Ogugua Anunoby wrote,"After the hung 1959 federal elections, Awolowo did propose to Azikiwe that their parties come together and form the government at the center with Azikiwe as the Prime Minister. What is true too is that although Awolowo publicly claimed he would not serve in a feudalist government in partnership with Ahmadu Bello's party, he (Awolowo) was contemporaneously, secretly consulting with Ahmadu Bello to form such a coalition government at the center. Shehu Shagari said he was. Shehu Shagari was Ahmadu Bello's confidant, and emissary to Azikiwe after the 1959 elections." To begin with, it is historically untrue that Awolowo proposed a two party government of AG and NCNC at the centre to Azikiwe. What Awolowo proposed was a national government comprising of NPC, NCNC and AG led by Azikiwe as the Prime Minister. It should not be forgotten that only Awolowo campaigned throughout Nigeria in !959 while Azikiwe restricted his campaigns to the Western and Eastern Region. Ahmadu Bello as the leader of NPC restricted his campaign to the North and vowed never to forgive Awolowo for forcing him to beg for votes from his subjects. Awolowo and Azikiwe had relinquished the Premiership of their respective region to contest for Prime ministership at the centre while Ahmadu Bello ceded the federal Prime Minister's post to his deputy, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. On one hand Ogugua Anunoby admitted that Awolowo publicly announced that he would never serve in a National Government led by a feudalist and in the other hand OA referred to Shehu Shagari as Ahmadu Bello's confidant and emissary to Azikiwe after the 1959 elections who revealed to Azikiwe that Awolowo was consulting with NPC to form a coalition government. If we are to apply historical probability that it was true that Shehu Shagari credited Awolowo with secret coalition contact with the NPC, would it not be intelligent to think that Shehu Shagari said this to Azikiwe in order to prevent him from accepting the Prime Ministership offered by Awolowo? Why did Ahmadu Bello send Shehu Shagari as an emissary to Azikiwe? Was it not for the purpose of convincing Azikiwe not to accept to lead a national government offered by Awolowo? Did it make any sense to claim that Ahmadu Bello sent Shehu Shagari as an emissary to Azikiwe when he could have talked to him direct? In 1957, when Azikiwe and Awolowo were still Premier of Eastern and Western Region respectively, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in his broadcast to the nation in September 1957 as the first Prime Minister of Nigeria said among other things, "To further this overriding need for unity, my colleagues in the Council of Ministers and I have decided to give the country a lead by inviting the leaders of the Action Group to form with us a truly National Government composed of members of the main parties.... I and my colleagues of the NCNC and NPC hold out our hands in welcome to the Action Group members of the Council and I promise you that we shall do our utmost to ensure that the deliberations of the Council are held in an atmosphere devoid of strife and narrow party prejudice (p. 6-7, MR PRIME MINISTER - A selection of speeches made by Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Published by the Federal Ministry of Information, Lagos, 1964)." Although, AG eventually joined the national government, it is clear from the above referenced broadcast that the NCNC had already been in the government with the NPC which Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe had described, in his Presidential address to the IBO State Union in 1950, as feudal autocrats, non-English speaking ciphers and illiterate dummies. Those qualities were the main reason why Azikiwe's NCNC was always eager to go into coalition with the NPC in order to assert its presumed superior educational and business talents over the backward North. Viewed from this historical fact, the assertion of Ogugua Anunoby that the swing of Azikiwe to the NPC depended on alleged Awolowo's two-timing was a grade one historical construction and a lie.
From: AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2015 09:02:10 -0500
Subject: FW: USA Africa Dialogue Series - From Nnamdi Azikiwe: " a lamp to guide our feet..." & history that vindicates the just
so,
Does one have to be a historian to qualify to contribute in this forum? You seem to be concerned with the messenger and not their message.
You surprise me. What is your point?
One does not know including know correctly just because the one is a witness. The one must be paying full and proper attention with an open mind. You have heard I believe, of unreliable witness accounts which accounts are usually not acceptable as information of record.
What causes or places you in a position to make a determination on what other people know or do not know? My suggestion (I was tempted to say advise but you may take offense) is that you post to this forum, what you know including any worthy disagreement with the postings of others rather than expend valuable mental energy and time on obtuse assertion and contention.
Facts do not cease to be facts because the ignorant or misinformed dispute them.
oa
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Segun Ogungbemi
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 5:06 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - From Nnamdi Azikiwe: " a lamp to guide our feet..." & history that vindicates the just
oa,
Are you an historian? If you are, which area of history is yours? And if you are not, please don't say or write what you don't know. There are still many of us who were living witnesses of the political and historical events of the defunct Western Region and other parts of the country before and after independence.
This forum is meant for the dissemination of intellectual and scholarly discourse with a view to contributing to Pan-African dialogue. Let us focus on intellectual facts and not self-glorification of any political idols.
Prof. Segun Ogungbemi
On Apr 27, 2015, at 11:43 PM, "Anunoby, Ogugua" <AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu> wrote:
After the hung 1959 federal elections, Awolowo did propose to Azikiwe that their parties come together and form the government at the center with Azikiwe as the prime minister. What is true too is that although Awolowo public claimed that he would not serve in a feudalist government in partnership with Ahmadu Bello's party, he (Awolowo) was contemporaneously, secretly consulting with Ahmadu Bello to form such a coalition government at the center. Shehu Shagari said he was. Shagari was Ahmadu Bello's confidant, and emissary to Azikiwe after the 1959 elections. He informed Azikiwe that Awolowo was two-faced and should not be trusted by either Ahmadu Bello or Azikiwe. Awolowo's two-timing has been claimed to be the proximate cause of Azikiwe's swing away from Awolowo and toward Ahmadu Bello.
Akintola and Awolowo's disagreement was first economic before it was political. Akintola wanted some of the propitious economic/business privileges (spoils) of the office of premier of Western Nigeria that Awolowo continued to enjoy even after he, Awolowo, was no longer premier and had relocated from Ibadan to Lagos. Awolowo refused to give them up. Akintola would not take "no" for an answer. Hell broke loose from then on and an economic/business disagreement over the spoils of the office of the premier of Western Nigeria became political as it was bound to become if it was not amicably and promptly resolved. The disagreements led to what became known as the Western Crises which was one of the reasons for the January 1966 military coup.
Awolowo did become the leader of opposition at the center- Lagos. He was determined to become prime minister even without an election mandate. He was suspected of, investigated, and accused of planning to overthrow the federal government by force. He was arrested, charged to court, and prosecuted fairly under the law. He had ample opportunity to defend himself and he did robustly. One of his defense lawyers was Sir Dingle Foot- a highly competent, senior British lawyer (Queen's Counsel). Awolowo along with some of his co-conspirators, was convicted after their treasonable felony trial by the very well-respected Supreme Court Justice George Sowemimo (an Abeokuta man). Awolowo was sentenced to ten years in prison. Awolowo was serving his sentence in Calabar prison until his release by Emeka Ojukwu and not Yakubu Gowon as some revisionists of history have claimed.
A majority if not all Nigerians should share Ugo's sentiments when he says " We (Nigerians) need to aim higher and to do so with belief and determination!" This will be less likely to happen if history continues to be intentionally misreported and misrepresented to present and future generations, and always misunderstood.
Mistakes were made in the past. It is time the all effort must be to not repeat the same or similar mistakes are not repeated. There is enough national, state, and other communal experience already to inform the enlightened construction of an achieving country in which all citizens who are prepared to work hard, have faith and true love of country would have peaceful enjoyment of the duties, right and privileges of equal citizenship.
oa
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Salimonu Kadiri
Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2015 5:08 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - From Nnamdi Azikiwe: " a lamp to guide our feet..." & history that vindicates the just
"..... 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 s 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!
Ugo
G. Ugo Nwokeji
Director, Center for African Studies
Associate Professor of African American Studies
University of California, Berkeley
686 Barrows Hall #2572
Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel. (510) 542-8140
Fax (510) 642-0318Twitter: @UgoNwokeji
Facebook: facebook.com/ugo.nwokeji
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/profile/view?id=243610869
On 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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