The Unforgettable Hero, Tai Solarin

He was a person who despised the flamboyant life-style as he lived a easy life due to his conviction that one mustn’t show unbridled affluence within the midst of struggling plenty. This warmed him into the hearts of many individuals, coupled along with his humanitarian gestures. Since his loss of life virtually 30 years in the past, he has remained an inspiration to many; SUNNY IDACHABA writes.

Dr. Augustus Taiwo Solarin was merely somebody recognized in public circles as Tai Solarin. In his non-public life, nevertheless, not many knew he was a twin whose solely sister died in 1991, on the age of 64. In his public life, he was a person of many elements, relying on the notion anybody has about him, per time.

For occasion, for folks with affiliation to training, Solarin was an educationist; to the human rights activist, he was a social crusader; to these within the pen occupation, he was a notable columnist whereas in lots of points, he was an administrator/politician, having had a stint in politics throughout the Second Republic and later within the days of army rule as chairman of the defunct Peoples Bank, an appointment he accepted underneath the army administration of former President Ibrahim Babangida with a view to make use of that chance to vary the poverty index of the nation, particularly among the many grassroots.

In the sphere of training in Nigeria, Solarin is credited because the pioneer in non-public training, having based Mayflower School in Ikenne, his residence state of Ogun manner again in 1956, with an preliminary college students/pupils’ registration of no fewer than 15,000. He was additionally the primary Nigerian to review Physics on the University of Manchester.

As a powerful advocate for human rights, notably within the areas of training, healthcare and social welfare, he was a vocal critic of social injustice, corruption, and poor governance in Nigeria.

Solarin with the likes of civil rights critics and activists as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti; Beko Ransome-Kuti; Wole Soyinka; Ayodele Awojobi; Dele Giwa; Gani Fawehinmi, and Ken Saro-Wiwa fought for social justice throughout the army days. They acted as efficient opposition to the ruling army authorities and in lots of cases paid a heavy value.

In 1975, when the Gen. Yakubu Gowon as Head of State delayed returning energy to a civilian regime, Tai printed a treatise entitled, The Beginning of the End wherein he personally distributed the copies within the streets. As a outcome, he was arrested and imprisoned. This is beside his working battles with numerous administrations in a bid to enhance the lot of Nigerians.

Even in loss of life, his progressive strategy to training, emphasising crucial considering, problem-solving and neighborhood service has continued to encourage instructional reforms within the nation. His tireless advocacy for human rights, social justice and good governance stays an inspiration to the current era of activists and reformers.

In the management circle, his life and legacy proceed to encourage younger Nigerians to develop into energetic residents, leaders and change-makers. His unwavering dedication to integrity, transparency, and accountability is aware of no bounds.

To the marginalised, together with ladies, youngsters, and the poor, he was a voice because of his compassion and dedication to social order. Before he based Mayflower School in 1956, he was the principal of Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo, on his return from Manchester.

In many cases, he was a non-conformist. While appearing as principal, he eliminated Morning Prayer ritual and non secular research as a topic from the varsity. However, a few of the modifications he did attracted opposition inside the area people the place his brother was a reverend. Aside from that, the varsity was established by a gaggle of Christians. It was because of this that he stop and located his personal faculty, however with the approval of Awokoya the previous principal.

His writings each in magazines and newspapers, highlighted what he known as the hypocrisy and vulgarity of the ruling class, no surprise in an age and nation the place it’s a norm for public officers and dignitaries to put on flowing Agbada to point out their wealth and place, he was recognized to all the time put on boots, easy khaki shorts and a easy shirt as he was aghast with such show of affluence within the midst of struggling public.

To a big extent, Solarin was impressed by the writings of the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who inspired younger folks to journey overseas for research. This was why he indicated curiosity to journey overseas to review Physics. His preliminary try to achieve a passport fell by; the rationale for which he enlisted within the British Air Force and served with the Royal Air Force as a navigator throughout the Second World War. After the warfare, he remained in Britain and studied at University of Manchester earlier than returning to Nigeria.

For his core perception, he was usually famous for these quotes: “I struggle with an indomitable spirit; my again to the wall, defeat is for many who settle for it.

“Black folks maintain onto their God simply because the drunken man holds on to the road lamppost for bodily help solely.

“The biggest strands of affection are woven in adversity. Leadership means struggling. The chief who has no marks, indelible marks to point out both on his bodily physique or in his thoughts has by no means led.

“How many Socrates did Greece breed? How many Nehru’s did India breed? They have one each but they all had one thing in common: sense of mission, an unquenchable thirst to get things done. We need as in this instance only one courageous Nigerian to take a stand, but no Nigerian wants to offer his head to break a coconut,” these have been memorable quotes attributable to him.”

In 1988, the army authorities of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida established the Peoples Bank and appointed him its pioneer chairman to midwife the disbursement of soppy loans and different types of credit score to the very poor to start out their very own companies. He, nevertheless, resigned from the financial institution in protest after his recommendation to the federal government to prosecute the financial institution debtors fell on deaf ears.

His resignation was, nevertheless, misinterpreted by many from mischievous intents; nevertheless, Tunji Light Ariyomo, an engineer and improvement professional, mentioned Solarin reasonably gave corruption a black eye and that his exit from the financial institution has nothing to do with any weak point as being peddled.

Arimoyo mentioned, “He was taunted and supplied a place to cater to the poor; he accepted the problem, however the identical authorities then employed his lieutenants to sabotage his work. Rather than kowtowing to that evil as the brand new regular and becoming a member of them to swim within the filthy lucre, he acted promptly and demanded probity and sanctions.

“When his directives to rein within the culprits have been undermined, he escalated the state of affairs to his superiors within the authorities. When these above him refused to behave, he resigned. That was the correct factor to do. By that motion that was clearly above board, Tai Solarin gave Nigerian corruption an uppercut. He gave corruption a black eye.

“Dr. Tai Solari resigned honourably and remained unblemished. His resignation was not as a result of the duty was too large for him or as a result of he got here to the epiphany that the federal government needs to be pitied for coping with a much bigger variety of officers than he handled on the PBN. No! Rather, his resignation was triggered by the army administration’s obvious shielding of looters of the People’s Bank.

“The distortion being peddled to make the Babangida’s military look good is the kind of thing that stifled our growth and development in Africa which is the canonisation of evil and denunciation of saints. If you have helped to share the lies, I put it to you that you are an accessory after criminal defamation of a hero and deification of a nefarious villain.”

He was born on 20 August 1916 and died on July 27 1994, on the age of 77.

There is little doubt that Dr. Tai Solarin’s life was a testomony to the facility of training, activism, and humanism. His enduring legacy continues to resonate, particularly inside the nation’s training sector, standing as a beacon of what devoted service to humanity can obtain. These and lots of others are why he stays an unforgettable hero.