Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, will unveil a new iconic statue of the late sage and nationalist, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, next Tuesday.
The imposing bust located on Obafemi Awolowo Way by the Lagos Television junction in Ikeja, is a befitting replacement to the old Awolowo statue that was removed from the Allen Avenue round-about in Ikeja.
Standing at 20 feet, the new Awo bust will be unveiled by Governor Ambode alongside notable dignitaries across the State.
The unveiling ceremony is also expected to be witnessed by members of the Awolowo family and Awoists across the country, with minimal traffic disruption between 11am and 12noon on Tuesday.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, in a statement on Saturday said that Tuesday’s ceremony will reinforce Governor Ambode’s commitment to acknowledging the contributions of patriots whose deeds and ideals were instrumental to making Lagos State and the South-West region a formidable political and intellectual force.
”It has always been Governor Ambode’s desire to honour patriots and nationalists like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, whose impeccable record and immense contribution to regional and national development inspired new generation of brilliant and forward-looking politicians like the Governor himself,” Ayorinde said.
He added that erecting the bust on the same road that was named after the former Premier of the Western region several years ago and beside the television station that was the first to be owned by a State Government “is a unique way to keep the Awo legacy alive in Lagos State.”
Designed and produced by Hamza Atta, the Awo bust symbolizes and projects his true value and reminds visitors and history enthusiasts of the legacy of the foremost statesman.
