All/most Nigerian leaders have been tribalists...so remove that from the equation!

revolt: though I think he was a fcknn tribalist, we can't rule out that every Yoruba millionaire owes his success directly or indirectly to awos bigoted policies.

if I was Yoruba, I'd worship him, even Mandela won't smell his back.

smartchoice: Someone's response
abiodun johnson Tamedo1
As I've argued in the past, Awolowo and Mandela are different in their achievements, one is a nation's builder and while the other is a freedom fighter., in fact I will only compare Mandela to Ken Wiwa, not Awo, and not Kwame.

In terms of international recognition, of course, Mandela had to deal with white supremacists which automatically puts him in the watchful eyes of the world, but Awolowo was simply trying to bring civilization to his people which usually doesn't elicit passion or praise from the outside world.

My African heroes are Awolowo, Nkrumah and Mandela in that specific order, but lets not totally forget the struggles of Thomas Sankara

When i saw this i smiled. People tend to forget him when mentioning African greats.

owobokiri: Awos legacy is Nigeria post 1970. You cant wish that away.A million Odie cant change that. Untill the Nigeria biafran war, African conflicts, including the Congo were nothing but a series of tribal wars fought with spears and knives. Nigerias genocide in the east marked the first black on black genocide that had an amazing international effect not just amongst foreigners but within the black communities well outside Africa. The beastial nature of that ethnic cleansing and the fact that the so called winners were smart enough to reach very dirty deals with some western countries that shielded them uptill today from war crimes emboldended a lot of warlords across Africa leading to terrible tragedies that were Sudan, Angola, Liberia, Sieraleon, Somalia , name them. These conflicts all had one defining character; attempts by some ethnic groups to use force in the process of accessing supreme power within a state. Before Biafra,'in the face of conflicts, there were discussions in the spirit of African brotherliness, .After Biafra, it was rent a warlord for western multinationals in Africa. That Aweolwo, the most intellectually savvy amongst the bands of theives that that set this standard never found a better way to recalibrate Nigeria post 1967 rather prefering to use force to acquire other peoples resources with the help of some werstern powers shows how hollow and sterile his claims to higher intellectual sophistication or Africanism are. Awolowo is a disgrace to Africa. A polarising pseudo intellectual whose history and tales should be consigned to the same dustbin meant for rabid charlaatans

Enough said

Nothing said!

gratiaeo:
Enough said

revolt: though I think he was a fcknn tribalist, we can't rule out that every Yoruba millionaire owes his success directly or indirectly to awos bigoted policies.

if I was Yoruba, I'd worship him, even Mandela won't smell his back.

It appears you don't even understand who Awolowo was or what he stood for. You guys call him a tribalist, yet Azikwe & Bello did almost the same thing as he - stand up for their people. The political arrangement in Nigeria back then was such that it was a this-is-my-own-that-is-your-own setting. One thing Awo had over the rest was that he had the insight to read to present and the foresight to see into the future. His AG led the struggle for true federalism, developmental politics, democratic socialism as the basis for achieving a truly egalitarian society, unrivaled infrastructural and educational development, etcetera etcetera. Pertaining to his role in the Gowon regime during the civil war, he did not start the war, he helped end it. The very logic that war is an acceptable means of agitation is as faulty as faulty can be. Those who blame the other side for causing the death of hundreds of thousands (if not millions, depending on who you ask) do forget that their own actions too not only led directly to the death of hundreds of thousands on the other side, but also to indirectly the death of millions(?) on their own side. If there had been no war in the first place... Even Nzeogwu was opposed to the break-up of Nigeria.

geeez: Awolowo did everything Mandela did and more

He was a freedom fighter just like Mandela

As a leader, he was able to bring development to Western Nigeria much more than Mandela did in his time

I won't compare the two though because they operated under different paradigms

What development? Not even an inch of western Nigeria can be described as developed.

geeez: Awolowo did everything Mandela did and more

He was a freedom fighter just like Mandela

As a leader, he was able to bring development to Western Nigeria much more than Mandela did in his time

I won't compare the two though because they operated under different paradigms

another post from a bigot

so mandela influenced only western south africa

the word western already confirms he is a tribalist, sorry.

collynzo2: What development? Not even an inch of western Nigeria can be described as developed.

Lolz... and you still don't want to go back to your Developed Eastern Nigeria

Now I understand why many Nigerians fail exams.... The question was centralized around 'HIS PEOPLE' .... and to the best of my Knowledge he was only the Premiere of the Western Region, so I don't understand how you expect him to develop anywhere outside the western region... one thing that cracks me up about all this Awo haters is the fact that if awo was to be their premiere and did as much as he did for the western region... he would be highly celebrated... because most of the people the people this peeps celebrate didn't do as much as much as Awo did for his own people.... I am a big Awo.. he handled certain things wrongly... but show me that leader that got all things right

Dhelake: Now I understand why many Nigerians fail exams.... The question was centralized around 'HIS PEOPLE' .... and to the best of my Knowledge he was only the Premiere of the Western Region, so I don't understand how you expect him to develop anywhere outside the western region... one thing that cracks me up about all this Awo haters is the fact that if awo was to be their premiere and did as much as he did for the western region... he would be highly celebrated... because most of the people the people this peeps celebrate didn't do as much as much as Awo did for his own people.... I am a big Awo.. he handled certain things wrongly... but show me that leader that got all things right

Me sef tire

Dhelake: Lolz... and you still don't want to go back to your Developed Eastern Nigeria

which Babalawo told you that I am in western Nigeria?
Fool

victorazy: How both of them died will tell u which is greater rat poison
Lafin in Odia Yoruba sorry Ofeimun's voice

Illiteracy is disease!

First, overall Kwame Nkrumah surpasses Awolowo in stature. So Awolowo should do the rivalry not Nkrumah. In the case of Mandela I will make an exception because while he is widely ackniwledge he ultimately failed his people. You just have to see the state of his hometown he was buried to almost literally see this. Awolowo compared to Mandela actually put his people, the Yorubas, on a sound economic footing (whise achievements are revered till now) and political footing. Mandela compromised the economic emancipation of his people: the economic and technical ability along racial lines in SA is clear to anyone who dares to resaerch both sides.

smartchoice: Tamedo:

Tamedo1
My personal opinion is that the judgement of how great someone is, can be based on national and international acceptance. I do not know of any African that has the national and international acceptance like Mandela did. Odia Ofeimun is also entitled to his opinion.

Awolowo was a great man though just not sure he or any African in recent history was equal to Mandela. One of the greatest qualities of Madiba was the fact that he did not witch hunt any of his captor even when he was in power

The bolded is the only greatest quality he had. The man is not even fit to clean Saro Wiwa shoes. Saro Wiwa died because he DID NOT compromise his people. Stephen Biko died because he DID NOT compromise the struggle of his fellow blacks. Mandela is globally acknowledged because he capitulated to a capitalist system which favoured white South Africans mostly. He failed to use his status to even give ANC direction and from what I read online black SA's are making a mickery of the freedom they now have. You can imagine being allowed to a university on poor merit because you are black. Not new anyways, it happens between Nigerians in Nigeria.

owobokiri: Lawrence Anini and Martin Luther King, who is greater... discuss... I knew it,; a matter of time before this kind of thread emerges

You can say this again and again. I had my bet on Yoruba people for loud mouth. I am even surprise the Yoruba peeps have not claimed the European fraud named Nelson Mandela hailed from Ile Ife.

Chartey:
When i saw this i smiled. People tend to forget him when mentioning African greats.

Interesting. I don't recall the name. But going by what I see on Wikipedia I am very impressed. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia on him:

Sankara seized power in a 1983 popularly supported coup at the age of 33, with the goal of eliminating corruption and the dominance of the former French colonial power. He immediately launched one of the most ambitious programmes for social and economic change ever attempted on the African continent. To symbolize this new autonomy and rebirth, he even renamed the country from the French colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso ("Land of Upright Men". His foreign policies were centered on anti-imperialism, with his government eschewing all foreign aid, pushing for odious debt reduction, nationalizing all land and mineral wealth, and averting the power and influence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. His domestic policies were focused on preventing famine with agrarian self-sufficiency and land reform, prioritizing education with a nation-wide literacy campaign, and promoting public health by vaccinating 2.5 million children against meningitis, yellow fever and measles. Other components of his national agenda included planting over ten million trees to halt the growing desertification of the Sahel, doubling wheat production by redistributing land from feudal landlords to peasants, suspending rural poll taxes and domestic rents, and establishing an ambitious road and rail construction program to "tie the nation together". On the localized level Sankara also called on every village to build a medical dispensary and had over 350 communities construct schools with their own labour. Moreover, his commitment to women's rights led him to outlaw female genital mutilation, forced marriages and polygamy, while appointing females to high governmental positions and encouraging them to work outside the home and stay in school even if pregnant. In order to achieve this radical transformation of society, he increasingly exerted authoritarian control over the. nation, eventually banning unions and a free press, which he believed could stand in the way of his plans. To counter his opposition in towns and workplaces around the country, he also tried corrupt officials," counter-revolutionaries" and "lazy workers" in peoples revolutionary tribunals. Additionally, as an admirer of Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution, Sankara set up Cuban-style Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs). His revolutionary programs for African self-reliance made him an
icon to many of Africa's poor. Sankara remained popular with
most of his country's impoverished citizens. However his policies
alienated and antagonised the vested interests of an array of
groups, which included the small but powerful Burkinabé middle
class, the tribal leaders whom he stripped of the long-held
traditional right to forced labour and tribute payments, and France
and its ally the Ivory Coast. As a result, he was overthrown and assassinated in a coup d'état led by the French-backed Blaise
Compaoré on October 15, 1987. A week before his murder, he
declared: "While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered,
you cannot kill ideas."

His quote is apt. Because even without knowing him I share his ideas and some of the underlying beliefs behind them. For example, I have had disgust for the likes of Chevron for their complicity (by omission if not commission) in Saro Wiwa's death.

Some of the greatest diseases afflicting the black African are tribalism and ethnocentrism. One can only imagine the diminishing effect of ethnic chauvinism on the IQ of some Nigerians who willingly elect to contract the aforementioned diseases. How else does one comprehend the essence of unnecessary comparison between Awo and Mandela? Nelson Mandela was arguably the greatest blackman to have walked this planet. Those projecting jejune and parochial arguments in favour of their ethnic champion are either ignorant or talking tongue in cheek. Group-thinking sulks, folks.

maestroferddi: Some of the greatest diseases afflicting the black African are tribalism and ethnocentrism. One can only imagine the diminishing effect of ethnic chauvinism on the IQ of some Nigerians who willingly elect to contract the aforementioned diseases. How else does one comprehend the essence of unnecessary comparison between Awo and Mandela? Nelson Mandela was arguably the greatest blackman to have walked this planet. Those projecting jejune and parochial arguments in favour of their ethnic champion are either ignorant or talking tongue in cheek. Group-thinking sulks, folks.

As I said, he is not fit to clean Saro-Wiwa or Steve Biko's shoes. Add Sankara to that list, I get more intrigues that I few Nigerians spaeak about him. Mandela FAILED to free his people. All he is acknowledged for is being in jail, eschewing holding on to power and not retaliating against white folk, throw in a few humanitarian gestures.

@Uye Iredia. It will be more auspicious if you can get a little academic in your assertions. How do you measure greatness? Is greatness attained by bravado and recklessness? Some of the individuals you are pushing forward were known to have lacked tact, finesse and in some cases rectitude when their respective circumstances demand such. A skilled general employs tactical and strategic considerations to win wars. He focuses on the final analysis which is victory. In the course of his battles he may have to conduct reconnaissance and even beat retreats so as to retool and get an advantage. The foregoing do not preclude the incidence of risk. You might make a case that the persons you mentioned paid the ultimate price but you should be constrained to appreciate the enormity of risk Mandela had to contend with. He must have made it either by being discrete or simply by divine design. My brother, victors write history. Mandela overcame almost humanly insurmountable odds. He fought power, overcame power, got power but did not allow power to overcome him. He lived out virtues and values that appeal across racial and ideological lines.

I disagree with the poet.
The likes of Azikiwe, Nyerere, Senghor, Kenyatta, Nkrumah, Bongo, Ahidjo, Boigny etc rank higher than Awolowo.

Andre Uweh: I disagree with the poet.
The likes of Azikiwe, Nyerere, Senghor, Kenyatta, Nkrumah, Bongo, Ahidjo, Boigny etc rank higher than Awolowo.

Sorry
Azikwe barely registers.
You only hear about zik in mungo park history books.
First ceremonial president of nigeria - Zik
No legacy
No philosophy .
No ideology
Just a typical politician.

Uyi Iredia: First, overall Kwame Nkrumah surpasses Awolowo in stature. So Awolowo should do the rivalry not Nkrumah. In the case of Mandela I will make an exception because while he is widely ackniwledge he ultimately failed his people. You just have to see the state of his hometown he was buried to almost literally see this. Awolowo compared to Mandela actually put his people, the Yorubas, on a sound economic footing (whise achievements are revered till now) and political footing. Mandela compromised the economic emancipation of his people: the economic and technical ability along racial lines in SA is clear to anyone who dares to resaerch both sides .

you cannot strenghten the weak by weakening the strong. what situation among black S.As is worse than what the igbo were like in 1970?

you want him to disposses the white owners and give to his black S.As like your rabidly sadistic awo did to the igbo? how long before the white S.As bounced back and regain control of things?

look how you people have insulted mandela who gave 27 years of his life to emancipate his people by comparing him to the one who after killing women and children and then stealing from the survivors to give to his people drank jedi-jedi when a deserved prison sentence starred him in the face.

at oam4j, eku ise o. you deliberately closed the other thread that was bashing your demi god and directed us here. na new year we dey o.

@Andre Uwe. You can say that again. Who doesn't know Odia Ofeimun and his controversial statements most of which border on revisionism. Just like I said, vide above, that our collective future will remain nebulous till we learn to arise above ethnic sentiments in our reaction and perception to germaine issues. Much to our chagrin as a nation, the so-called intelligentsia are most culpable in this malaise.

Awoh, was it not the same yorobar local champion who committed suicide after being incarcerated by the great Zik for committing treason..?

another unreasonable fellow!

maestroferddi: Some of the greatest diseases afflicting the black African are tribalism and ethnocentrism. One can only imagine the diminishing effect of ethnic chauvinism on the IQ of some Nigerians who willingly elect to contract the aforementioned diseases. How else does one comprehend the essence of unnecessary comparison between Awo and Mandela? Nelson Mandela was arguably the greatest blackman to have walked this planet. Those projecting jejune and parochial arguments in favour of their ethnic champion are either ignorant or talking tongue in cheek. Group-thinking sulks, folks.

now see acute ignorance!

one.east1:
Awoh, was it not the same yorobar local champion who committed suicide after being incarcerated by the great Zik for committing treason..?

Zik, mandela, kenyetta, achebe, kwame are the real people that touched Africa and brought Africa to the world through their respective gift in life. These are the real pan Africanist that are still celebrated all over Africa. Awohlowo on the other hand is a tribal leader of the yorbars, he was hardly known outside yorobarland. He is in the mold of M. Okpara, Ukpabi Asika etc, these are typical reional leaders which awoh is at the same level with.

one.east1:
Awoh, was it not the same yorobar local champion who committed suicide after being incarcerated by the great Zik for committing treason..?

Omg!
I give up on these people!
Ignorance makes you an Id.iot!

Zik has no track record, no legacy, just another crooked politician. Awo's legacies lives on.....if you don't like it ...GO N DIE!

one.east1:
Zik, mandela, kenyetta, achebe, kwame are the real people that touched Africa and brought Africa to the world through their respective gift in life. These are the real pan Africanist that are still celebrated all over Africa. Awohlowo on the other hand is a tribal leader of the yorbars, he was hardly known outside yorobarland. He is in the mold of M. Okpara, Ukpabi Asika etc, these are typical reional leaders which awoh is at the same level with.

@Bloggernaija. Are you a visitor from Mars? It is a travesty of objectivity to make those ascriptions to Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Zik, in case you don't know, is among the fathers of African nationalism. He was an ideologue par excellence whose accomplishments speak for themselves. A man who was the editor of the influential West African pilot in 1920s. An intellectual and wordsmith whose wit and sagacity are yet to be matched in Africa. Zik's influence in liberating Africa from the morass of colonialism transcended Nigeria:he was particularly instrumental to the Ghanaian independence in 1957 through collaboration with Kwame Nkrumah. It takes a discerning mind to separate an ethnic champion from a veritable statesman. It is like comparing the English national team with that of the Germans: while one is built just on media hype and razzmatazz while the other is a performer and perenial achiever.