Why would a man dead since 1946 be recipient of a state pardon?
That’s a puzzle which the list of the recent beneficiaries of presidential prerogative of mercy, raises.
It has the name of the nationalist, Hebert Macaulay, famed as the ultimate godfather of Lagos politics on it.
That’s a puzzle which the list of the recent beneficiaries of presidential prerogative of mercy, raises.
It has the name of the nationalist, Hebert Macaulay, famed as the ultimate godfather of Lagos politics on it.
To really understand this puzzle and its deep significance, we must revisit Macaulay’s life and career.
For almost forty years, Herbert Macaulay was the main issue in Lagos public life, in the first half of the 20th century, even though he never once stood for election.
For almost forty years, Herbert Macaulay was the main issue in Lagos public life, in the first half of the 20th century, even though he never once stood for election.
Civil engineer. Architect. Town planner. Surveyor. Musician. Newspaper publisher and above all, the first great populist nationalist of Lagos.
Herbert Macaulay was a man whose name struck fear in colonial circles.
He was resented with a passion by all colonial administrators.
Herbert Macaulay was a man whose name struck fear in colonial circles.
He was resented with a passion by all colonial administrators.
In truth he was a real ‘menace’ to them and their local allies.
He was truculent, stubborn, loud, abrasive & unstoppable. A real disruptor of Lagos affairs.
His nickname Ejò ńgboro (nearest but ineffective translation: Man About Town) capture his ubiquitous influence.
He was truculent, stubborn, loud, abrasive & unstoppable. A real disruptor of Lagos affairs.
His nickname Ejò ńgboro (nearest but ineffective translation: Man About Town) capture his ubiquitous influence.
He was born of missionary royalty.
His father, Rev. Thomas Babington Macaulay, founded CMS Grammar School; Lagos’ first secondary school.
His mother, Abigail Crowther, was a daughter of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican bishop.
His father, Rev. Thomas Babington Macaulay, founded CMS Grammar School; Lagos’ first secondary school.
His mother, Abigail Crowther, was a daughter of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican bishop.
Macaulay attended CMS Grammar School in Lagos and Fourah Bay College in Sierra Leone.
He later won a scholarship to study in Plymouth, England, qualifying in 1893 as a civil engineer and land surveyor.
He was among the first Nigerians to do so.
He later won a scholarship to study in Plymouth, England, qualifying in 1893 as a civil engineer and land surveyor.
He was among the first Nigerians to do so.
On returning, he became Surveyor of Crown Lands in Lagos.
By 1898, disillusioned by racial inequality and colonial arrogance, he resigned and started his own firm.
It was one of the earliest African-owned engineering practices.
By 1898, disillusioned by racial inequality and colonial arrogance, he resigned and started his own firm.
It was one of the earliest African-owned engineering practices.
From then, Macaulay became the empire’s most relentless Lagos critic.
He exposed corruption in the Lagos-Ibadan railway construction contracts, fought unfair water rates, opposed alcohol bans that hurt local traders, and resisted colonial meddling in the choice of Oba and Imam.
He exposed corruption in the Lagos-Ibadan railway construction contracts, fought unfair water rates, opposed alcohol bans that hurt local traders, and resisted colonial meddling in the choice of Oba and Imam.
Everywhere the British turned, they met Macaulay’s opposition.
He had influence in palace councils, in Adamu Orisa conclaves, & edited the Lagos Daily News.
If politics was theatre, Macaulay was playwright & star.
He was the thorn they couldn’t remove; loud, clever, fearless.
He had influence in palace councils, in Adamu Orisa conclaves, & edited the Lagos Daily News.
If politics was theatre, Macaulay was playwright & star.
He was the thorn they couldn’t remove; loud, clever, fearless.
Yet for all his influence, he never ran for office. He couldn’t.
He was an ex-convict. Convicted first for “fraud” in 1913 & later in 1916 for sedition.
He was barred from contesting elections.
As Dr Patrick Dele Cole later showed, the fraud case was suspicious from the start.
He was an ex-convict. Convicted first for “fraud” in 1913 & later in 1916 for sedition.
He was barred from contesting elections.
As Dr Patrick Dele Cole later showed, the fraud case was suspicious from the start.
It was all a British scheme to silence him.
The “fraud” case: he was executor of a friend’s estate, he paid £384 to a creditor of the deceased from the estate.
The British prosecutor, *Robert Irving, his tenant who he had once had to evict accused him of misusing the funds.
The “fraud” case: he was executor of a friend’s estate, he paid £384 to a creditor of the deceased from the estate.
The British prosecutor, *Robert Irving, his tenant who he had once had to evict accused him of misusing the funds.
All five court assessors found him not guilty.
But the judge overruled them, fined him £100, and sentenced him to five years in Broad Street Prison.
Even the supposed “victim,” his niece, the inheritor of the estate, filed no complain.
A colonial vendetta, plain and simple.
But the judge overruled them, fined him £100, and sentenced him to five years in Broad Street Prison.
Even the supposed “victim,” his niece, the inheritor of the estate, filed no complain.
A colonial vendetta, plain and simple.
He emerged from prison two years later, unbowed.
When Governor Hugh Clifford’s 1922 Constitution introduced limited representation, Herbert Macaulay founded Nigeria’s first political party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) to contest for Legislative Council seats.
When Governor Hugh Clifford’s 1922 Constitution introduced limited representation, Herbert Macaulay founded Nigeria’s first political party, the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) to contest for Legislative Council seats.
His party NNDP swept every Lagos election; 1923, 1928 & 1933.
The party’s stalwarts J.E. Shyngle, Eric Moore, Curtis Adeniyi-Jones, John Payne Jackson, & others, clearly dominated Lagos.
It mattered little that he couldn’t contest himself; his people repeatedly got elected.
The party’s stalwarts J.E. Shyngle, Eric Moore, Curtis Adeniyi-Jones, John Payne Jackson, & others, clearly dominated Lagos.
It mattered little that he couldn’t contest himself; his people repeatedly got elected.
The British tried to silence him. Even tried to tar him. But he gave no ground. He proved his rank; godfather of Lagos politics.
It is for these reasons, that the Presidential Pardon must be seen as historically important.
His honour never dimmed in popular memory.
It is for these reasons, that the Presidential Pardon must be seen as historically important.
His honour never dimmed in popular memory.
The Nigerian government has honoured in many ways; highways named for him, his picture on a currency denomination etc.
But this formal pardon, really restores his name permanently for posterity.
That British colonial tar of 1913 and 1916, is now completely wiped out.
But this formal pardon, really restores his name permanently for posterity.
That British colonial tar of 1913 and 1916, is now completely wiped out.
Nearly 80 years on, President Tinubu has formally restored a godfather’s honour.
He has reached across time to pardon the first of his kind, to restore his honour in the eyes of the law.
May the memory of Olayinka Herbert Heelas Macaulay be honoured for ever!
He has reached across time to pardon the first of his kind, to restore his honour in the eyes of the law.
May the memory of Olayinka Herbert Heelas Macaulay be honoured for ever!
*Robert Irving referred to in the trial of Macaulay, is a co-founder of the legacy legal firm of Irving & Bonnar, founded in 1917. The firm boasts itself as the oldest law firm in Nigeria. However it now exists as part of a larger law entity.
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