Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Fasehun wants FG to proclaim June 12 as Unity Day

Dr. Frederick Fasehun of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), has urged
the federal government to proclaim June 12 as Unity Day, since May 29
is now known as Democracy Day. This was even as he tongue lashed
Abiola’s opponent in that fateful election, Alhaji Bashir Tofa,
Presidential Candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC),
for suggesting that Nigerians should forget June 12.
Speaking with journalists yesterday at Okota, Lagos State, Fasehun
said: “As the Federal Government has declared May 29 as DEMOCRACY DAY,
it must proclaim June 12 as UNITY DAY. June 12 should be UNITY DAY
because on that day, all the constituent units of Nigeria spoke with
near-unanimity and elected Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola as their President.
June 12 is the truest mark of Nigerian unity and we cannot afford to
lose its significance.”
Fasehun, who said people like him were part of the June 12 history, he
might have issues with the type of democracy Nigerian leaders run
today, but he was certainly proud of the vehicle that brought Nigeria
this far, adding that that vehicle was June 12 and all its heroes,
dead and alive.
 His words: “Our minds today go to the man who singularly became the
symbol of the June 12 struggle, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, and his wife,
Alhaja Kudirat Abiola. From the commanding heights of business and
economy that he dominated like a Colossus, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola
joined Third Republic politics, meaning to do with government
resources what he had done personally with his personal funds, a
mission to salvage Nigerians from poverty, ignorance and disease. He
won the presidential election of June 12, 1993, the country’s freest
and fairest polls. But General Ibrahim Babangida put that victory in
the grave.”
 According to him, just last week, Abiola’s opponent in that election,
Alhaji Bashir Tofa, recently declared that Nigerians should forget
June 12. “A foreigner may ask us to forget June 12 and he will be
forgiven. A child may ask us to forget June 12 and he will be
forgiven. A dim-wit may ask us to forget June 12 and he will be
forgiven. However, when someone in the calibre of Alhaji Bashir Tofa,
Presidential Candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC),
and Abiola’s opponent in the 1993 election, attempts to rubbish and
belittle that historical event, then Nigeria is in trouble.
“Bashir Tofa has lost a sense of history. And if we cannot learn from
history, then how can we properly define the future and embrace
development? Bashir Tofa does himself, Abiola and the entire Nigerian
people gross injustice by asking us to forget June 12.
“Nigerians cannot forget June 12. We remember the rape of June 12. We
remember the pain of June 12. We remember the dislocation caused by
its cancellation. We remember the lives lost, the limbs lost and the
livelihoods lost, because of June 12. And for this reason, the former
Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida must apologise to
the generality of Nigerians for annulling June 12. The reckless action
cost the country colossal loss in human and other resources. IBB must
apologise for annulling the election and IBB must apologise for the
people killed by agents of his government and those of General Sani
Abacha.”
He continued: “We have always said that June 12 gave birth to May 29.
Without the concerted struggle of pro-Democrats for the actualisation
of the June 12 presidential election, General Ibrahim Babangida would
have converted to civilian President, so would General Sani Abacha. If
those two Generals had succeeded in perpetuating themselves in office,
it would have led to the extension of Military rule. But the intensity
and internationalising of the June 12 struggle by democratic elements
finally culminated in the termination of Military rule on May 29,
1999. Those in the current civilian regime are beneficiaries of the
June 12 struggle. Those in position today owe their relevance to
everyone who made sacrifices towards the establishment of this
Republic; and those are the heroes of June 12.”
Fasehun said that as part of events marking the last Democracy Day,
President Goodluck Jonathan announced the payment of N5.7 billion in
compensations to victims of the 2011 post-election violence, adding
that some governors made similar gestures in the past. Fasehun said
that he wanted FG to also compensate victims of June 12.
“What is good for the goose must be good for the gander. We therefore
urge the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan to
immediately work out a comprehensive compensation plan for Nigerians
who died in the struggle for democracy. We demand that government
should immediately expand the scope of the current compensation plan
to include victims of June 12, especially the ordinary Nigerians who
were killed while protesting the annulment of the 1993 elections.
Those who died for June 12 must not die in vain. Victims of June 12
must be compensated!”

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