Hebert Macaulay family rejects ‘lumped pardon’, demands independent honour
Descendants of the late Herbert Heelas Macaulay, the Father of Nigerian nationalism, have commended President Bola Tinubu for granting a posthumous pardon to the late patriot but condemned the manner in which it was done, describing it as demeaning to his legacy.
At a press conference in Lagos on Thursday led by Olabode George, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, the family insisted that Herbert Macaulay should not have been lumped together with “drug lords and other manner of criminals” in a general pardon list.
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They said that if the government wished to honour the founding father of Nigerian nationalism, it must do so independently and distinctly.
“Macaulay fought oppression and gave us the courage to stand as free men’, George stated.
Both George and the Macaulay family called on the federal government to immortalize the nationalist by naming a major national monument or institution after him, describing him as “the man who lit the torch of Nigerian freedom.”
“Herbert Macaulay’s name must stand alone — not among those who broke the law, but among those who built the nation,” George concluded.
Others members of the Macaulay Family present at the press conference are: Erelu Adeola Macaulay, Lanre Oshodi, Mayokun Thomas; Kofoworola Macaulay, Adeyinka Macaulay, Ayo Ogunlana and Turi Akerele.
According to George, “Herbert Macaulay did not live to see independence, but he built the road toward it. We, who are beneficiaries of his struggle, have a duty to continue building to expand freedom beyond politics into economics, education, and social justice.
” He dream was of a Nigeria where every citizen, regardless of tribe, creed, or class, could stand tall with dignity. He envisioned a country where the government is not a master, but a servant of the people.
“Today, as we grapple with the challenges of nation-building insecurity, inequality, and corruption, we must draw from his example. We must build bridges, not walls; institutions, not empires.
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“Do not let cynicism rob you of purpose. fought without wealth, without weapons armed only with conviction. You, too, have tools he never dreamed of: education, technology, and the power of connection. Use them not for division or despair, but for change”.
