Former Aviation Minister and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) has claimed that the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), is descended from a slave family from Sierra Leone.
On Friday, Fani-Kayode took to his verified Twitter page to post an epistle he referred to as the governorship candidate’s family history, which he believes is vital for future generations.
In his letter, FFK traveled down memory lane to refute GRV’s assertion that his grandpa was the third Nigerian to become a magistrate or judge.
The former Minister described how his paternal grandpa, Victor Adedapo Kayode, was appointed as the third magistrate in 1939, succeeding Olumiywa Jibowu.
(first Magistrate in 1931) and Adebiyi Desalu (second Magistrate in 1938) had previously held the position.
According to FFK, the Lagos State Labour Party governorship candidate’s grandfather, Akinwunmi Rhodes Vivour, was relatively junior to the first, second and third magistrates listed in his ‘history book’.
He further stated that GRV’s grandfather never attended a university before being called to the bar and was descended from a family of Sierra Leonean slaves.
“History is essential, and we are compelled to put the record straight for the benefit of future generations,” FFK wrote.
“It is NOT accurate that young Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Lagos state, told the world in a televised appearance a few days ago that his
In a recent television interview, rld stated that his grandfather was NOT the third Nigerian to become a magistrate or judge.
“These are the facts. ”
In 1931, Olumuyiwa Jibowu became the first Nigerian magistrate, and Adebiyi Desalu followed in 1938.
“The third was Adetokunboh Ademola in 1939, followed by Victor Adedapo Kayode (my paternal grandfather), F.E.O. Euba, and George Frederick Dove-Edwin in 1940. In 1941, F.O. Lucas was appointed.
“They were the first Nigerians to become magistrates, and almost all of them went on to the upper bench and did exceptionally well.
“They all hailed from illustrious families with noble ancestors that can be traced back hundreds of years.”
Years before them, they constituted the aristocratic upper class and “creme de la creme” of high society.
“To top it all most of them went to the top Universities in the world to study law, especially Oxford and Cambridge, before being called to the British bar.
“They also all practised law in the Lagos colony and were recognized as being amongst the greatest indigenous lawyers of their day before being invited to the Bench.
“Akinwunmi Rhodes Vivour, Rhodes Vivour’s grandpa, was quite junior to these individuals.
“He was not appointed as a magistrate until almost twenty years after Jibowu in 1950, he never went to any university before being called to the Bar, and he was not appointed as a Judge until almost twenty years after Jibowu in 1950.”
He was born in 1964 and came from a slave family in Sierra Leone.
“In fact, the name “Vivour” stems from the word “Survivor” in the context of the Rhodes-Vivour family, after their ancestors were rescued from slavery by the British while being brought overseas as slaves.
“They were then released and returned to Sierra Leone as free men and women. I have a lot of respect for this family, but that is their background, no matter how hard they try to disguise it or how well they have done since then.
“We must not allow anyone to distort or change history in the name of politics.
“When people like Rhodes Vivour try to look down on or disparage the origins of
He should tell other Yorubas or Lagosians that, unlike him, the majority of them did not come from a slave family.
“Unlike the Rhodes Vivours, their forefathers were all born free. They were never slaves and had no need to be freed from slave dealers.”
Mismob Media