It was the legendary writer, William Shakespeare, who said "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
Drawing from the inspiration above, many schools of thought will agree that our super legend, a special breed of homosapien, a superman from another planet, the first Asiwaju of Offa, Chief Josiah Sunday Olawoyin, born on 5th February, 1925, was a complete definition of greatness. An Iroko tree that made a forest was the leader of leaders with magnificent unifying force in the annals of Offa history.
Our proactive and progressive legend, the late Asiwaju of Offa, whose life, values and virtues were outstanding and strong messages to all and sundry, began his educational career in our renowned St. Mark's Primary School, Offa and later proceeded to the first Community Secondary School in the whole of Northern Region, Offa Grammar School (OGS). He crowned his prestigious education by attending Ibadan City College to read Law and graduated in 1947.
The sights and sound of the late Asiwaju during his days were not only inspirational and exceptional but also resonating the vital need of man to stand for noble courses. He was a symbolic representation and definition of struggle against institutional and individual oppression and loud ostentatious materialism at the expense of the ordinary people. He lived and gave his life to the yearnings and aspirations of Offa people in particular and yoruba race in general.
Very distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it's no doubt that our consummate and courageous elderstateman, Baba J.S. Olawoyin, was an Iconic legend with a combination of many colours and honour. The late Asiwaju, a former Director of the New Nigerian Newspapers Limited from 1968 to 1979, who was also a business man and politician, came to political limelight with his election as the Publicity Secretary of both defunct Zikist Movement in 1948 to 1949 and Middle Belt People's Party in 1953 as well as his election as a member of the Northern House of Assembly from 1956 to 1961.
The philosophy of Asiwaju on politics and policy, dignity and integrity, is incredibly amazing and worth emulating. It is a fact that actually arrested the attention and interest of the late sage, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo in the 1953 Constitutional Conference in London when he met with Baba J.S. as he was fondly called. A situation that later earned Chief J.S. the position of the Organising Secretary of Action Group from 1954 to 1966.
During this period, it wasn't a fallacy to describe Baba J. S, the leader of the Northern opposition, as a Rock of Gibraltar giving the northern folks a political bloody nose. He was offered a Ministerial appointment by Sir. Ahmadu Bello to woo him over when Baba J. S. became a hard nut to crack but he turned it down to demonstrate his allegiance to Chief Awolowo and the entire Yoruba race.
The Political network and net worth of Chief J.S. Olawoyin, a very loyal and staunch supporter of Chief Obafemi Awolowo both in the Action Group (AG) of the First Republic and in the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) of the Second Republic, were magnificent and largely responsible for his emergence as the Kwara State Gubernatorial Candidate of UPN in 1979 in the second Republic.
The enduring legacies of the late Asiwaju as the first Administrative Secretary of our famous Offa Descendants' Union, O.D.U. at home and in diaspora and the General Secretary of the League of Northern Yorubas, comprising Ibolo, Igbomina, Okun and Ekiti, are extraordinary footprints on the sand of time.
One of the jaw-dropping events that succinctly defined him as an incredibly wonderful strategist was the late Olofa's saga, Oba Wuraola Isioye in 1957 in the hand of the then Northern Region government of Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir. Ahmadu Bello. Oba Isioye was marked to be deposed and banished. Our firebrand politician with a superb Offa content, who understood the colour of the water under the bridge, was the ORACLE who performed the MIRACLE to rescue the late Oba Isioye from the imminent arrest and banishment.
As the Northern government went further to stop the salary of the Oba Isioye, our highly revered and fiercely respected O.D.U Administrative Secretary mobilised O.D.U members at home and in diaspora to pay his salary from that date till he passed on in 1969.
As the first Asiwaju of Offa, installed by the 23rd Olofa of Offa, HRH, Oba Mustapha Olawore Olanipekun Ariwajoye II in 1982, the highly cerebral Baba J. S. undoubtedly paid his dues as a legend extraordinary to unify Offa by ending its polarisation and laid the foundation of a new Offa in the democratic landscape of Kwara state and beyond for our collective sense of history and glory.
The love of Baba J. S for Offa was strong enough to split a rock. He lived and breathed Offa like no other. He was our oasis in the desert, the voice of the voiceless who gave abundant hope to the hopeless. We shall continue to echo the legendary message of Baba J. S. to the generation yet unborn for the emancipation of man and spread of blessings of liberty in the universe through social justice, equity and honesty.
Baba J. S. was happily married to Chief (Mrs) Ruth Mopelola Akinola and blessed with five sons and four daughters.
His death in Offa, his home town, on the night of Tuesday 10th of October, 2000 at the age of 75 years was the end of a unique era in our political hemisphere.
Adieu!! Our Cicero!!!
Written by:
Maruf Olalekan AJENIFUJA
National P.R.O,
Offa Descendants' Union
