The boy says he’s 60 today. We cannot argue, even if he continuously looks 40ish.
We celebrate a fighter for a better Nigeria however who started as a campus combatant for independent student unionism and non commercialised education in the 1980s. Journalism reunited us at the defunct Republic Newspapers and living near each other in Surulere for some time meant a comradely friendship evolved. We quickly became active members of the local Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists also registering as foundation members of the New Trend movement in the NUJ that propagated the philosophy of journalism with social relevance. At The Republic, we belonged to the Church cabal that included Deola Fadairo, Sunny Areh, Tokunbo Oloruntola, the Baba Irohin himself. Story for another day!
If we celebrate him today as a hero of Nigeria’s democracy, it is because he has not abandoned the pursuit of social justice.
In 1989 Femi Aborisade as editor of the Labour Militant was detained by the Ibrahim Babangida regime over an editorial by the pro-working class and socialist journal’s editorial statement that condemned the junta’s dissolution of the executives of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Shina was almost always with me as I on behalf of the Labour Militant, convinced Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti to head a Free Femi Aborisade Committee. It was a three-man committee of Beko as chairman, me as secretary and Shina as publicity secretary.
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By virtue of the activities of the committee and developing bond with Beko, who by the way I had earlier been acquainted with as NANS President in the course of solidarity with the then striking doctors, our working days would usually terminate at Beko’s famous 8, Imaria street in Anthony, Lagos. The ‘we’ had by then included few other ‘Republicans’. That time, Shina would write his name as Loremikan Shina and introduce himself as such to the amusement of Beko who felt he was the only Nigerian that had such distinction. Beko’s dramatic humour is perhaps the least known about his dynamic personality. Shina and I watched Beko abruptly turn off the engine as we set to depart for the University of Benin in his Volvo car for the 10th anniversary of NANS then led by Opeyemi Bamidele in 1990. He was going to receive a NANS post humous award for his mother Olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti as part of the commemoration. He turned to the two of us at the back seat and asked: “E jowo se ko si oloriburuku laarin eyin mejeeji”. He wasn’t just knowing us. We looked at him in disbelief. Then he said: “won ni oloriburuku kan lowa laarin awon ero towa ninu molue to ja si osa laipe yi”. A molue had truly plunged into the Lagoon about that time and the rumour mill had gone to work claiming a cursed head among the passengers caused the crash. Fake news no be today. Beko wanted assurance that such fate would not befall the Lagos-Benin journey. In bursts of laughter we told him neither of us had abominable head. “Okay ti e ba so bee”, he retorted, shaking his head twice before turning the ignition again. We laughed the more.
Congratulations dear Shina. Happy 60th anniversary.
Babangida moved from Aborisade to clamp more activists and critics into detention leading Femi Falana to suggest at a meeting of the Free Femi Aborisade Committee that the name should be changed to accommodate campaign for freedom for the new detainees. Entered Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) with us naturally as foundation members. For Shina, a marathon journey in the world of human and political rights activism had begun. If we celebrate him today as a hero of Nigeria’s democracy, it is because he has not abandoned the pursuit of social justice.
Congratulations dear Shina. Happy 60th anniversary.
