Late Admiral Mohammed Alabi Lawal’s Posthumous Award; An Award Well Deserved – Issa Mutolib Ayobami
Posthumous awards are given when the intended recipient of the award dies as a result of the action which merits the award. Late Rear Admiral Mohammed Alabi Lawal carved a niche for himself as a democrat and selfless leader who stood against imposition against the will of the masses and downtrodden.
He gave his all to make sure that Kwara was free from the forces that held it by its jugular since 1979, albeit losing his life and goodwill during the process, with different forms of lies, calumny, and propagandist theories sponsored against his person.
The Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Movement for Positive Change awarded the late Admiral with the intent of immortalizing an already immortalized being, I say kudos to them, as it’s surely one of the ways of encouraging young people and old folks alike to continually advocate and lead the struggle for the emancipation of their people, it’s a clear message that they would be remembered even in death.
Rear Admiral (rtd) Mohammed Alabi Lawal was born in 1946. He had his primary and secondary education in Ilorin, before he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he graduated with a B. Sc Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
He joined the Royal Naval Engineering College in the United Kingdom in the year 1972, and was also at the H. M. S Sultan Gosport at United Kingdom in 1973, between 1973 and 1980, he held various military appointments, and has been the Chief Engineering Officer of Nigeria’s most sophisticated war ships.
Rear Admiral (rtd) Mohammed Alabi Lawal became the military governor of Ogun State between December 1987 and August 1990 during the military era, and after the return to democracy in 1999, he was elected Governor of Kwara State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2003.
Late Lawal before his death at the age of 60 was seen as a rallying figure of the opposition in the State, as he was seen as a liberator and a strong opposition figure, one that also has the financial warchest to fight the battle ahead.
This was the exact words of the son of Laderin in his last appearance at a rally shortly before his death, “Saraki’s (Olusola) claim to being the kingpin of Kwara State politics is artificial, because he has only been rigging elections. Our people are fed up with the monopoly of the Sarakis”.
During the heat-up to the 2019 general elections in Kwara, the Late Admiral’s name constantly came up during campaigns, he and several others that includes but not limited to Late General Abdulkarim Adisa, Late General Tunde Idiagbon, and Late Babatunde Kasum are deserving of prayers by all well meaning Kwarans.
After the death of Mohammed Lawal in a London hospital after a brief illness in November 2006, his first son, Alhaji Hakeem Oladimeji Lawal has also followed the footsteps of his father, he stood firm against those who held Kwara by the jugular, and gave his all for victory to be finally achieved in 2019.