Herbert Macaulay’s house demolition regrettable – Amb Fafowora

By Gabriel Olawale

lagos—A retired diplomat, Ambassador Dapo Fafowora, yesterday, expressed dissatisfaction over the demolition of late politician/activist, Sir Herbert Macaulay’s residence in Lagos by the government despite his contribution to the development of democracy in Nigeria and Lagos in particular.

Fafowora who spoke in Lagos at maiden edition of the Herbert Macaulay Gold Lecture said the place which should have served as a tourist attraction and sort of political Mecca for his admirers and political associates, was demolished to give way to what looks like a grotesque post office junk yard.

“It was on record that Herbert Macaulay fought the colonial authorities in Lagos for their political excesses, particularly whenever they trampled on the rights of the indigenous people under colonial rule. He fought against salary and promotion discrimination melted against Africans during colonial era,” Prof Fafowora said.

He regretted that despite Herbert Macaulay’s attitude towards the colonial government, his building was not demolished then.

“The irony is that it was not the colonial authorities, but an indigenous government that demolished his house to make way for the General Post Office, a singular display of the lack of a sense of history.

“I was only five years old when Herbert Macaulay died on May 7, 1946 at the age of 81. When I was 12, my father took me to see his house, named ‘Kirsten Hall’, at 8, Balbina Street, Lagos, near the water front. It was an impressive and elegant one story detached building which has, regrettably, since been demolished,” he said.

Fafowora however called on the current Lagos State government to set up a Herbert Macaulay Foundation, with active and generous support of the private sector to keep his memory and political ideals alive.

“A major public educational institution in Lagos should be named after him and in the context of the compulsory teaching of Nigerian history in our secondary schools a course on Herbert Macaulay should be introduced and made compulsory.”

“The Glover Memorial Hall on Customs street, Lagos, to the adjacent Union Bank headquarters is a sad reminder of our colonial past and should be renamed after Herbert Macaulay,” he said.

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