"Historically, we all know that there was no exclusive NCNC/NPC government in 1955 but a national government. Therefore, Ugo Nwokeji thinking about Azikiwe's vision for distributing NCNC'S appointments in an inclusive way to reflect the then diversity of the NCNC could not be put to test." -- Salimonu Kadiri
The above statement has no bearing upon my submission. I can't fathom how the mere fact there was a non-exclusive NPC/NCNC national government has to do with those NCNC chose to represent them in government. You like to muddle things that contradict your position and which you have no cogent answer to. The only way to put what Zik said to test is by checking the people his party sent to represent them.
Instead of using the above to test the proposition, you make a leap to 1959, trying to address my question of January 1955 with what happened in 1959. Anyway, you know enough history to know those from the Western Region and Lagos, principally Yoruba (including Adegoke Adelabu, H.O. Davies, Kola Balogu and T.O.S. Benson), who held federal appointments on the platform of NCNC or otherwise held leadership within that party in those years and during the First Republic. I do not want to dwell on these things because I am not here to extol or demonize Zik or any other personality. It is not my style. I just saw an exemplary political statement in the context of Nigeria's struggle for nationhood and said so. Only you know why you want to muddle the truth.
I like to engage in honest debate, not one in which a protagonist fights as if winning the debate at all cost is the point, the way it happens at debate clubs. That does not interest me. I am not looking to throw ad hominems all over the place in a desperate attempt to "win". I am looking to inform and be informed, to stand up for core human principles, and to become a better person in the process.
Reading you, one gets the impression that Zik and all other leaders were always "coldly" calculating, "foxing" and "outfoxing", almost always along partisan or ethnic lines. And you arrive at all this all by mere mind-reading and then seek to pass your conjectures as facts? Listen up, the entire purpose of Nigeria's existence is NOT and should not be for maneuverings. Such does violence to the memories of good Nigerians of the Zikist Movement, NEPU, most members of pre-1950s NCNC, and perhaps to lesser and in varying degrees members of post-1940s NCNC, NPC, AG and of other parties. Lord!
"Very soon there will be OBA OF YORUBA IN ONITSHA, ABA, OWERRI, and ENUGU in response to EZE NDI IGBOS OF LAGOS." -- Salimonu Kadiri.
I say, Amen. That is the Nigeria of my dream, although I would advise protagonists to eschew bitter maneuverings, "foxing", "outfoxing" and genocidal tendencies.
What surprises me instead is that you somehow see this as a tool for ethnic domination, which you intend to implement in the cities you have identified. Unlike you, I don't see it as that. It should not be because that would be a negative, ethnically chauvinistic purpose of organizing for common interest. The Hausas in Igboland (and indeed elsewhere in Nigeria and beyond) have since time immemorial actually organized themselves in roughly the same way, where they discuss issues of interest, promote welfare and good faith amongst them, be their brother's keepers and settle disputes amongst them. They have their leaders, who are recognized by indigenous local leaders. They also have their imams, and you know imams' role among Muslim adherents goes beyond the narrow confines of what post-Enlightenment Christianity (which separates religion from secular life) regards religious affairs.
I have never had any problem with that. Why should I? Do you really think that it will bother me if a cluster of Yoruba people in the cities you mentioned organize themselves under obas or baales to discuss issues of interest, be their brother's/sister's keepers and settle disputes amongst them? If it bothers anybody, I will be among those defending the Yoruba right to do so! I won't be out there secretly encouraging genocidal statements, and then publicly denying or otherwise defending or rationalizing the indefensible them. Man, you really need to release yourself from your self-imposed fears. We are all Nigerians, please. Unfortunately, this concept seems alien to you and people who think like you.
Ugo
On Sun, Apr 26, 2015 at 3:08 PM, Salimonu Kadiri <ogunlakaiye@hotmail.com> wrote:
"..... and my thinking is that his (Azikiwe's vision for distributing NCNC'S appointments would have been inclusive and reflected the then diversity of NCNC as well,"- Ugo Nwokeji.
Historically, we all know that there was no exclusive NCNC/NPC government in 1955 but a national government. Therefore, Ugo Nwokeji thinking about Azikiwe's vision for distributing NCNC'S appointments in an inclusive way to reflect the then diversity of the NCNC could not be put to test. Nevertheless, after the 1959 federal elections the results showed that NPC, NCNC AG and their respective allies won 148, 89 and 75 seats respectively in the 312 members of Federal House of Assembly. Since, none of the political parties had absolute majority to form a government, Chief Obafemi Awolowo expressed the view to serve in a national government led by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. The AG and NCNC had 168 members as against NPC's 148 in the Parliament. Having been called upon by the Governor General, Sir James Robertson, to form a government, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa realizing the Parliamentary situation expressed his desire to form a National Government comprising of NPC, NCNC, and AG. The AG leader, Obafemi Awolowo, said that he could not serve in a feudalist led government. Then, on Sunday, 20 December 1959, and in spite of opposition from its ally in the North, NEPU, Azikiwe's NCNC announced a coalition government agreement with the NPC in which Balewa was to become Prime Minister of the federation. The NCNC even agreed to the demand of NPC that no member of the NEPU should be appointed to ministerial post or any other government institutions. Awolowo decided to be the leader of opposition in the Federal Parliament. Azikiwe coldly calculated that the highly educated NCNC would dominate those he had named feudal autocrats, non-English speaking ciphers and illiterate dummies of the NPC even if the leader of the government was a feudalists. The federal coalition government between NPC and NCNC of 1959 onwards gave Azikiwe's NCNC the opportunity to put to test his vision of inclusively distributing federal appointments to reflect the diversity of the NCNC, but it did not happen. The political disagreement between Awolowo and his deputy Samuel Akintola arose out of the latter concern that because Awolowo refused to join the federal government, the NCNC had excised Yoruba indigenes out of federal government's appointments. The rest is history!!
Ugo Nwokeji wrote, "...the aim of Zik and people who shared his mind-set to forestall Nazism in this country, no matter whether it rears its ugly head in form of intolerance, bigotry, or terrorism, has failed."
Ugo Nwokeji with his proclamation of Zik's anti-Nazism philosophy reminds one of George Orwell's 1946, Politics and the English Language wherein he stated, "Political language - and with variations this is true of all political parties, from conservatives to Anarchists - is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give appearance of solidity to pure wind." There has never been National Socialists, derived from the German Nationalsozialistische, in Nigeria. What we have had and still have are tribalists who came with the idea of master tribe destined by God to dominate other tribes in Nigeria politically and economically. It is ironical that he who introduced tribalism into the body politics of Nigeria should be talking of Nazism (National Socialism) rearing its head into Nigeria. When Nnamdi Azikiwe returned to Nigeria in 1937, The Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) had been in existence since 1922 with Herbert Macaulay as the general Secretary and Joseph Egerton Shyngle as the President. The NNDP had won all elections to the Legislative Council in Lagos from 1923 to 1938 when it was defeated by the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM). In fact NYM was an off-shoot of Lagos Youth Movement that was founded in 1933 by James Churchill Vaughan, Ernest Sissei Ikoli and Samuel Adesanya as leaders. When the NYM won all the three seats for Lagos to the Legislative Council in 1938, Azikiwe decided to join NYM. Besides Ikoli and Adesanya, Azikiwe stated that among the leaders of NYM at that time were, Dr Akiola Maja, H. S. A. Thomas, Jubril Martin and Dr Kofoworola Abayomi. "Prominent among its backbenchers were Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief S.L. Akintola, J.A. Tuyo, Hamzat A.Subair, F. Ogugua-Arah, S.O. Shonibare and L. Duro Emmanuel," Zik wrote in his Selected Speeches. Azikiwe desired leadership role for himself which was very difficult to achieve with the calibre of those in the leadership of NYM. Therefore, when a bye-election nomination over who should contest the election to the Legislative Council to replace Dr Abayomi who was on specialist study in UK turned sourer within the NYM, Azikiwe seized the opportunity to join other forces to scuttle the NYM. By 1943, NYM was in coma and NNDP won all the three seats for Lagos to the Legislative Council. That same year, Nnamdi Azikiwe founded the first tribal Union in Nigeria called *IBO FEDERAL UNION* and installed himself as the President. The name was later changed to *IBO STATE UNION.* He was immediately imitated by Eyo Ita who also founded *IBIBIO STATE UNION.* Then in August 26, 1944, Azikiwe founded NCNC and named himself the Secretary and Herbert Macaulay the President. Herbert Macaulay was 80 years old in 1944 and remained the Secretary of NNDP that was still winning elections. He had no need for a new party but the foxy Nnamdi Azikiwe targeted him for the purpose of riding on Macaulay's popularity to power. When Herbert Macaulay died on May 7, 1946, Nnamdi Azikiwe became the President of both NNDP and NCNC. Thus at the Legislative Council Elections of December 1946, Nnamdi Azikiwe, H.P. Adebola, T.O.S. Benson, Dr Ibiyinka Olorunmbe and Adeleke Adedoyin contested and won on the platform of NNDP. After the 1951 elections Azikiwe buried the NNDP until 1964 when Akintola outfoxed the foxy Azikiwe by reincarnating NNDP. It is worth remembering that five years after the Ibo Federal Union was founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Egbe Omo Oduduwa was formed in Lagos by Adeyemo Alakija, Dr Akinola Maja, Dr Kofo Abayomi, Chief Bode Thomas, Chief H. Oladipo Davies, Dr Akanni Doherty and others. In the North, Dr Dikko and others founded Jamiyyar Mutanen Arewa translated to Northern People's Congress. It is also noteworthy that while members of IBO STATE UNION were automatically affiliated to NCNC, members of EGBE OMO ODUDUA could belong to other parties. Thus, Oladipo Davies was an active member of NCNC and at the same time member of Egbe Omo Oduduwa. If there had been no IGBO STATE UNION, there would have been no tribalism in Nigeria. Very soon there will be OBA OF YORUBA IN ONITSHA, ABA, OWERRI, and ENUGU in response to EZE NDI IGBOS OF LAGOS.
From: ugo@berkeley.edu
Date: Sat, 25 Apr 2015 16:12:24 -0700
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - From Nnamdi Azikiwe: " a lamp to guide our feet..." & history that vindicates the just
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.comThanks, Obi, for sending this edifying speech. It comes across to me as fair, principled, democratic and inclusive, and the method of sharing power he outlined seems to have been in consonance with "Royal Instructions to ... the Governor-General". Inclusiveness and fairness should not rankle any Nigerian, but if puzzles me that some people just cannot accept that. For context, NCNC's 63 came from ALL over southern Nigeria (in some places more than others, of course, and a few from the Middle Belt), and my thinking is that his vision for distributing NCNC's appointments would have been inclusive and reflected the then diversity of NCNC as well.These are important principles to strive for in a country like ours -- in fact, in any nation -- in spite and because of human imperfections that can dilute their realization. But is very sad that, instead of getting better toward the realization of these principles, instead of us being better than Zik was way back in January 1955 (!), some people still seek division, oppression and rabid hatred for people from other ethnic groups. This is how -- very unfortunately -- the aim of Zik and people who shared his mindset to forestall "any form of Nazism in this country, no matter whether it rears its ugly head in form of intolerance, bigotry, or terrorism" has failed. We are going backward. It is sad that in spite of all the education and exposure Nigerians today (compared to January 1955), the country has made little progress and even has regressed on a number of critical fronts.We need to aim higher and to do so with belief and determination!UgoG. Ugo NwokejiDirector, Center for African StudiesAssociate Professor of African American Studies
University of California, Berkeley
686 Barrows Hall #2572
Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel. (510) 542-8140
Fax (510) 642-0318Twitter: @UgoNwokejiFacebook: facebook.com/ugo.nwokejiOn Sat, Apr 25, 2015 at 1:41 PM, Salimonu Kadiri <ogunlakaiye@hotmail.com> wrote:Unprincipled politics, political harlotry and chop-chop politics in Nigeria began in 1955. Hear Nnamdi Azikiwe, "It is true that this constitutional pattern will present a situation in which the NCNC will have a majority in the executive and the Northern Peoples' Congress (NPC) will dominate the legislature. ..."I believe that the NCNC and the Northern Peoples' Congress can work a government in which the former (NCNC) dominates the executive and the later (NPC) controls the legislature..(see p.127-130, ZIK - Selected Speeches of Dr NNAMDI AZIKIWE from where Rex Marinus has culled his article)." Why was Azikiwe interested in having the NCNC dominate the executive i.e. Ministerial posts and ceding the domination of the legislature to the NPC? In his address as the President of Ibo State Union at Enugu on December 15, 1950, Nnamdi Azikiwe said, "In the North, the feudal autocrats and their minions have spared no time in making it easier for non-English speaking ciphers and illiterate dummies to flood the Northern House of Assembly. With due deference, may I say that these marionettes are entitled to about fifty per cent of the seats in the central legislature (p. 113, ZIK - Selected Speeches of Dr NNAMDI AZIKIWE)." By January 8, 1955 Azikiwe realized that non-English speaking ciphers and illiterate dummies from the North that dominated the central legislature could be exploited to rubber stamp the ministerial agenda of NCNC dominated executive and that was why he sought for coalition government with the NPC. And the NCNC ideology was nothing but petty bourgeoisie chop-chop at the expense of the masses.
From: rexmarinus@hotmail.com
To: umuahians@googlegroups.com; usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nigerianworldforum@yahoogroups.com; igboevents@yahoogroups.com; naijapolitics@yahoogroups.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - From Nnamdi Azikiwe: " a lamp to guide our feet..." & history that vindicates the just
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 19:47:07 +0000
"As the hierarchy of our great party, the National Executive committee meets today to tackle some of the burning political problems which confront our country. The composition of the Federal House of Representatives has been determined. The personnel of the council of ministers is yet to be decided. You have a rare privilege in deciding who should be ministers of state to represent the Eastern and Western regions of the federation of Nigeria. I hope you will discharge this sacred duty patriotically and realistically.
The results of the Federal elections have placed the parties roughly as follows: Northern Peoples Congress, 84, NCNC 63, Action Group 20, KNC 6, UNIP 5, Idoma States Union, 2 Middle Belt Peoples Party, 2, Igbirra Tribal Union 1, Nigerian Commoners Liberal Party, 1. This means that no one political party has established a clear majority over the other parties. According to the Royal Instructions to His Excellency, the Governor-General, if such a situation arises then he shall consult with leaders of the majority political parties in each region in order to appoint the ten ministers, of whom the NCNC will be entitled to six.
It is true that this constitutional pattern will present a situation in which the NCNC will have a majority in the executive and the Northern Peoples Congress will dominate the parliament. The question arises: can the NCNC and the Northern Peoples Congress operate a government in which either party is in a position to paralyze action? If so, can such a government be stable enough to win the confidence of the peoples of Nigeria and the outside world? Otherwise, must Nigeria be subjected to another spate of conferences for the revision of its constitution?
I believe the NCNC and the Northern Peoples Congress can work a government by agreement in which the former dominates the executive and the latter controls the legislature, provided that both parties intend to give the new constitution a fair trial. I have two reasons for subscribing to this view. In the first place, the leaders of the two parties have publicly expressed the desire to give the new constitution a proper chance of survival. The resent hiatus is an opportunity for both parties to demonstrate good faith. In the second place, the present constitutional situation is not unique in the political history of mankind. I want you to realize that in the United States today, the Republican Party controls the cabinet, and the Democratic Party dominates the Houses of Congress. The question of whether such a hybrid government can be stable has been answered in the United States, whose constitution, by the way, is partially our model, and where the Democratic and Republican parties have bridged the gulf of their differences by establishing an accord based on bi-partisanship. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a lamp to guide our feet towards the building of goodwill and understanding in Nigeria, in spite of our political differences.
I will admit that there is an ideological chasm between the NCNC and the Northern Peoples Congress, but I will submit that, in the realm of practical politics, such a chasm can be bridged by a span of mutual respect for each other, based on a bi-partisan policy of government by mutual accord. Therefore, the fact that the NCNC is in a position to dominate the Council of Ministers, and the Northern Peoples Congress is poised to control the House of Representatives does not preclude the possibility of a bi-partisan policy which should enable each of the cooperating political parties to co-exist and exert salutary influence on policy, be it at the executive or legislative level.
Having dispelled the mist from the atmosphere, we can now see clearly enough to enable us to se who will be our standard bearers in the Council of Ministers appointed from the Eastern region and from the Western region. As soon as this has been done, we shall charge our ministers with the responsibility of maintaining cordial relations with their colleagues in the Council of Ministers. They should be warned that, whilst they would not expected to compromise on fundamental issues on which the party feels strongly, they should not hesitate to consult the party hierarchy for guidance and direction so as to avoid unnecessary embarrassment. The same goes to those of you who are members of the House of Reresentatives.
The NCNC believs that there is room in this country for different shades of political opinion. Unlike a certain other political party, we shall not seek to destroy our identity; rather we will gladly cooperate with any political party which is honest in it intentions, sincere in its outlook, and genuine in its programme. But the NCNC will not encourage any form of Nazism in this country, no matter whether it rears its ugly head in form of intolerance, bigotry, or terrorism."
· Nnamdi Azikiwe addressing the joint meeting of the NCNC Federal Parliamentary parliamentary caucus and the National Executive Committee, Jan. 8, 1955 in Lagos.
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