He hated the mindless pursuit of money, teaching his family the virtue of contentment and loving his country with a passion. A man at peace with himself, which peace and love he radiated.
The General died as he lived: empathetic, purposeful and fearless, deciding that he had played his part and was ready to “go home.”
There is also competition from General T.Y. Danjuma.
“Major-General (Dr.) Adefope is one of the finest officers ever to serve in the Nigerian Armed Forces. He was an excellent officer and gentleman. He was outstanding wherever he served. In sports, his contributions were simply unparalleled; in medical practice, his professionalism and commitment were un-precedented. He was also a skilled negotiator which was reflected in his intervention when doctors went on strike and he was called upon to negotiate. He displayed similar qualities in his delicate handling of labour issues when he became Commissioner for Labour. He was also an astute diplomat who represented Nigeria well.”
With blazing bold headlines, “ThisDay” newspaper carried on its front page on March 11, 2022 the following Financial Statement and Auditors’ Report:
“With Oil Price Surge, Nigeria Importing 100% Fuel Need, Subsidy Threatens To Cripple Economy”
Low crude production volume, oil theft also major factors; Minister of Finance laments widening budget deficit, says subsidy a huge problem.
Experts: Petrol subsidy unsustainable, road to bankruptcy,
identify local refining as ultimate solution; Nigerian Labour Congress: Over 74% of petrol subsidy comprises insurance, freight charges and levies.
Jet fuel hits N670 per litre as Nigerian Petroleum Corporation promises to intervene.
We may shut down aviation sector soon, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority warns.
Nevertheless, on his 90th birthday Ambassador Ignatius Chukwuemeka, Nigeria’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a profound message on CNN:
“All said, let no one forget that there is no better country than Nigeria in the whole world. I feel happiest when I am in Nigeria, despite the agonising frustrations.”
On the assumption that we have merely paused the review of the book let us proceed by acknowledging that what was unimaginable while Major-General Adefope was in the army or in the highest echelons of our government has now become harsh reality – hunger, anger and rage combined with callousness and subterfuge.
Our simple plea for mercy has fallen on deaf ears.
Regardless, we must acknowledge the thread that connected Major-General Adefope and Professor Osuntokun – as officers and gentlemen (one belonged to the army while the other belonged to the university/foreign service) having passed the litmus test: “worthy in learning and character. Beyond that they were/are formidable pillars of the Christian Church. Indeed, for 16 years Major-General Adefope was a widower and Professor Osuntokun has carried the same burden for even longer.
They are both men of restraint and discretion. Whatever was “classified” remains so. There is nothing in the book to suggest that they have spilled the beans. Everything remains guarded. No flights of fancy or wayward indiscretion. One swore (as a medical doctor) the Hippocratic but both of them are bound by the Official Secrets Act.
There is no mention in the book of the top Nigerian Ambassador who had a serious drinking problem and was despatched to a specialist in Harley Street, London in a desperate search for a cure. The specialist read out the medical report:
“Your Excellency, according to your doctor, you are a hard drinker.” The patient promptly delivered a vigorous protest:
“It is not hard at all. I start drinking in the morning and finish at night. It is very easy. How come there is no bar in your waiting room?”
There is no revelation in the book of even what is common knowledge –during the Nigerian Civil War (1967 to 1970) our chief spokesman who was based in London bore the name:
Alhaji This Thing !!
On another occasion, one of our Senior Ambassadors visited his doctor in Washington DC, but the examination was protracted. The doctor took a break to visit the bathroom and noticed a teenage girl (about 14 years old) who was in the waiting room had no appointment to see him.
She disclosed that she was waiting for the Ambassador to finish his medicals. When the doctor returned to the examination room he was shocked when the patient revealed that the girl was not his grand-daughter but his wife !! The doctor protested: “You are an old man what will happen to the poor girl?”
Without batting an eye lid, the patient coolly replied:
“If she dies, she dies. I’ll just find myself another one.”
It is not by mere co-incidence that the joint authors are professors of history. Hence, the book must be interrogated from a historical perspective. We are entitled to the latitude of asking ourselves – is this really the history of one man or a snapshot of our nation at a particular time in history?
What impact did Major-General Adefope have on the subsequent history of our nation considering that we are now the poverty capital of the world? In spite of the abundance of our resources, we have been trapped by decadence and we are well on the road to Golgotha.
If we have become addicted to chaos and anarchy, how will this book make a difference?
We do not require an electric shock or severe jolt to remind us of the snooty warning outside a school in apartheid South Africa:
“If you want to hide a secret,
Put it in a book (for blacks to read).”
The cryptic message is loaded.
Scholars are in conflict regarding whether the book should stand alone and be reviewed on its own merit or should it be offered to the apostles of “deconstruction” who would insist on making a distinction between the history of Major-General Henry Adefope and the legacy he bequeathed. It is an issue of heritage; and whether the values he epitomised – humility, uprightness, accountability and kindness have endured?
We have been warned that you should not judge a book by its cover. On this occasion, we must make an exception. The cover of the book truly captures the essence of the “Real Neoy” – Major-General (Dr.) Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope as calm, dignified, happy (without being happy-go-lucky!!) and self-assured (but not arrogant/conceited).
Even more fascinating is the appetiser served early in the book. The Adefopes owe their origin and roots to Odogbolu close to Ijebu Ode, in Ogun State.
“Henry Adefope was born in Kaduna in Northern Nigeria on 15 March 1926 although his parents hailed from Odogbolu and Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State in Southwest Nigeria. His father Nathaniel Oshokoya was born in 1881.”
However, the nomenclature of the grandfather of Henry Adefope was Chief Adarinijo Adefowope (not Adefope).
Read also: Major-General (Dr.) Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope – (A Legacy of Honour) (3)
Even before the main course, we are treated to a spell-binding history of the Yorubas regardless of “… this mass of contradictory and sometimes confusing information.”
The authors have taken the plunge by reminding us of what we already know:
“Among the Yoruba, the Ijebu people are reputed to be exceedingly enterprising and industrious. Their acumen for managing business enterprises is such that they have been described as “money minters” (“Owo Ijebu”).
However, the subject of the book chose medicine as his carrier after leaving C.M.S. Grammar School, Lagos before joining the army.
(i) “Significantly, from the early period of the formation of Nigeria’s Regiment (of the West African Frontier Force founded in 1898) and throughout the First and Second World Wars, no Nigerian was commissioned as an officer in the army.”
(ii) “Interestingly, by 1 October 1960, when Nigeria became independent … the strength of the army was still relatively small with just about 7,500 men with only 50 Nigerian Officers.”
(iii) “From 1966 to 1979, the Nigerian army expanded the scope of its primary duties of security, to another encompassing angle of the general political administration of the country. This unprecedented role began after the January 15, 1966 bloody coup d’etat which was organised by some young military officers led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. Amongst others, the alleged reasons for the coup included the desire to flush away the corrupt and despotic politicians of the First Republic; as well as to create an opportunity for the military to put Nigeria on the right track of positive leadership.”
What awaited Dr. Henry Adefope was a baptism of fire:
“During the 15 January 1966 coup, Adefope was given the unenviable task of evacuating to the Military Hospital, military officers and prominent civilians who were killed in Lagos. With the tense situation in the country at this time, he had to strictly conceal their identities in order to prevent reprisal attacks.
Also, as the Director of Nigerian Army Medical Services, he led the party that went to Ibadan to bring back the bodies of the Head of State (Major-General J.T.U. Aguyi-Ironsi); the Military Governor of Western Region (Lt-Col. Festus A. Fajuyi) and other military men who were killed in the 29 July 1966 counter coup.”
For three days there was virtually no government!!
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