Liberty Stadium Named After Awo •As Jonathan Visits Ogun

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday announced the re-naming of the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, Oyo State as Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, just as he paid tribute to the visionary leadership the sage offered Nigeria while alive.

Jonathan made the announcement at the Ikenne home of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, when he paid a courtesy call on Yeye Oodua, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, as part of his official tour of the state.

The president was accompanied on the visit by dignitaries, including Ogun State governor, Chief Gbenga Daniel; his counterpart in Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala; Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash; Minister of Commerce, Senator Jibril Martins- Kuye; Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi; members of the National and state assemblies, among others.

The renaming of the stadium came shortly after the president inaugurated an expressway in Ikenne town named after the sage and which was constructed by the Ogun State government.

The president, who expressed happiness that he was visiting the Awolowo home for the first time in his life and for him to be received and blessed by Mrs Awolowo, disclosed that the renaming of the Liberty Stadium was a decision reached between him and the affected state governor.

According to him, the Awolowo family’s significance transcends Ikenne and Ogun State where the family took its roots, declaring that the sage remained a national figure.

Dr. Jonathan recalled the struggle made by Chief Awolowo as a young man and through his old age to establish his foot-prints on the evolution of the country’s march towards greatness, noting that his efforts resulted in the building of Cocoa House, the Liberty Stadium and Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) now Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which was the first of its kind in Africa.

The president, who noted that Awolowo distinguished himself among his contemporaries in his pursuit of an ideal society and life abundant for the masses, promised to pursue the vision of the sage in order to transform the country.

“We will continue with his vision to transform the country into a better place,” President Jonathan promised.

While welcoming the president, Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo assured him of her prayers and support for the success of his administration, just as she recalled the very cordial relationship between her husband Awolowo and the Ijaws, urging the president to feel at home.

Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo noted that there existed enormous challenges in governance of the country, especially at the level of the presidency, but said such challenges were not insurmountable.

“The presence of challenges is not to stop a man from reaching his goal, but to bring out the best in him,” she said, adding: “I equally wish to encourage you to be very strong and focused in your service to over fatherland.”

However, Mrs Awolowo, who recalled that Papa Awolowo, like some of his contemporaries, devoted quality time to analysing these challenges and proffering solutions to them as expressed in some of his various books, later presented the president with a few of them.

“I will not only recommend these books to you, but would rather present you with some copies to help you in discharging your constitutional responsibility. It is my honest belief that Your Excellency will find them very interesting and insightful,” she said.

Speaking further, she paid tribute to the Ogun State governor, Chief Daniel, whom he said had transformed the state into one of the fastest growing states in Nigeria.

“Having commissioned some projects during your short stay, I have no doubt that you have been convinced that Ogun State is one of the fastest developing states in Nigeria,” Mrs Awolowo said.

“On this note, I wish to commend the efforts of our indefatigable governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, for all his achievements,” she further said.

Dignitaries, who also joined her in welcoming President Jonathan to Ikenne include Bishop Michael Olusina Fape, who prayed at the event; Chief Mohammed Jobi-Fele, Reverend Adebajo Olusesan and Chief Kessington Adebutu.

Members of the Awolowo family were also in attendance and they included Reverend (Mrs.) Tola Oyediran, Publisher, Tribune titles, Master Oluwole Awolowo and grandchildren.

It will be recalled that the Liberty Stadium was built and declared opened on September 30, 1959, a development which heralded sporting development in Nigeria.

The sage had built the stadium when he was Premier of Western Region and the stadium was recorded as the first of its kind in Africa.

According to findings, the stadium was so named to commemorate the attainment of regional self-government by Western Nigeria.

The stadium’s construction was handled by a reputable chartered architect, JEK Harrison, in consultation with the then Ministry of Works and Transport of Western Region.

Liberty Stadium was as well known as the only Olympic Standard Stadium in the country until 1972 when the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, was inaugurated in preparation for the All Africa Games, hosted by Nigeria in 1973.

Among the major events that brought glamour to the stadium was the famous world title fight between Nigeria’s Dick Tiger and Gene Fulman in 1963.

The stadium had also hosted world football tourneys, including the group games of the Africa Nation’s Cup held in Nigeria in 1980 and the Group C games of the 1999 World Youth Championship, Nigeria 99.