Obasa, Orsadipe

Orisadipe Obasa was born in January 1863 in Freetown , Sierra Leone to a family of aristocrats. His paternal grandfather was the ruler of the Ikole district, and his mother was from the royal family of Iquía. In his youth, Obas moved to Lagos . In 1878, he was accepted as a senior researcher at the newly opened Wesleyan High School for Boys, where he excelled in his studies ^[1] .

In 1883, his parents sent him to England to study medicine . Interestingly, in the metropolis he lived under the name of George Stone Smith ^[2] . Obasa was accepted to King's College in Taunton , where he was again one of the most successful students. At the same time, he studied at the Medical School of St. Thomas Hospital in London . He graduated in 1891 at the Royal College of Surgeons; obtained a license from the Royal College of Physicians ^[1] .

In 1892, Obas returned to Lagos and began private medical practice. During the Anglo-Ashtantian wars , at the end of the 19th century, he served in the expedition of the Lagos police in the colony of the Gold Coast . For his services, he was awarded a medal, and in 1900 he was appointed assistant colonial surgeon in the medical service of Lagos ^[3] .

In 1902, he married Charlotte, the daughter of a wealthy merchant Richard Beal Blythe, who presented the newlyweds with a wedding gift house. In 1903, he visited Ekiti during a smallpox vaccination program organized by Governor William MacGregor . Obas made medical observations on the structure of the jaws , hookworm and inguinal hernia ^[1] .

In 1904, Obas resigned from his post as a colonial surgeon to spend more time at home. He resumed his private practice and plunged into politics. He spoke and wrote fluently, communicated easily with others and had good family connections. In 1908, Obas and Dr. John C. Randle founded the “ People’s Union ” to agitate against the introduction of additional taxation for the purpose of running water pipelines ^[4] . Obas became secretary of the union, and Randle became president. ^[1] In 1911, Rendl and Obas went to London to oppose the proposal of the governor of Friedrich Lugard to declare that all lands are state property ^[5] . The union continued to oppose new water tariffs until it yielded to the demands of the government in 1916 ^[4] . After that, the “People’s Union” and its leaders lost the favor of the electorate . However, Obas was appointed in 1921 to the Legislative Council, where he worked in various committees ^[4] .

At a time when the National Democratic Party of Nigeria (NNDR) was founded in 1922 by Herbert Macaulay ^[6] , the leaders of the “People’s Union” were Randall Obas, Sir Kitoe Ajasa , Dr. Richard Akinewe Savage and Sir Adeyemo Alakiya. Obas' wife led the Women's Union. Both unions were in favor of a balanced approach to reforms, but they could not compete with the NDRD ^{[7] [4]} . In September 1923, the first elections to the Legislative Council were held. Obas ran, but was defeated. Randle died in 1928, and Obas headed what was left of the “People’s Union” ^[4] .

In the Ogboni based Reformed Brotherhood, Obas was the first Oluvo (or master). His wife, Charlotte, was at the same time Lady Master in the same brotherhood. They both held these posts until death.

Obas became ill with Parkinson’s disease in 1926. As the disease progressed, he became increasingly incapable. He died at the age of 77 in April 1940 in his home in Lagos ^[4] .