S. M. Afolabi, 1924-2004

By

Olu Ojewale

Monday, May 17, 2004

Former internal affairs minister dies in a UK hospital of undisclosed illness

He would have loved to leave the stage with his reputation still intact. But Sunday Michael Afolabi, former minister of internal affairs and a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, died in a Manchester hospital, May 10, 43 days to his 70th birthday, without being absolved in the two major events that had rocked the nation: the murder of Bola Ige, former justice minister, December 23, 2001 and the national identity card $241 million scam.

Ige was Afolabi's sworn enemy. Their rivalry dates back to 1982 when Ige was governor of old Oyo State and Afolabi, his deputy. They fell out over the conduct of primaries for the 1983 general elections. Afolabi resigned from the UPN and joined the ruling party, National Party of Nigeria,NPN. He helped the party to wrest the governorship from Ige. Victor Olunloyo of the NPN won. For delivering old Oyo State to NPN, Afolabi was made minister of state for education.

When Ige, as a member of Alliance for Democracy, AD, and a minister in the PDP government criticised the ruling party, it incensed Afolabi. He told Ige that he was being asked to "come and eat" and should therefore stop "biting the fingers that fed him." The controversy that ensued showed that the two Osun State-born politicians had still not made up. So, Ige's murder was attributed to a power tussle between him and Afolabi over the control of Osun State. Many members of AD called for the arrest of Afolabi over the murder. But the killing has never been linked to him.

Afolabi is facing prosecution with four others in the alleged $241 million national identity card scam. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, detained five people for about a month in Abuja before taking them to court. Afolabi pleaded not guilty to 16-count charges brought against him December 30, last year. He was alleged to have collected $345,600 as gratification from one Niji Adelagun, a representative of Sagem SA, the company that won the identity card contract. Justice Ibrahim Bwala Bukar, granted him bail. The others accused of receiving various sums of money from Adelagun and arraigned with Afolabi were Hussaini Akwanga, former minister of labour and productivity, Mohammed Shata, former minister of state for internal affairs; Okwesilieze Nwodo, former national secretary of PDP and Turie Akerele, former solicitor-general.

Afolabi was one of the leading politicians of Osun State. He was widely revered and the current PDP administrations in the five south-western states were attributed to his strategic efforts.

Adolphus Wabara, Senate president attributed the success of the ruling party in the south-west to his political acumen. Richard Akinjide, former justice minister, in a tribute to Afolabi said: "It is a very great loss for Nigeria in general and Osun in particular. He was very strategic in ensuring that Victor Olunloyo won the gubernatorial election in 1983… I just cannot believe that he is no more with us. He was one of the key leaders in the South-West."

President Olusegun Obasanjo in a condolence message to his family and government of Osun State, described Afolabi as "my friend and associate of many years who was truly detribalised." He said the former minister was "a rare politician who eschewed ethnic chauvinism at the risk of incurring the displeasure of his kinsmen."

Rasheed Ladoja, governor of Oyo State said Afolabi had left the scene at a time his wisdom and wealth of experienced were most needed. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, governor of Osun State, who announced the death May 10, in a press statement said it was a rude shock to him and the people of the state. He said that when a government delegation visited him in the hospital they returned with reports that his health had improved. "Indeed, we had started looking forward to receiving him back in our midst before the sad news of his demise," Oyinlola said. According to him, Afolabi would be missed for his "charismatic leadership, pragmatic politicking and humane disposition to all and sundry."

An indigene of Iree, Afolabi was born June 22, 1934 in Itoki, Osun State. He attended Holy Trinity School, Kano, Offa Grammar School, Offa, Kwara State, 1948-1950; Baptist Boys' High School, Abeokuta, Ogun State, 1951-1953, where he apparently met Obasanjo, who fondly called him "senior."

He worked as accounts clerk at the United African Company, 1953-54 and then moved to Standard Bank, now First Bank Nigeria PLC, 1954-61. He served as chief accountant of the University of Ibadan, 1961-1978. He joined politics and pitched his camp with the Unity Party of Nigeria in 1978 and was deputy governor of the old Oyo State.

He was a prominent member of the defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, where he pitched his camp with the late Shehu Musa Yar'Adua between 1990 and 1993. He returned to centre stage again during the transition to democracy in 1998 as a foundation member of the PDP. In 1999, he was appointed minister of internal affairs, the position he held until 2003, when he was reassigned to coordinate the south-west campaign team of Obasanjo's re-election.

Afolabi died of undisclosed ailment at Alexandria Hospital, Manchester, Britain. He had been on admission at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, for about a month. He is survived by two widows, many children and grandchildren.