February 2nd, 1990, to the relief of the civilised world The Honourable Nelson Rolilahla Mandela was released by former South African President FW De Klerk after 27 years of incarceration by the country's apartheid regime that was to crumble shortly after. The inevitability of his release was due to among a cocktail of factors including the global deification of Mandela as the spiritual leader of South Africa's resistance in a rapidly changing world that had seen the Berlin wall come down months before then.

For decades Nigeria had been a heavy supporter of the Anti-Apartheid/Free Mandela campaign and our dream was about to come true. As a teenager in those days it was normal to have grown up amidst a culture of anti-apartheid protest. Besides the dangerous pens wielded by writers back, we also had songs by the likes of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti ("Beast of no nation", Sonny Okosun ("Fire in Soweto", Majek Fashek ("Free Mandela" and an army of khaki clad militant reggae artistes that were the rave back then. (Not to mention a special edition of defunct comic, "Ikebe Super" in which the protagonists Papa Ajasco and Pa James with the aid of juju, successfully lead an army into SA and overthrow President Botha) It was natural that weeks before his release, welcome rumours had been filtering in that the amiable and indeed noble FW De Klerk would let Mandela go home and the excitement ran thick until it came to pass.


Sonny Okosun's 1977 smash album
Shortly after his release, accompanied by his gorgeous then wife and comrade, Mrs. Winnie Mandela, he embarked on an African tour to visit and thank the nations that had supported the struggle for freedom and Nigeria was not left out. He arrived in Lagos on board a Presidential jet and by stroke of luck he visited Enugu, then capital of Anambra State. This writer was a schoolboy in the Federal Government College and as a keen follower of the news, I knew that the military governor, Col. Robert Nnaemeka Akonobi (Rtd) had organised a grand public reception for him at the Okpara Square, Independence Layout. With the help of an older cousin who was going, I hatched and carried out the successful plan to attend the event and get a glimpse of my hero.

Read the rest at http://kizarofaro..com/2013/12/flashback-when-mandela-came-to-town.html

Most people on this forum will pretend as if Nigeria military government wasn't the major supporter of the Anti-Apartheid regime, including boycotting commonwealth meetings.

Interesting. I didn't know he came to Nigeria back then.

Jayflex .... big Kudos from me to you ... ur very current with events.

oohhhhh u picked it up from somewhere ...anyway thumbs up to you ..

franktolk: Jayflex .... big Kudos from me to you ... ur very current with events.

oohhhhh u picked it up from somewhere ...anyway thumbs up to you ..

Thanks!! But why u hail me come troway me for ground na? Is it easy to pick correct story like this? All join