Thanks Prof for the post. Quite an iconic picture and interesting commentary. I noted a few typos (corrected for the sake of our young people):
Yakubu Gown was head of state from 1966-1975; Goodluck Jonathan (2010-date- He became president (fully) on May 6, 2010 following the “death” of Umaru Yar’Adua on May 5, 2010); Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-1979, 1999-2007); Murtala Mohammed (1975-1976); Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (2007-2010).
There you have it!
Regards,
Chido Onumah
Coordinator, African Centre for Media & Information Literacy,
P.O.Box 6856, Wuse 11, Abuja, Nigeria
www.africmil.org
+234-7043202605
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2014 04:00:50 -0500
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Sunday Musings: That Iconic Picture of Nigeria's Living Heads of State - by Bolaji Aluko
From: alukome@gmail.com
To: USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; OmoOdua@yahoogroups.com; nigerianID@yahoogroups.com; naijaintellects@googlegroups.com; ekitipanupo@yahoogroups.com; Raayiriga@yahoogroups.com; YanArewa@yahoogroups.com; nidan-group@googlegroups.com; naijaelections@yahoogroups.com
Sunday Musings: That Iconic Picture of Nigeria's Living Heads of State
by
Mobolaji E. Aluko, PhD
March 2, 2014
________________________________________________________________________
My People:
Amidst its many controversies - of names included and omitted - comes this gem of a picture of living Heads of State of Nigeria - present and past - taken during the Centenary celebrations of Friday February 28 in Abuja.
The order as seen in the above picture is Abdusalami Abubakar (1998-1999), Muhammadu Buhari (1983-1985), Yakubu Gowon (1966-1973), Goodluck Jonathan (2009-date), Olusegun Obasanjo (1973-1976; 1999-2007), Shehu Shagari (1979-1983), Ibrahim Babangida (1985-1993) and Ernest Shonekan (1993) - all male; three Southerners (of who one is a Minority), five Northerners (of who three are minorities); five military dictators and four civilian heads of state (with Obasanjo doubly counted). Missing are Tafawa Balewa (Prime Minister 1960-66), Nnamdi Azikiwe (President 1960-66), Aguiyi-Ironsi (Military Head of State 1966), Murtala Mohammed (Military Head of State 1973-1975), Sani Abacha (1993-1998), and Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (2007-2009) - all in the Greater Beyond, exact location unknown.
If all were alive and required to stand together in chronological order, it would have been: Azikiwe (110 years old)/Balewa (101 years old) - Aguiyi-Ironsi (90 years old) - Gowon (79 years old) - Murtala (75 years old) - Obasanjo I (about 76 years old) - Shagari (89 years old) - Buhari (71 years old) - Babangida (72 years old) - Shonekan (77 years old) - Abacha (70 years old) - Abdusalami (71 years old) - Obasanjo II (about 76 years old) - Yar'Adua (62 years old) - Jonathan (56 years old). Only Azikiwe and Balewa might have by now been truly naturally dead by now - and even that is arguable. Besides, we might have avoided the military interregnum, including skipping Abacha altogether.
Anyway, I tried to see the significance of the arrangement in the picture, and I could not help but notice that no one who couped the other stood close to each other - at least not on the same side to the left or to the right of the host President GEJ. However successor Shagari facilitated by Obasanjo, and Shonekan facilitated Babangida, were quite happy to stand next to each other.
Curiously, Babangida's head was bowed - and his Centennary certificate hidden away - while Obasanjo, Shagari and Shonekan clutched their certificates fervently with both hands, leaving none to be free, unlike Abdusalami, Buhari and Gowon, whose free hands were raised in celebratory acknowledgement.
Finally only Abdusalami, Buhari and Shonekan joined Jonathan in a smile, with GEJ's smile quite broad indeed as a proud, worthy appropriately sartorially-attired host, with Obasanjo looking a little glum - but giving the lowest and most humble bow to GEJ in accepting his award just before this picture was taken - with a dash of head-moving comicality.
Am I reading too many tea leaves into this picture? Maybe, maybe not - but watching the celebration on TV from far away Bayelsa State was fun. However, I am happy it is over, and not much more money would be spent for the rest of the year on the Centennary celebrations, abi?
Let me turn briefly to the US, where the greatest number of Living Presidents have been six (The two Bushes, Carter, Clinton, Ford and Reagan in our times; as well as Buchanan, Pierce, Fillmore, Tyler, Van Buren and Lincoln in their time) but they have NEVER been photographed together before, except in groups of five, most often four, or three,....
But six Amerian First Ladies beat their husbands to it:
With Nigeria, we would need a wide-scan camera for our living First Ladies....or separate sessions...
Moving on....
Now in the next 100 years, I will be watching Nigeria from Heaven, DV: where will you be Inquiring minds want to know.
There you have it.
Bolaji Aluko
Ducking
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