Get Guardian on GoogleA former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to return the former residence of nationalist pioneer, Herbert Macaulay, in Lagos to his descendants for conversion into a permanent memorial.
George made the appeal at the Herbert Macaulay Memorial Colloquium held in Lagos to commemorate the 162nd anniversary of the nationalist’s birth.
He said the building, which was demolished shortly after Macaulay’s death in 1946, was replaced with the General Post Office, which still occupies the site.
George said the family was prepared to establish a permanent memorial home at the property to preserve Macaulay’s contributions to Nigeria’s political development and educate younger generations about his sacrifices.
He said, “Immediately Papa passed away in 1946, they demolished that house and built the General Post Office, which is still the General Post Office today.
“We want to ask the President and his team to return that building back, because we are ready to build a permanent memorial home. You see all the work that our great-grandpapa did for this country.”
The PDP chieftain said the initiative was conceived by Macaulay’s descendants to ensure that his legacy was not forgotten and to encourage contemporary political leaders to embrace the values he represented.
According to him, Macaulay demonstrated that political participation and public office should be driven by service to the people rather than personal interest.
“Our intention, when the great-grandchildren and those of us who are related got together, was that we must remember this Papa, and we must also try and relay his ways to the current politicians,” he said.
George described Macaulay as a committed nationalist whose contributions to the country’s political struggle deserved greater recognition, urging Nigerians to take pride in those who made sacrifices for the nation’s development.
He said the memorial initiative was part of efforts to preserve the history of the nationalist and make his contributions accessible to future generations.
