By LANRE AROGUNDADE
THE BAD. It started with the ugly Thursday night as I submitted my passport for immigration formalities prior to departure for Berlin, Germany for the meetings and Strategy conference of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange respectively (IFEX). To make the long story brief (at least for now), I was harassed by DSS officials for about 40 minutes because they claimed my name was still flashing on their watchlist despite the declaration two years ago by former DSS spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunaya that my name had been removed when he met a delegation of the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) led by Musikilu Mojeed. I could have missed my Air France flight if it wasn’t scheduled for 11.55pm. I boarded in anger.
THE GOOD. The two other occupiers of row 31 L to 31 J were already seated as I arrived still enraged. The dark complexioned middle seat occupier, casually dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans shot caught my attention for her seeming familiarity.
“Are you a footballer?.
“Yes”.
“You play for the Super Falcons?
“Yes”.
“I’m sorry I happen to be a journalist so you won’t mind my asking you questions”
“No problem Sir”
“That was a good performance to qualify for the Olympics at the expense of South Africa, how do you feel about it”.
“I feel excited”.
A hero of Nigeria’s democracy therefore, it is ironic that Sankore who spent the better part of his civil society advocacy years canvassing for at least 15% budgetary allocation to the health sector by African governments would become a cancer victim.
I was not only happy to be seated next to one of the super Falcons who have been doing the Nation proud, I was also relieved against the background of yet another annoying encounter with DSS officials at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. It is a generation whose sacrifices for the Nation are probably underreported. Imo State born Striker Chinwendu Ihezuo and her colleague, defender Osinachi, who sat elsewhere, were on their way back to Mexico where they play for Pachuca Football Club. After the 6hrs 30mins flight from Lagos to Paris, they would fly another 11hrs 30mins to base. Chiwendu spent a year in China before moving to Mexico. Yet, former president Muhammadu Buhari said Nigerian youths were lazy.
THE SAD. I was still relishing the encounter with Chinwendu as our flight from Paris to Berlin was about taking off Friday morning when the message from a close friend and colleague dropped a bombshell: “Morning Lanruse. Trust your trip was fine. Sankore passed on this morning. Sad news.” Yes, very sad news. Rotimi Johnson, better known as Sankore and son of late famous actor Jimmy Johnson, the Okoro of Village Headmaster, was a very close friend, brother and fellow socialist fighter for a better Nigeria. A prominent member of the successor generation to ours in the students movement, he was at a time expelled by the University of Ibadan authorities for his struggles against education commercialisation, and for independent students unionism. Rotimi and I lived together in Alagbado axis Lagos during the June 12 struggles where we and other comrades of the Democratic Socialist Movement served as commanders. I documented his and Kola Odetola’s memorable role in shaping the June 12 movement in my book ‘Breaking Your Head With Coconut (Akowe’s Journey in Student Unionism). I mentioned how it was the two of them who suggested at one of the meetings of the Campaign for Democracy (CD) that the time was ripe to call for public demonstrations beyond issuing of stay at home leaflets to press home the demand for the validation of the June 12, 1993 presidential election result and the swearing in of the winner, Bashorun MKO Abiola. When the decision was finally taken and late Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti was asked as president of CD about his estimation of the expected turn out, he said about 5000. However, millions hit the streets of Lagos in those famous July protest days signaling the beginning of the end of the military. A hero of Nigeria’s democracy therefore, it is ironic that Sankore who spent the better part of his civil society advocacy years canvassing for at least 15% budgetary allocation to the health sector by African governments would become a cancer victim. He had confided in a close comrade few weeks ago that the medical projection was that he would live for another seven years as we continued to rally the little resources we could to aid his very expensive treatment, particularly the chemo sessions. But here we are painfully mourning the exit at 56 of someone who had hoped that life expectancy in Nigeria would be longer if health care was adequately funded and indeed made free for the poor working masses. Rest well Sankore. Yours was a short yet impactful life.
