Enahoro: Your struggle for freedom will remain indelible
By Adams Oshiomhole
We are gathered here today to honour our illustrious Leader, Father, Mentor and Comrade, Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro, Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Adolor of Uromi and the Okaku'o of Edo Land.
Chief Enahoro would still have deserved this honour even if he had not been from Edo State. However, we are most proud of him because of the elegance with which he embodied the nobility, courage and sense of sacrifice of Edo people.
Even while we mourn the loss of this outstanding statesman of Edo State and of Nigeria, we are inspired to celebrate his remarkable life and accomplishments.
He was a leader of proven commitment, tenacity and courage in the struggle for a better Nigeria. He was passionate about a just, democratic and united Nigeria.
Throughout his sterling career in journalism, public service, politics and
pro-democracy activism, justice and fairness in Nigeria were the centerpiece of Chief Enahoro's thoughts and actions.
Enahoro, the fighter, spoke the truth to power, with courage, consistency and confidence. Enahoro, the organizer, was at the barricades at every stage of his life, as a young man and as a senior citizen. Indeed, no Nigerian has occupied the centre stage of popular struggles for as long as Chief Enahoro.
Therefore, we are celebrating Chief Enahoro because he has devoted his entire life to the struggle for freedom, democracy, people-driven development, national unity and the rights of our people.
It is fitting at this point to recall his outstanding contributions towards the attainment of the country's independence. Although relatively much younger, he stood shoulder to shoulder with nationalist icons like Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Mr. Herbert Macaulay, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Comrade Michael Imoudu, who provided leadership for the struggle against a vicious colonial order.
Chief Enahoro became the editor of the radical West Africa Pilot at the age of 21. As an editor, he established a fierce reputation for militant commentaries, which regularly led to his harassment by the colonial authorities.
From the platform of journalism, he launched himself into the mainstream of the nationalist movement. He ended up as a radical parliamentarian on the Action Group ticket.
Today, the story of the struggle for Nigeria's independence is incomplete without his bold motion for independence in 1953. The historic motion was rightly entitled "Let my People Go".
In the historic motion, Chief Enahoro denounced colonial oppression and injustice, in words that remind us of the weighty thoughts of such revolutionary icons as Fidel Castro, Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela.
He sustained his involvement in popular struggles throughout civilian and military dictatorships. In the course of his crusades, he suffered frequent arrests, extradition, imprisonment and exile.
He is probably the only Nigerian dead or alive who was ever extradited for a political offence. This was in 1963 when he was extradited from Britain to Nigeria under the British Fugitive Offenders Act to face trial for treason and sedition. It is ironic that Chief Enahoro, who moved a motion for independence, was jailed under a dispensation of self-government.
But without bitterness, he served part of his fifteen years jail-term. Upon his release, he was one of the leading political figures, who made determined efforts to avert the Civil War. As the Leader of the Mid-West delegation to the conferences preceding the Civil War, Chief Enahoro advocated a return to genuine federalism and opposed armed confrontation.
During the brutal military dictatorship of the 1990s, Chief Enahoro inspired younger generations of activists with the courage and doggedness he demonstrated.
Chief Enahoro's leadership was instrumental to the formation of the National Democratic Coalition [NADECO], which helped to rally Nigerian people against military dictatorship in the 1990s.
Even at old age, Chief Enahoro continued to apply himself positively to the crisis of our nation. His thoughts on the Nigerian economy, polity and society reflect a progressive consistency that is not diluted by age.
In Edo State under my stewardship, he has remained a source of inspiration, encouragement, fatherly goodwill and wise counsel.
On July 22nd 2010, when we attended his 87th birthday, Chief Enahoro shared with us his lofty vision of Nigeria and agonised over the fears he nursed about its future.
Although he is no more, we are inspired by his vision of a united, peaceful and democratic Nigeria, founded on social justice, genuine federalism and popular sovereignty.
The greatest tribute we can pay to Chief Enahoro is to live up to his dreams of re-creating a Nigeria that is caring, just and truly democratic.
We join millions of our countrymen and women to bid farewell to this outstanding nationalist, courageous fighter, foremost patriot and Leader, Chief Anthony Enahoro.
I have chosen as the host Governor to use this opportunity to pass a vote of thanks to all of you who have travelled far and near to be part of this celebration. l calls it a celebration because there is no doubt that Enahoro could not have lived forever. There is time to be born and time to go.
What is important is what he has achieved while he was on earth. And from all that have been said here today, all that have been written by all manner of persons, there is no doubt that the chief accomplished all that every human being can accomplish while he was on earth. However, just listening to all the speeches and all the fine tributes, certain things have come out.
That today, we are celebrating a man who was not given to lamentation. He believed that if something is wrong, regardless of the power or powers behind it, it must be challenged publicly. And that we should stand on our feet and fight our oppressor.
So Pa Enahoro taught us how to fight and not lament. He taught us how to engage and not how to beg. He taught us that for us if a man goes to prison for what he believes, it is actually those who imprison him who are in prison. A conscience that is free, one that can fight on the side of people cannot be imprisoned by man. Those are the lessons of Enahoro.
So today, as many of us that are given to lamenting, the firm promise of independence, the gap between our potentials as a nation, the prime poverty of our people, exactly the way Enahoro moved the motion for independence shall we rise today this afternoon in unison and move the motion that never again shall we fold our arms and allow our resources to be pocketed by the few who are in power.
And we listened to the statement by the much respected personalities from Esan Land who reminds us that some of the things they have in Esan Land today were the result of the contributions of Chief Anthony Enahoro.
Shall we therefore move the motion and adopt that from now on we shall move away from politics of accumulating for ourselves to politics of development for our people.
That we should be celebrated not for our capacity to manipulate the political space, our capacity to cheat on the electorate or our capacity to work on a potent rigging machine to defeat the voice of the people but to return to the politics of development.
So that when our time comes and we are laid in a coffin and we are about to be lowered down, it will be said that we did not only play politics but we used our political power and political influence to make a difference in the lives of the constituency that we came from.
For me these are the messages that I put together from the fine speeches that have been so eloquently delivered. Do you accept the motion? Those who are in favour say aye! Those against say nay! Then the motion is carried. No more politics of self aggrandizement.
I want to conclude by placing on record our gratitude to former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon for coming all the way from Jos through Abuja to be a part of this ceremony. Sir we are very grateful. I asked him his recollection about Enahoro's performance in the Federal Executive Council while he was the Head of State and the Commander in Chief.
He told me that Enahoro was as vocal in-house even under a military rule like he was outside. General Gowon, we are grateful that you have come to honour our elder statesman. May God grant him eternal rest, may he strengthen his wife, Helen and protect her for us and give his immediate family the fortitude to bear this loss.
Adieu, our Leader, Comrade and Mentor.
Being excerpts of the speech delivered by Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole during the 'Day of Tributes' organised in honour of late Elder Statesman, Pa Anthony Enahoro held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City on Wednesday, February 2, 2011.
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