The history of politics in Nigeria can never be complete without the mention of certain individuals who invested laudable effort in making this country a better place. No leader ranks higher in my opinion than the first premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Oyeniyi Awolowo.
Born in Ikenne, Remo Division of Ogun State on March 6, 1909, his nascent years were one of affluence, as he boasted of an illustrious and noble ancestry that was well-to-do. All this changed on April 8, 1920 when his father succumbed to the dreaded smallpox. With the breadwinner gone, the widow and children were plunged into dire financial straits as the extended family snatched up all his father’s properties. Faced with disappointments and no family member willing to assist, he had to serve strangers as a “house boy. He did this for several years, peregrinating from one master to the other, to ensure he could afford his school fees.
But despite his efforts, wave after wave of disappointments assailed him. He had to switch over to a cheaper school, finished school behind his mates, had to leave college after only a year, and experienced a period of nineteen months that tested his resolve.
In his words, “ the nineteen months were among the most trying periods of my life. My most cherished hopes had been dashed. My short span of life then had seen more downs than ups.
By dint of hard work and a supportive wife, he was able to keep his head above water financially. But he never gave up his dreams which was why on August 14, 1944, he sailed to the United Kingdom in search of the proverbial Golden Fleece. While there he studied Law and was called to the Bar on November 18, 1946.
Returning to Nigeria shortly after, he joined the forefront of those who advocated that there could be ‘unity in diversity’ of the ethnic nationalities of Nigeria. In the years to come, he spearheaded the Egbe Omo Oduduwa movement, with the goal of infusing solidarity into the disjointed tribes that constituted the Yoruba ethnic group.
Not resting on his oars, he went on in 1951 to launch the Action Group, making it plain that he was committed to the goal of achieving self-rule for the Western Region in the shortest possible time and that the cat-and-mouse relationship with the colonial masters pursued by other parties had to be jettisoned for a more affirmative stance. And so began his illustrious career in politics which truly ended only after his death in 1987. In the years following the remarkable debut of the Action Group, Chief Obafemi Awolowo etched his name in the annals of Nigeria as one of the most outstanding statesmen this country has ever seen.
Knowing that for his dream of a better society to become reality he needed an educated citizenry, Awo went all out, allocating as much as one-third of the annual budget to education alone while he was the Premier of the Western Region. It is an irony that today education in Nigeria is allocated just seven percent and has been known to be as low as 0.7%. During his tenure, the Western Region was regarded as the El Dorado of the nation due to its pace-setting role and favorable policies . Under him, Nigeria also became the world’s largest exporter of palm oil within a short period and experts from far-away Malaysia came to borrow a leaf from schemes he had implemented.
At the 1969 Commonwealth Prime Minister’s meeting in London British Prime Minister Harold Wilson pronounced him a world-class leader . Wilson was so impressed with his pedigree and astuteness that he said Chief Awolowo was competent enough to sit in the White House as an American president or in his own office, as British premier. Wilson did not extend such kudos to anyone else - white or black - outside British shores.
While his political career did not reach its full potential, years after his death his immortal legacy is still the yardstick for measuring political correctness in the country. Which is why no matter his faults, mistakes and errors of judgement, his vigorous and superlative achievements in public office and his tenacity in bouncing back despite the odds make him a Nigerian worthy of emulation.
I wrote this up as I wanted to write something that speaks of great Nigerians worth having as role models. In these times when our country seems as though it is heading for the rocks, Nigerians need to remember that this country could still get better, all we need is the right person at the helm of government.
Long live Nigeria!
