Michael Adekunle Ajasin
Michael Adekunle Ajasin (28 November 1908 – 3 October 1997)
was a Nigerian politician who was elected Governor of
Ondo State (October 1979
– October 1983) on the Unity
Party of Nigeria (UPN) platform during the Nigerian
Second Republic.[1]
Background
Michael
Adekunle Ajasin was born in Owo,
Ondo
State on 28 November 1908. He attended
St. Andrews College, Oyo between (1924–1927). He worked as a teacher for some
time, then was admitted to Fourah Bay College,
Sierra
Leone in 1943, obtaining a Bachelor of
Arts degree in English, Modern History and Economics in June, 1946. Following
that, he went to the Institute of Education of the University of London where he obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Education in
June, 1947.[2]
On
12 September 1947, Ajasin was appointed Principal of Imade College, Owo, where
he initiated an aggressive staff development program, including sending
teachers to University College, Ibadan for further training. In 1951 he wrote a paper that was to
become the educational policy of the Action Group
party, advocating free education at all levels. He was one of the founders of
the party, whose other policies included immediate independence from Britain,
universal health care, and abolition of want through effective economic
policies. In December 1962, he left Imade College to become founder, proprietor
and first principal of Owo High School from January 1963 to August, 1975, when
he retired.[2]
He
married Babafunke Tenabe, a teacher, on 12 January 1939. They had four
children, two boys and two girls. One daughter, Mrs Olajumoke Anifowoshe,
became attorney–general and commissioner for Justice in Ondo State.[3]
Political career
Ajasin
was involved in Nigeria's pre-independence politics. In the 1950s, he was a
national vice president of the Action Group,
became an elected ward councillor and then chairman of Owo district council
which was made up of Owo, Idashen, Emure Ile, Ipele, Arimogija, Ute, Elerenla,
Okeluse and a few more villages. He was also elected to the Federal House of
Representatives in Lagos.[4] He was a federal legislator from 1954 to 1966 before the
military took over government. In 1976, he was chairman of Owo local government
and joined the Unity Party of Nigeria when the military government started a new democratic
dispensation. Ajasin was elected governor of Ondo State in 1979, with Akin
Omoboriowo as his running mate. Omoboriowo
later fell out with him, and switched to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), where he competed against Ajasin in the 1983
elections and was initially declared winner. Later the result was annulled and
Ajasin was sworn in for a second term.[5] Ajasin held office until the military coup of 31 December
1983 that brought General Muhammadu
Buhari to power.
As
governor, Ajasin signed the law establishing the Ondo State University in 1982
in Ado-Ekiti, which is in present-day Ekiti State of Nigeria. In 2000, during
the government of Chief Adebayo Adefarati, a new university was created in
Akungba Akoko and later named Adekunle Ajasin University in his honour.[6] He also opened The Polytechnic, Owo.[7]
NADECO
Ajasin
was a leader of the National Democratic
Coalition popularly known as NADECO in
Nigeria. The coalition was formed to bring an end to the military government of
Sani
Abacha and the regime to honour the
electoral mandate given to MKO
Abiola.[8] In 1995, he was arrested by the military government of
Abacha along with 39 other activists for holding an illegal political meeting.[9]
References
· "Nigeria
States". WorldStatesmen. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
· · "Michael
Adekunle Ajasin: A colossus and role model". The Nation. 26 November 2009. Archived from the
original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 29 December
2009.
· · Joy CHINWOKWU (6
April 2004). "Ajasin's
jewel turns 90". Daily
Sun. Archived from the
original on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 30
December 2009.
· · http://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/adekunle-ajasin-democrat-nationalist-fighter-for-independence/
·
"Akingbola
is pro-chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University". Daily Trust. 27
July 2009. Archived from the original on 28 July 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
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