Orisadipe Obasa

Early years

Prince Orisadipe Obasa was born in January 1863 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, into an aristocratic family. His paternal grandfather was Elekole of Ikole, Ekiti and his mother was from the Abeokuta royal family of Akija of Ikija. As a youth Obasa moved to Lagos. In 1878 he was admitted as Senior Foundation Scholar to the newly opened Wesleyan Boys High School, where he excelled academically.

In 1883 his parents sent him to England to study medicine. He used the name George Stone Smith while in England. He was admitted to King's College, Taunton, where he again was a star pupil, and went on to St Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London. He graduated in 1891 with Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons and the Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians.

Career

In 1892 Obasa returned to Lagos and began a private medical practice. During the Anglo-Ashanti wars, towards the end of the 19th century he served in an expedition of the Lagos Constabulary in the Gold Coast colony. He was awarded a medal for his services, and in 1900 was appointed Assistant Colonial Surgeon in the Lagos medical service. He played an important role in public health campaigns in the Lagos Colony and the interior of southern Nigeria.

In 1902 he married Charlotte Olajumoke, daughter of the wealthy merchant Richard Beale Blaize, and was given a comfortable house as a wedding present. In 1903 he visited Ekiti during Governor William MacGregor's smallpox vaccination program. He made useful medical observations on subject such as yaws, hookworm and inguinal hernias.

In 1904 Obasa resigned from his position as colonial surgeon so he could spend more time at home. He resumed his private practice and also plunged into politics. He was fluent in speech and writing, at ease with others and had good family connections. In 1908 Obasa and Dr John K. Randle founded the People's Union to agitate against the proposed water rates. Obasa was secretary of the Union, while Randle was president. In 1911 Randle and Obasa seem to have travelled to London to make the case against Governor Frederick Lugard's proposal to declare that all lands were government property. The Union continued to oppose the new water rates until yielding in 1916. The People's Union and its leaders lost favour with the electorate. However, Obasa was nominated in 1921 to the Nigerian Legislative Council, where he was active on various committees.

The Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) was founded in 1922 by Herbert Macaulay. Leaders of the People's Union at this time were Randle, Obasa, Sir Kitoye Ajasa, Richard Akinwande Savage and Adeyemo Alakija. Obasa's wife led the Women's Union. Both Unions favoured a measured approach to reforms. They could not compete with NNDP. In September 1923 the first elections were held for the Legislative Council. Obasa ran but was defeated. Randle died in 1928 and Obasa took leadership of what was left of the People's Union.

Obasa contracted Parkinson's disease in 1926. As the disease progressed he was increasingly incapacitated. He died aged 77 on 15 April 1940 at his Lagos home.