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Tinubu, Babarabe Musa, Utomi, Ojukwu eulogise Braithwaite at colloquium

By Seye Olumide
27 April 2016   |   3:45 am
Former governors of Lagos and old Kaduna states, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Balarabe Musa were among other dignitaries who yesterday poured encomiums on the late founder of the National Advance Party.
Coordinator, Tunji Braithwaite Colloquium, Ajibola Oluyede (left); Prof. Pat Utomi; President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Odumakin; Pastor, Soul Winning Ministries, Dr, Moses Iloh; Representative of Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Richard Umaru and Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Debo Adeniran at the colloquium in honour of the late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite in Lagos... yesterday. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Coordinator, Tunji Braithwaite Colloquium, Ajibola Oluyede (left); Prof. Pat Utomi; President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Odumakin; Pastor, Soul Winning Ministries, Dr, Moses Iloh; Representative of Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Richard Umaru and Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Debo Adeniran at the colloquium in honour of the late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite in Lagos… yesterday. PHOTO: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI

Former governors of Lagos and old Kaduna states, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Balarabe Musa were among other dignitaries who yesterday poured encomiums on the late founder of the National Advance Party (NAP) and human rights lawyer, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite.

Speaking at a colloquium organized in honour of Dr. Braithwaite in Lagos yesterday, Tinubu, who was represented by the Chairman, Editorial Board, The Nation Newspapers, Mr. Sam Omatseye said when Dr. Braithwaite said he wanted to eliminate mosquitoes and cockroaches, people were laughing “but if he had done that then Nigeria would not be facing the crisis it is going through today.”

According to him, “You can imagine the type of country we would have if his philosophy of killing the mosquitoes and cockroaches were adhered those days. The problem is that the rats, cockroaches and mosquitoes of 1970 are not as big as the ones we have today. There are bigger mosquitoes and cockroaches now. We have rats that are now giving our economy Lassa fevers and the mosquitoes of today give resistance malaria to our economy.

“At that time N2.8 billion was stolen and the entire nation came down today such amount and the nation still stand as if nothing has happened. So when you are speaking of Dr. Braithwaite’s legacy he tried to put it in a symbolic and physical trend tackling corruption as the Nigerian enemy. He has been doing that for a long time and he also did that by providing a metaphor and in a right term to tell the story.”

Musa, founder of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) said the relationship between NAP and PRP has been long, robust and on trust.

Musa, who was represented by Mr. Richard Umaru, the Director of Research of PRP, said though Dr. Braithwaite, was born with a silver spoon, he however, chose to wine and dine with the masses.

Summarizing Dr. Braithwaite’s character in three words, contentiousness, constancy and comradeship, Musa said the elder statesman never waivered in whatever he believed until his death.

Professor of Political Economy and Management Expert, Pat Utomi said Dr. Braithwaite is one of the great Nigerians, who possessed the ability to look into the future and interpret it correctly. Unfortunately, Utomi lamented the eminent lawyer could not realise the Nigeria of his dream before his death.

Son of the late Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Dede in his remarks said as a young man in those days when his father decided to use Dr. Braithwaite as his counsel, I wondered why because there were also many good Ibo lawyers but with time I discovered the type of deep trust between them.

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