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REMARKS BY RT HON MUDASHIRIU AJAYI OBASA, SPEAKER, LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY DURING THE SPECIAL PARLIAMENTARY SESSION HELD FOR LATE SEN BAYO OSINOWO AT THE ASSEMBLY’S CHAMBER, ON TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2O2O
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“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent.”
It is with the above lines by Steve Jobs that I say thank you for honouring our invitation to this special parliamentary session organised to honour one of our own, the very political stabiliser of our time, an unofficial leader of this great Assembly, a Major General in the political corridor of the Nigerian politics, a hero in every sense, late Senator Bayo Sikiru Osinowo, popularly known as Pepperito, who departed the land of the living last week Monday.
Distinguished guests, we are gathered here today to honour Senator Bayo Osinowo, a man imbued with native intelligence, political sagacity and wisdom of Solomon which manifested hugely in his dealings; a powerbroker who assisted many politicians to realise their ambitions.
I met Sen Osinowo before the election of 2003. However, our first serious political contact was before the swearing-in of the 5th Assembly. It was at the Women Development Centre Agege where we were having a caucus meeting to appoint who would be Speaker of the 5th Assembly. While majority of us were behind Rt Hon. Jokotola Pelumi, who eventually emerged as the Speaker then, Hon Osinowo and some were routing for Ikuforiji. After the swearing-in, we continued as newly elected members, which they call rookies now.
Pepper as an influential politician who had direct contact with our overall leader, was not abashed to assert his political influence and authority, which some of us the young elements were not ready to accommodate. Then confrontation started; that was the genesis of our cordial relationship. In the long run, we learnt our lesson as Pepper had his way, which led to the change of guard when Pelumi was removed and Ikuforiji became Speaker. It was a process that brought us together very closely.
Let me share that when Ikuforiji became Speaker, we established a political tripod in the sense that Ikuforiji, Pepper and myself were always the last to leave the Assembly premises. With this, the nocturnal nature of politics within the political scene here was birthed. The three of us would stay behind the till the wee hours, and the relationship continued to blossom.
My knowledge of Pepper is that he was an astute grassroots politician, thorough progressive, a political pathfinder and liberator, a cheerful giver and a super benefactor to many. He was always ready to help. I could remember sometimes ago when one of us then was struggling to clinch a returning ticket to the House. The wife of the embattled lawmaker was with him then at the party Secretariat. Egbon, as I used to call him, saw the trauma of the wife. There and there, he decided that this man must get the ticket. He approached Asiwaju on behalf of the man in question and conversation ensued between the former Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and him. That same night, Egbon travelled all the way down to Osogbo to meet Aregbe. And that was how he got the ticket for the lawmaker.
Also, my emergence as Speaker, which I have always said officially and unofficially was through the divine intervention of Allah, our Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Pepperito. Pepperito actually played prominent roles because while all forces were against me then, Pepe stood his ground in my support, which led to my emergence as the Speaker of the 8th Assembly; a feat that I will never forget in my life.
It is also important to state here that there was hardly any election in the South-West that Pepe did not play a prominent role during his lifetime. I recall our sojourn to Ekiti during the first election of Governor Fayemi. I also remember the elections of Gov. Mimiko. We were together there. Same with the elections of Govs Amosun, Dapo of Ogun and that of Aregbe and Oyetola of Osun State. At the same time, all the elections that brought in the past Governors of Lagos State from Gov Fashola till date, Pepe was contributed to their victories at the polls.
All of the above point to the fact that Egbon was more of a national politician. He was there for so many Local Government Chairmen. Same for Councillors.
For those who may not know, Sen Osinowo was among the few progressive Nigerians who fought many battles to liberate the nation from the grip of the military dictator who made offensive incursion into the governance of the country. He was harassed, persecuted, bullied and imprisoned in the struggle to liberate the nation, especially during the struggle to revalidate the June 12, 1993 election. The late distinguished Senator was a parliamentarian per excellence and remains one of the nation’s heroes of current democracy to which some of us are beneficiaries today.
With the kind of relationship I had with Egbon, 90% of my journey out of the country were with him. As close as we were, we shared same room any time we travelled together, which was like that until when his early morning conversations on the phone would leave me awake. Even when we stopped sharing room, we would still share same apartment. We were always together. Even as Speaker, we would eat together, and close late together until Egbon moved to the National Assembly.
You will all agree with me that we have not had a special session of this kind before for a departed soul whether at the national or state level. But for Sen Bayo Osinowo, a friend, colleague, teacher, scholar, and benefactor, whichever way we honour him today will be the least of what we can do for a man like him who was a detribalised Nigerian and indeed a true Lagosian.
Agba Egbe, eru laye, as some of us would address him while he was with us at this Assembly for 16 years, the ebullient, lively, didactic Sen Osinowo was full of sense of humour which he often used to inject life and to douse tension in our midst.
Sen Osinowo no doubt was a political icon, a man endowed with sheer organisational ability, mobilisation prowess, uncommon acumen, and masterful lucidity.
In his days, he was a charismatic politician and political leader with charisma, passion and fervour that traversed the political spectrum, appealing to all social strata. He was at home with the grassroots as he was with the elite.
A quiet man, down to earth, selfless and humility epitomised, Sen Osinowo’s death is a great loss whose vacuum will be very difficult to fill.
A cool, calm, and collected individual, Sen Osinowo will be greatly missed by all and sundry, especially for his dedication and penchant to the betterment of the common man.
In fact, it is very hard to find suitable words to aptly pay a tribute to this truly remarkable man. If tears could build a stairway and memories a lane, all the people he left here would walk right up to heaven and bring him back again.
But we take solace in Islam that Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (“Verily we belong to Allah, and verily to Him do we return). We cannot query the Almighty Allah since He does as He pleases.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’m very sure that Sen Osinowo did not know he would be departing so soon, when he spoke philosophically at the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly about death, of which he died few days after. He said and I quote,
“God didn’t sign any agreement with anybody when he created us. He just created us without notice so he would take us away without notice. Death is inevitable. It will come all of a sudden. Many never witnessed their first birthdays. Which of the blessings of the Lord will you deny?”
Dear colleagues, distinguished guests, above were the words of this great politician of our time whom I count myself privileged to have not only known but also work with.
While I pray that the Almighty Allah grant Egbon a repose and Aljanna Firdaus, I will continue to pray for the family he left behind for the needed fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
At the same time, I urge all of us here today to learn from the life of this great icon. None of us knows when it will be our turn. It is for this reason alone that we should strive to do good for the mankind in whatever form we can.
I wish us safe trip back to our destinations.
I thank you all for your listening pleasure.
Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa,
Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly
