The fact that Awolowo was better than his peers in being visionary should not even be debated.
What was and is on ground speaks for itself. Everything that was first in Africa occurred in the defunct Western Region, we don't have to start naming them here.
Also, check out the programmes of their parties in the different regions.
In the present, check out the level of all development indices in the different regions of Nigeria. I think intellectuals should rise above primordial tendencies occasionally, analyse the past critically to avoid repeating the mistakes in the future.
If that is the only thing we bequeath to coming generations we would have done something worthwhile.
Prof. E. Babatunde JAIYEOBA PhD
Head, Department of Architecture
Faculty of Environmental Design and Management
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
ebjaiye@oauife.edu.ng; tundejaiyeoba@yahoo.co.uk; +234 8037880023
On Sunday, 29 December 2019, 16:59:49 GMT+1, Salimonu Kadiri <ogunlakaiye@hotmail.com> wrote:
Dear Obi Nwakanma,
Contrary to your opinion that Awolowo was not a visionary, he stated already in his 1947 book, Path to Nigerian Freedom, why he objected, along with other reasons, to self-government as at that time thus, "The existence of a microscopic literary class would lead to exploitation of the great majority of illiterates by the intelligentsia.'' Every institution of governance in Nigeria today are manned by few educated class like you, but the results of their administration hitherto are as Awolowo foresaw it 72 years ago.
Already in 1941, Awolowo warned, "Nigeria under a unitary constitution might be dominated by those, whatever their number, who owed greater allegiance to ethnic affinity than to PRINCIPLES and IDEALS." "As for between the various ethnic groups," Awolowo argued, "there were differing standards of civilisation as well as uneven stages in the adoption of Western education and the emulation of western civilisation. A unitary constitution with only one central government would only result in frustration to the much pushful and more dynamic ethnic groups, whereas a division of the country into regions along ethnic lines would enable each linguistic group not only to develop its own peculiar culture and institutions but to move forward at its own pace without being unnecessarily pushed or annoyingly slowed down by the others." The NCNC led by Nnamdi Azikiwe pushed for Unitary form of government in Nigeria but did not succeed until a coup within a coup of 15 January 1966 catapulted Major General Johnson Thompson Umunnakwe Aguiyi Ironsi into power. Awolowo was still in prison in Calabar on May 24, 1966, when Ironsi in Decree No.34 abolished the Regions and proclaimed Unitary government. The West African Pilot of the following day published a large cartoon of a cock crowing one Nigeria. Remarkably, cock was the symbol of the NCNC and West African Pilot was owned by Nnamdi Azikiwe former leader of the NCNC that had advocated Unitary form of government for Nigeria. Awolowo's vision about the ill-effects of a Unitary constitution for Nigeria already in 1941 which was forced on the country through a one-man constitutional review commission, Francis Nwokedi, in 1966 is what Nigerians, mostly from the South, are battling to expunge from the constitution till date.
Knowing fully well that the Ohaneze Ndigbo conferred the traditional title of Ogugua Ndigbo on General Ibrahim Babangida for buttering Igbo bread, it is not surprising that Obi Nwakanma is emotionally offended by Awolowo's letter to Babangida. A proper understanding of Awolowo's letter to Babangida can be derived from the letter written to General Aguiyi Ironsi on 28 March 1966, in which he asked for pardon and release from prison for himself and his colleagues who had been incarcerated since 29 May 1962. In that letter to Ironsi Awolowo disclosed that the then Chief Justice of the Federation, Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, in October 1963, approached him that if he could form an all-embracing new Yoruba party with Akintola that would go into alliance with NPC, he would be released from prison before the end of that year. Awolowo wrote that if he had prized his personal freedom above the unity of Nigeria, he would have been set free in 1963. Further on 20 December 1965, the same Adetokunbo led a delegation of peace maker, said to have the blessing of the Prime Minister, Balewa, to meet him in Calabar Prison, that he would be released from jail if he accepted to join the federal government but he rejected it. In item 3b of the letter, Awolowo revealed, "On two different occasions I was offered, first the post of Deputy Prime Minister (before May 1962), and second that of Deputy Governor-General (in August 1962), if I would agree to fold up the opposition and join in a National Government. I declined the two offers because they were designed exclusively to gratify my self-interest, with no thought of fostering any political moral principle which could benefit the people of Nigeria." Alluding to his conscience, Awolowo wrote, "I felt and still feel that a truly public-spirited person should accept public office not for what he can get for himself - such as the profit and glamour of office - but for the opportunity which it offers him of serving his people to the best of his ability, by promoting their welfare and happiness. To me, the two afore-mentioned posts were sinecures, and were intended to immobilise my talents and stultify the role of watch-dog which the people of Nigeria looked upon me to play on their behalf, at that juncture in our political evolution." The invitation of Babangida to Awolowo to join his political bureau was intended as beckoning to him to come and chop and close his mouth but Awolowo declined, saying he was not in need of stomach infrastructure. Since 1959 Federal elections, there are set of people in Nigeria who would rather join or serve any government in power for selfish reasons. Awolowo was not a person like that but this may be difficult for crayfish heads or Professor Isi-Ewu to figure out.
S.Kadiri
Från: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> för Rex Marinus <rexmarinus@hotmail.com>
Skickat: den 28 december 2019 22:39
Till: Tunji Olaopa <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>; USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Ämne: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Awo's reply declining membership of the 1986 Political Bureau
Skickat: den 28 december 2019 22:39
Till: Tunji Olaopa <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>; USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Ämne: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Awo's reply declining membership of the 1986 Political Bureau
Dear Tunji Olaopa:
Awolowo did not see any further than the political realities and conditions in Nigeria of which he was a key architect from 1947. He was no visionary, and did not possess a god-like capacity to see a future. He was no futurologist, nor did he possess any more than at best, an above average intelligence! At this stage in our intellectual history, it is important to stop all the pointless, really mediocre, low-level kinds of myth-making we call 'history.' Nigerian history is properly documented in the places where archives are properly preserved and not manipulated. We do not have "three founding fathers" for instance in Nigeria. If there were any founders and movers for modern Nigeria, they were those who with Azikiwe belonged to the Nationalist party and the nationalist movement. Neither Awolowo nor Bello supported the Nationalist movement or the very basis of a Nigerian nationalist anti-colonialism. We can tell who did what from 1937-1947. From 1947-1957. From 1957-1967. From 1967-1977. From 1977-1987, and so on. We can already harvest from the End of Empire documents already publicly available to us the work, state, and place of each of these historical figures in the formation and deformation of Nigeria. The constant attempts to apotheosize Awolowo beyond his weight is a very laughable, repetitive, but by now exhausted ploy. And to ascribe some kind of immanent insight in this terrifyingly mediocre letter he wrote to Babangida is the height of intellectual infamy. Any elementary rhetorical analysis of this letter will basically show exactly what Awo was saying to Babangida: "Sorry, sir, but Fuck Nigeria and Nigerians! I'm not interested." That's basically the sum of Awo's letter. Now, you want to ascribe some high intelligence to it? Get real sir!
Obi Nwakanma
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Tunji Olaopa <tolaopa2003@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2019 10:35 AM
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Awo's reply declining membership of the 1986 Political Bureau
Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2019 10:35 AM
To: USA Africa Dialogue Series <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Awo's reply declining membership of the 1986 Political Bureau
Reading Papa Awo's letter declining to serve on IBB's Political Bureau in 1986 again, and with the clear declining fortune of the Nigeria Project, I woke up this morning wondering, did the sage saw something about the future that we are in that we were perhaps too blinded to see?
RESTORING GOVERNMENTAL AND SOCIAL ORDER - CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO
In 1986, former President Ibrahim Babangida had asked Pa Awolowo to provide input into charting a New Social Order for Nigeria via a National Debate. A couple of my bosom friends have over the last few days reminded me of the force and depth of Pa Awolowo reply:
"Dear Sir, I received your letter of February 28, 1986, and sincerely thank you for doing me the honour of inviting me to contribute to the National Political Debate. The purpose of the debate is to clarify our thoughts in our search for a new social order. It is, therefore, meet and proper that all those who have something to contribute should do so. I do fervently and will continue fervently to pray that I may be proved wrong. For something within me tells me, loud and clear, that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day, when we imagine that the new order is here, we would be terribly disappointed. In other words, at the threshold of our New Social Order, we would see for ourselves that, as long as Nigerians remain what they are, nothing clean, principled, ethical, and idealistic can work with them. And Nigerians will remain what they are, unless the evils which now dominate their hearts, at all levels and in all sectors of our political, business and governmental activities are exorcised. But I venture to assert that they will not be exorcised, and indeed they will be firmly entrenched, unless God Himself imbues a vast majority of us with a revolutionary change of attitude to life and politics or, unless the dialectic processes which have been at work for some twenty years now, perforce, make us perceive the abominable filth that abounds in our society, to the end that an inexorable abhorrence of it will be quickened in our hearts and impel us to make drastic changes for the better. There is, of course, an alternative option open to us. To succumb to permanent social instability and chaos. On the premises, I beg to decline your invitation. I am yours truly, Obafemi Awolowo."
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RESTORING GOVERNMENTAL AND SOCIAL ORDER - CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO
In 1986, former President Ibrahim Babangida had asked Pa Awolowo to provide input into charting a New Social Order for Nigeria via a National Debate. A couple of my bosom friends have over the last few days reminded me of the force and depth of Pa Awolowo reply:
"Dear Sir, I received your letter of February 28, 1986, and sincerely thank you for doing me the honour of inviting me to contribute to the National Political Debate. The purpose of the debate is to clarify our thoughts in our search for a new social order. It is, therefore, meet and proper that all those who have something to contribute should do so. I do fervently and will continue fervently to pray that I may be proved wrong. For something within me tells me, loud and clear, that we have embarked on a fruitless search. At the end of the day, when we imagine that the new order is here, we would be terribly disappointed. In other words, at the threshold of our New Social Order, we would see for ourselves that, as long as Nigerians remain what they are, nothing clean, principled, ethical, and idealistic can work with them. And Nigerians will remain what they are, unless the evils which now dominate their hearts, at all levels and in all sectors of our political, business and governmental activities are exorcised. But I venture to assert that they will not be exorcised, and indeed they will be firmly entrenched, unless God Himself imbues a vast majority of us with a revolutionary change of attitude to life and politics or, unless the dialectic processes which have been at work for some twenty years now, perforce, make us perceive the abominable filth that abounds in our society, to the end that an inexorable abhorrence of it will be quickened in our hearts and impel us to make drastic changes for the better. There is, of course, an alternative option open to us. To succumb to permanent social instability and chaos. On the premises, I beg to decline your invitation. I am yours truly, Obafemi Awolowo."
--
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