even though death is an inevitable end.
Jagunmolu, as we in his close circle always refer to him, was a human without total description.
My over one decade of close relationship with Yinka Odumakin and his wife and my Boss, Dr Joe, exposed me to a man whose passion for others above self, was unquantifiable. Yinka Odumakin, was always willing to fight our battles for us, even when we are reluctant.
Yinka lived a life of all before self. I cannot count, the number of those encounters, I have witnessed, when Yinka will readily forgo very lucrative privileges, only because it doesn’t align with our common interests and that of the ordinary citizens on the streets.
Yinka was a true definition of Omoluabi, an unrepentantly ideological disciple of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
In the words of our Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, “even though Yinka died at a relatively young age” his accomplishments and impact on humanity, towers far above many who lived and died at very old ages”.
Yinka dedicated the later part of his life, to our struggle to restructure Nigeria, and get the country working again, through the path of through Federalism. Even though dead, the battle remains consistently on, and we shall not quit until victory is assured.
To everyone, who came through your path while you were here, forever shall you continue to live in our memories.
We will continue to uphold your virtues of true Omoluabi and ideological Progressive. It is gladdening that despite the devastation experienced by your untimely departure, your dear wife and most dependable ally, has continued to sustain not only your legacy of integrity, hardwork and patriotism, she has remained committed to our struggle, to save our motherland, Nigeria. The path we shall continue to thread.
Adieu Jagunmolu, Adieu Eniyan Rere.
Keep Resting in Power, my dear Leader and Benefactor.
Olufemi Lawson is the Spokesman of the Southern Nigeria Frontier, he writes from Lagos
