She is dead and gone to where all mortals would. But before she died, she left something behind that, at the time she was speaking, she might not even have known the deeper meaning of what she was saying. In the video below, she was addressing too many things at once. But those who take the time to listen to her again would come away with the depth of her patriotism which she demonstrated in her life time. She was nearly shot dead. Perhaps time gives meaning to things said.
The equally late Rufai Ibrahim once said that people who think deeply about society rarely live long enough. Dora Akunyili died quite young under 60 years. But not before leaving a doctrine which was as controversial as herself. In this regard, one recalls the disagreement between some old PRP diehards and the intellectuals who descended on her at Mambaya House, Department of Political Science, Bayero University, Kano in 2011 on the ground that foreign policy is not marketing and that her Rebranding campaign was off the mark. Such was how her discourse of Nigeria remained controversial, suggesting its fascination for its attackers as well as defenders. That was also the same story when Akinyemi propounded his concept of Medium Powers.
Solely on account of the content of this video, Prof Dora Akunyili is Intervention‘s idea of the woman on the occasion of International Women’s Day in 2019.
