He was a man who despised flamboyant lifestyle; therefore, he lived a simple life because of his conviction that one should not display unbridled affluence in the midst of suffering masses. This warmed him into the hearts of many people, coupled with his humanitarian gestures. Since his death almost 30 years ago, he has remained an inspiration to many; SUNNY IDACHABA writes.
Dr. Augustus Taiwo Solarin was simply someone known in public circles as Tai Solarin. In his private life, however, not many knew he was a twin, whose only sister died in 1991, at the age of 64. In his public life, he was a man of many parts, depending on the perception anyone has about him, per time.
For instance, for people with affiliation to education, Solarin was an educationist; to the human rights activist, he was a social crusader; to those in the pen profession, he was a notable columnist while in many aspects, he was an administrator/politician, having had a stint in politics during the Second Republic and later in the days of military rule as chairman of the defunct Peoples Bank, an appointment he accepted under the military administration of former President Ibrahim Babangida with a view to use that opportunity to change the poverty index of the country, especially among the grassroots.
In the field of education in Nigeria, Solarin is credited as the pioneer in private education, having founded Mayflower School in Ikenne, his home state of Ogun way back in 1956, with an initial students/pupils registration of no fewer than 15,000. He was also the first Nigerian to study Physics at the University of Manchester.
As a strong advocate for human rights, particularly in the areas of education, 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 during the military days. They acted as effective opposition to the ruling military government and in many instances paid a heavy price.
In 1975, when the Gen. Yakubu Gowon as Head of State delayed returning power to a civilian regime, Tai published a treatise entitled, “The Beginning of the End” in which he personally distributed the copies in the streets. As a result, he was arrested and imprisoned. This is beside his running battles with various administrations in a bid to improve the lot of Nigerians.
Even in death, his innovative approach to education, emphasising critical thinking, problem-solving and community service has continued to inspire educational reforms in the country. His tireless advocacy for human rights, social justice and good governance remains an inspiration to the present generation of activists and reformers.
In the leadership circle, his life and legacy continue to inspire young Nigerians to become active citizens, leaders and change-makers. His unwavering commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability knows no bounds.
To the marginalised, including women, children, and the poor, he was a voice due to his compassion and commitment to social order. Before he founded Mayflower School in 1956, he was the principal of Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo, on his return from Manchester.
In many instances, he was a non-conformist. While acting as principal, he removed Morning Prayer ritual and religious studies as a subject from the school. However, some of the changes he did attracted opposition within the local community where his brother was a reverend. Aside from that, the school was established by a group of Christians. It was as a result of this that he quit and found his own school, but with the approval of Awokoya the former principal.
His writings both in magazines and newspapers, highlighted what he called the hypocrisy and vulgarity of the ruling class, no wonder in an age and country where it is a norm for public officials and dignitaries to wear flowing Agbada to show their wealth and position, he was known to always wear simple khaki shorts and a simple shirt as he was aghast with such display of affluence in the midst of suffering public.
To a large extent, Solarin was inspired by the writings of the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe who encouraged young people to travel abroad for study. This was why he indicated interest to travel abroad to study Physics. His initial attempt to gain a passport fell through; the reason for which he enlisted in the British Air Force and served with the Royal Air Force as a navigator during the Second World War. After the war, he remained in Britain and studied at University of Manchester before returning to Nigeria.
For his core belief, he was often noted for these quotes: “I fight with an indomitable spirit; my back to the wall, defeat is for those who accept it.”
“Black people hold onto their God just as the drunken man holds on to the street lamppost for physical support only.”
“The greatest strands of affection are woven in adversity. Leadership means suffering. The leader who has no marks, indelible marks to show either on his physical body or in his mind has never 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.”
In 1988, the military government of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida established the Peoples Bank and appointed him its pioneer chairman to midwife the disbursement of soft loans and other forms of credit to the very poor to start their own businesses. He, however, resigned from the bank in protest after his advice to the government to prosecute the bank debtors fell on deaf ears.
His resignation was, however, misinterpreted by many from mischievous intents; however, Tunji Light Ariyomo, an engineer and development expert, said Solarin rather gave corruption a black eye and that his exit from the bank has nothing to do with any weakness as being peddled.
“He was taunted and offered a position to cater to the poor; he accepted the challenge, but the same government then employed his lieutenants to sabotage his work. Rather than kowtowing to that evil as the new normal and joining them to swim in the filthy lucre, he acted promptly and demanded probity and sanctions. When his directives to rein in the culprits were undermined, he escalated the situation to his superiors in government. When those above him refused to act, he resigned. That was the right thing to do. By that action 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 because the task was too big for him or because he came to the epiphany that the government should be pitied for dealing with a bigger number of officials than he dealt with at the PBN. No! Rather, his resignation was triggered by the military administration’s apparent 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.”
There is no doubt that Dr. Tai Solarin’s life was a testament to the power of education, activism, and humanism. His enduring legacy continues to resonate, especially within the nation’s education sector, standing as a beacon of what dedicated service to humanity can achieve. These and many reasons are why he remains an unforgotten hero.
He was born on 20 August 1916 and died on July 27 1994, at the age of 77.
https://blueprint.ng/the-unforgotten-hero-tai-solarin/
