Tajudeen killed in Nairobi car crash
May 26, 2009
RENOWNED pan-Africanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem has died. The Ugandan-Nigerian passed away during a car accident on his way to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi yesterday morning.
By Anthony Bugembe
RENOWNED pan-Africanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem has died. The Ugandan-Nigerian passed away during a car accident on his way to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi yesterday morning.
“He had missed an earlier flight to a meeting in Rwanda. Probably the car was speeding when taking him to the airport for the next flight,†said David Mafabi, the former director of political affairs at the Pan-African Movement Secretariat in Kampala.
Dr. Tajudeen, 53, was the general secretary of the Pan-African Movement. Apart from managing the daily affairs of its Kampala secretariat, he was also a strong advocate of freedom and independence of Africa.
Since 2006, Tajudeen was based in Nairobi where he worked as deputy director for the United Nations millennium campaign. The campaign encourages people’s involvement in realising the millennium development goals.
Mafabi said plans were underway to get in touch with Tajudeen’s family for the burial arrangements. He is expected to be buried in his home town of Funtua in Northern Nigeria.
Tajudeen worked closely with the African Union. He was the chairman of the Centre for Democracy and Development based in Abuja and London, and of the Pan-African Development Education and Advocacy Programme based in Uganda and Nigeria.
Most people, however, knew him as a columnist for several African newspapers, including The New Vision, Daily Monitor, Weekly Trust (Nigeria), The African (Tanzania), Nairobi Star (Kenya) and the Weekly Herald (Zimbabwe).
“He was a strong advocate of pan-Africanism and a campaigner for good governance, justice, human rights and democracy,†said Mafabi.
Tajudeen was born on January 6, 1956. He holds a degree in political science from Bayero University in Nigeria and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University. Tajudeen leaves behind two daughters, Aisha and Aida.
Disaster preparedness minister Tarsis Kabwegyere described Tajudeen’s demise as a great loss to the continent.
“He was an accomplished columnist, writer and a Pan-Africanist of monumental proportions,†he told The New Vision.
“His clarity in writing and enthusiasm in addressing pertinent issues and taking unpopular positions, like he did in Nigeria, put him on a higher standing on the African political scene.â€
At the time of dictator Sani Abacha, Tajudeen was blacklisted in Nigeria and had to leave the country.
Sarah Bireete, the coordinator of the Youth League for the Great Lakes region, said it was tragic that Tajudeen passed away on African Liberation Day, honouring the 1963 signing of the charter establishing the Organisation of African Unity.
“I don’t know why God chose to take him away at the time when we are marking Africa Day. He was a revolutionised person who wanted to see Africans enjoy a good life.â€
See obituary under the Columnist section
RENOWNED pan-Africanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem has died. The Ugandan-Nigerian passed away during a car accident on his way to Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi yesterday morning.
“He had missed an earlier flight to a meeting in Rwanda. Probably the car was speeding when taking him to the airport for the next flight,†said David Mafabi, the former director of political affairs at the Pan-African Movement Secretariat in Kampala.
Dr. Tajudeen, 53, was the general secretary of the Pan-African Movement. Apart from managing the daily affairs of its Kampala secretariat, he was also a strong advocate of freedom and independence of Africa.
Since 2006, Tajudeen was based in Nairobi where he worked as deputy director for the United Nations millennium campaign. The campaign encourages people’s involvement in realising the millennium development goals.
Mafabi said plans were underway to get in touch with Tajudeen’s family for the burial arrangements. He is expected to be buried in his home town of Funtua in Northern Nigeria.
Tajudeen worked closely with the African Union. He was the chairman of the Centre for Democracy and Development based in Abuja and London, and of the Pan-African Development Education and Advocacy Programme based in Uganda and Nigeria.
Most people, however, knew him as a columnist for several African newspapers, including The New Vision, Daily Monitor, Weekly Trust (Nigeria), The African (Tanzania), Nairobi Star (Kenya) and the Weekly Herald (Zimbabwe).
“He was a strong advocate of pan-Africanism and a campaigner for good governance, justice, human rights and democracy,†said Mafabi.
Tajudeen was born on January 6, 1956. He holds a degree in political science from Bayero University in Nigeria and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University. Tajudeen leaves behind two daughters, Aisha and Aida.
Disaster preparedness minister Tarsis Kabwegyere described Tajudeen’s demise as a great loss to the continent.
“He was an accomplished columnist, writer and a Pan-Africanist of monumental proportions,†he told The New Vision.
“His clarity in writing and enthusiasm in addressing pertinent issues and taking unpopular positions, like he did in Nigeria, put him on a higher standing on the African political scene.â€
At the time of dictator Sani Abacha, Tajudeen was blacklisted in Nigeria and had to leave the country.
Sarah Bireete, the coordinator of the Youth League for the Great Lakes region, said it was tragic that Tajudeen passed away on African Liberation Day, honouring the 1963 signing of the charter establishing the Organisation of African Unity.
“I don’t know why God chose to take him away at the time when we are marking Africa Day. He was a revolutionised person who wanted to see Africans enjoy a good life.â€
See obituary under the Columnist section