The Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele has revealed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa mobilised resources for the chieftains of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fled their fatherland during the junta of the late tyrant, General Sani Abacha.
Bamidele, currently representing Ekiti Central in the National Assembly, also disclosed that Alausa rejected offers to be either Commissioner for Education or Commission for Health under the administration of Bola Tinubu as the 12th Governor of Lagos State.
Bamidele revealed Alausa’s interventions for the pro-democracy advocates in Europe and the United States between 1993 and 1999 during the inauguration of the governing council and principal officers of the university on Tuesday in Abuja recently.
NADECO, a broad coalition of democrats across Nigeria, was established on 15th May 1994 to protest the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by Chief M.K.O. Abiola; end the decades of military dictatorship and restore democracy back to the federation.
Among prominent pro-democracy leaders that the rule of the late tyrant forced into exile include Nigeria’s pro-democracy activist, Chief Anthony Enahoro; Africa’s first Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; NADECO’s first Secretary General of the NADECO, Chief Ayo Opadokun and former Chief Whip, House of Representatives, Hon. Olawale Oshun.
Giving accounts of Alausa’s interventions for pro-democracy advocates in exile recently, Bamidele revealed that when most of them fled their fatherland during the Abacha era, they sustained varying degrees of injury that required urgent medical treatment to save them from their health challenges.
He also revealed that the education minister, then undergoing residency in Internal Medicine at both Royal Bolton Hospital and University of Newcastle between 1995 and 1997, came to the rescue of most pro-democracy leaders in exile in Europe and the United States by providing health services for them free of charge.
The senate leader explained that this present honorable minister “was one of the few people we relied on for many years when most of us fled our fatherland due to threat to our lives and families under the reign of the late tyrant.
“We were forced to different parts of Europe and the United States. Alausa was then a prosperous medical doctor in the United States. He provided hope for us. He provided resources for us. He provided much-needed medical care for us in exile. Some of the beneficiaries are alive. But some have gone home to be with God.
“Then, many of the pro-democracy leaders had to undergo knee surgery in their countries of political asylums. They had sustained injury while being hounded by the Abacha junta. They suffered teargas canisters fired at them when their meetings were disrupted. But in exile, Alausa mobilised medical professionals and resources to support everyone in need of medical care.”
He added that when President Bola Tinubu emerged as the Governor of Lagos State in 1999, he wanted to appoint Alausa either as the Commissioner for Education or Commissioner for Health in recognition of his sacrifice and support for the chieftains of NADECO in exile.
However, according to Bamidele, Alausa declined the offer of appointment on the ground that he did not do what he did for any political appointment or any patronage, but purely out of passion to guarantee the safety and welfare of the victims of the junta, who exercised their rights to push for democracy and freedom.
Also, the senate leader revealed that the education minister was behind medical outreaches that were organised across all states of the South-west when democracy was eventually restored on May 29, 1999.
He further explained: “When some of our leaders had the opportunity to come back to Nigeria at the advent of the Fourth Republic, Alausa did not just watch us from his country of residence. He initiated several medical programmes we implemented across all states of the South-west.
“Alausa was the brain behind such medical programmes as free medical care, free eyeglasses and different surgery programmes that we implemented across the geo-political zone then. He mobilised medical doctors and experts from the diaspora to Nigeria.
For weeks, they would be in the South-west holding different medical outreaches free of charge. As a government, we did not pay for their flights, accommodations or the medical care they provided for the beneficiaries of the interventions. He implemented the programmes free of charge behind the scenes.
“I can also testify as a commissioner under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos State, the governor did everything to make Alausa serve in his cabinet. He was supposed to choose between Commissioner for Education or Health. But he told Asiwaju that he did not support the pro-democracy leaders because he wanted to be in government, but because he was obliged to support them.
“I am also aware of the pressure exerted on him before he accepted to come and serve in the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th President of Nigeria. The pressure lasted for some weeks. But somehow along the line, God touched his heart and he agreed to come and be part of us,” Bamidele explained.
