Moshood Kashimawo Abiola: The Father of Many
Moshood Kashimawo Abiola: The Father of Many
-Odunayo Ajani
Moshood Kashimawo Abiola: The Father of Many
The making of a great man starts with that passion for excelling at the sight of injustice and most especially to correct socio-political imbalances such that others can live in harmony. The life and times of Moshood Kashimawo Abiola is an epitome of resilience with a great yearning to see good leadership emerge but wasn’t able to see the ‘hope’ he hopes to see and that which he predicted in the year 1993.
The famous name ‘Kashimwo’ emerged from te Yoruba translation meaning “let us wait and see”. This came into being after Abiola’s father had awaited Abiola’s coming to see if he will survive infancy. Hence the name Kashimawo stuck for a while and until 15 years old when he gained prominence with the other name’Moshood’.
MKO just as he is popularly known started off his life with an entrepreneurial inclination garnished with philanthropic gestures he consciously channelled into turning life around, creating an enabling environment for others to live.
Since 1972 when he was 35-year-old and until his death, Moshood Abiola became prominent with his humanistic contribution, his philanthropical gestures which shoot him to the admiration of communities in Nigeria, ethnic groups other than the Yorubas and communities abroad. During this period he became the ‘saviour’ the people had been waiting for, catering for the helpless, giving financial aid where necessary and reconstructing lives that were almost getting shattered. In regards to this, he constructed over 63 schools did over 21 water projects and paid the tuition fees of school children too much to number.
At a point in his sojourn on earth, lots of children who never came from his loins got attached to him. This might have happened because he has shown more interest in women or who knows, maybe destiny just brought these ones to be blessed by him.
MKO Abiola has touched lives, reaching out to different ethnic groups, and going as far as sponsoring some political campaigns which he never expected much from. The Congressional Black Caucus (a political organisation made up of the African-American members of the United States Congress) in a short paragraph referred to MKO Abiola in this manner:
“Because of this man, there is both cause for hope and certainty that the agony and protests of those who suffer injustice shall give way to peace and human dignity. The children of the world shall know the great work of this extraordinary leader and his fervent mission to right wrong, to do justice, and to serve mankind. The enemies which imperil the future of generations to come: poverty, ignorance, disease, hunger, and racism have each seen effects of the valiant work of Chief Abiola. Through him and others like him, never again will freedom rest in the domain of the few. We, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus salute him this day as a hero in the global pursuit to preserve the history and the legacy of the African diaspora.”
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