LADOKE AKINTOLA

DIED 15 JANUARY 1966

Akintola was born in Ogbomosho to the family of Akintola Akinbola and Akanke, his father was a trader and descended from a family of traders. At a young age, the family moved to Minna and he was briefly educated at a Church Missionary Society school in the city. In 1922, he returned to Ogbomosho to live with his grandfather and subsequently attended a Baptist day school before proceeding to Baptist College in 1925. He taught at the Baptist Academy from 1930 to 1942 and thereafter worked briefly with the Nigerian Railway Corporation. Akintola was also founder of Iroyin Yoruba, a newspaper written in the Yoruba language. In 1946, he earned a British scholarship to study in the U.K. and completed legal studies by 1950. He started his legal career working as a lawyer on land and civic matters. After he was trained as a lawyer in the United Kingdom, Akintola returned to Nigeria in 1949 and teamed up with other educated Nigerians from the Western Region to form the Action Group (AG) under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He initially was the legal adviser of the group before becoming the deputy leader in 1953. As the deputy leader of the AG party, he did not serve in the regional Western Region Government headed by the Premier Awolowo but was the Action Group Parliamentary Leader/Leader of Opposition in the House of Representatives of Nigeria. At the federal level he served as Minister for Health and later Minister for Communications and Aviation. Akintola was a dignified orator and was responsible for completing the founding of University of Ife (Awolowo’s brainchild and currently Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1962 while still a premier in Western Region. He was also involved in the development of Premier Hotel and other monuments. Akintola died in Ibadan, the capital of Western Region, on the day of Nigeria’s first military coup of 15 January 1966—which terminated the First Republic. A number of institutions, including Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, were established in both his home town and other Nigerian cities as a means of remembering him posthumously.

LÁDÒKÈ AKÍNTỌ́LÁ

KÚ NÍ ỌJỌ́ KARÙNDÍNLÓGÚN, OSÙ KÍNÍ, ỌDÚN 1966

Ìlú Ògbòmọ́ṣọ̀ ni wọ́n ti bí Akíntọ́lá sí ìdílé Akíntọ́lá Akínbọ́lá àti Àkànke, bàbá rẹ̀ jẹ́ oníṣòwò, tó sì wá láti ìdílé àwọn ọlọ́jà.  Ní ọjọ́-orí ọmọdé, ẹbí náà lọ sí Minna, ó sì ti kọ́ ẹ̀kọ́ ní ṣókí ní ilé-ìwé Ẹgbẹ́ Oníhìnrere ti Ìjọ ní ìlú náà.  Ní ọdún 1922, ó padà sí Ògbòmọ́ṣò láti gbé pẹ̀lú bàbá àgbà rẹ̀ lẹ́hiìnna lọ sí ilé-ìwé Baptístì ọjọ́ kan ṣáájú kí ó tó lọ sí Baptist College ní ọdún 1925. Ó kọ́ ẹ̀kọ́ ní Baptist Academy láti ọdún 1930 sí ọdún 1942, lẹ́hìnna ló ṣiṣẹ́ fún ìgbà díẹ̀ pẹ̀lú Nigerian Railway Corporation.  Akíntọ́lá ni olùdásílẹ̀ Ìròyìn Yorùbá, ìwé ìròyìn tí a kọ ní èdè Yorùbá.  Ní ọdún 1946, ó gba owó ìrànlọ́wọ́ ìwé-kíkà Ìlu Gẹ̀ẹ́sì láti kàwé ní United Kingdom, ó sì parí àwọn ẹ̀kọ́ nípa òfin ní ọdún 1950. Ó bẹ̀rẹ̀ iṣẹ́ òfin rẹ̀ ṣíṣe bí agbẹjọ́rò lórí ilẹ̀ àti àwọn ọ̀ràn ìlú.  Lẹ́yìn tí Akíntọ́lá ti gba ìdánilẹ́kọ̀ọ́ gẹ́gẹ́ bí agbẹjọ́rò ní United Kingdom, ó padà sí Nàìjíríà lọ́dún 1949, ó sì darapọ̀ mọ́ àwọn ọmọ Nàìjíríà mìíràn tí ó kàwé láti Western Region láti dá ẹgbẹ́ Action Group (AG) sílẹ̀ lábẹ́ ìdarí Olóyè Obáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wọ̀.  Ó kọ́kọ́ jẹ́ olùdámọ̀ràn nípa òfin fún ẹgbẹ́ náà kí ó tó di igbákejì aṣáájú ọ̀nà ní ọdún 1953. Gẹ́gẹ́ bí igbákejì aṣáájú ẹgbẹ́ Action Group (AG), kò ṣiṣẹ́sìn ní ìjọba ẹ̀kun Western Region tí Premier Awólọ́wò jẹ́ olórí ṣùgbọ́n ó jẹ́ Aṣíwájú ẹgbẹ́ ìgbìmọ̀-ìjọba ìse / olórí tí àtakò ní Ilé aṣòfin ti Nàìjíríà.  Ní ìpele àpápọ̀ ó ṣiṣẹ́ bí Mínísítà fún Ìlera àti nígbàmíì Mínísítà fún àwọn ìbáraẹnisọ̀rọ̀ àti Òfurufú.  Akíntọ́lá jẹ́ àgbásọ oníyì, ó sì ní ojúṣe láti parí ìdàsíle Fásítì ti Ifẹ̀ (òye Awólọ́wò àti ilé-ìwé gíga Obáfẹ́mi Awólọ́wò lọwọlọwọ) ní ọdún 1962 nígbà tí ó tún jẹ́ olùbere ní Western Region.  Ó tún kópa nínú ìdàgbàsókè ti Premier Hotel àti àwọn àràbárà mìíràn.  Akíntọ́lá kú ní Ìbàdàn, olú-ìlú Western Region, ní ọjọ́ tí àwọn ọmọ ogun àkọkọ́ ti Nàìjíríà gbàjọba ní ọjọ́ karùndínlógún, Oṣù Kiní, ọdún 1966—èyìtí ó fòpin sí ìjọba olómìnira kinní. Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ àwọn ilé-iṣẹ́, pẹ̀lu Ládókè Akíntọ́lá University of Technology, Ògbòmọ́ṣò, ni wọ́n dásílẹ̀ ní ìlú méjééjì àti àwọn ìlu Nàìjíríà mìíràn gẹ́gẹ́bí ọ̀nà láti ṣe ìrántí rẹ̀ lẹ́hin ikú.