Man On Hunger Strike Is Not Afraid To Die

    

The man, 53 year old Olubiyi Odunaro, former employee of Hallmark BVank Plc, who embarked on hunger strike to press home his demands for payments of terminal benefits from the bank says he's not afraid to die.

Odunaro embarked on the hunger strike on November 12 to protest against the non-payment of the terminal benefits of his and 14, 000 other colleagues of Hallmark Bank, one of the banks which did not meet with the Central Bank of Nigeria's recapitalisation requirement in 2005, and as a consequence, was folded up.

Odunaro told Punch Newspapers at a garden located on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Lagos - which he had turned to his new home - that his hunger strike remained indefinite as neither the Federal Government nor any of its agencies had taken any  serious step to pay him and his over 14,000 colleagues  their terminal benefits. He also said that his personal doctor who ran another round of medical tests on him late last week had been lamenting that his sugar level had significantly dropped.

He said, "I might be physically weak but I’m psychologically strong and I remain focused and undaunted.  I would never be tired and I am not even afraid of death.

"A man does not die until he dies. It’s my belief that a man only dies when he keeps silent in the face of tyranny. My intention is not to commit suicide but If I die for a just cause, I will feel honoured in my grave.

"I won’t start something I won’t finish and as it is, I won’t back down on this hunger strike until we are paid our entitlements."

Source: punchng.com

It's rare to have someone in our society embark on hunger strike to press home a demand on the government. One wonders if it is foolhardy on his part, or unbridled courage, since we all know that the FG of Nigeria and agencies and corporate establishments tend to be 'stubborn' and anti-people in their policies.

Will his tactics work? Is he really as determined as he claims he is? What possible outcome can we expect from this unusual action?

Mr. Olubiyi Odunaro is certainly a far more courageous man than me.