From the BBC

African viewpoint: Nigerian legends 
By Sola Odunfa
Lagos 


If you were requested to name the five greatest living legends in your country, who would be your choice?

This is the task given to Nigerians in a contest jointly organised by a national newspaper and a radio and television company, both based in Lagos.

The votes are still being counted but the preliminary result is interesting.

If the trend continues Nigeria's greatest living legend, by overwhelming popular choice in this competition, will be a Pentecostal church leader.

The choice may not be as surprising as it seems, given that Nigerians are flocking to God in huge numbers to seek succour from the very harsh economic realities of the times.

In a country where the major evidence of government is the siren which shoos people off the road to make way for officials' bullet-proof Jeeps, the only hope for survival by the common man lies in Pentecostal churches which promise instant miracles for prosperity and for healing from diseases.

Traditional institutions like the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches have long lost out in the contest for patronage by the jobless and hungry young generation.

Today Christian miracle preaching is the shortest path to wealth in Nigeria.

It is therefore no surprise that the pastor has become the most visible and, arguably, the most flamboyant person in the public eye.

'Humility and devotion'

And most of them make no pretences about their lifestyle or morality.

A bishop in one Pentecostal church is awaiting the hangman at Lagos prison on conviction for killing a stubborn female member of his flock; another has been exposed for faking healing miracles in Nigeria and in South Africa, where he has a branch; yet another founder/pastor is embroiled in a battle with jealous Ghanaians who want to seize control of his money-spinning branch in their country.

However, the "Greatest Living Legend" chosen by readers of Vanguard newspapers and audiences of Silverbird Television and Rhythm FM radio is not like the other men of the cloth mentioned here.

He is noted for humility and devotion.

Despite its wealth, his Redeemed Christian Church of God bought for him a jet aircraft to ease his travels in the cause of evangelism only recently.

In a field of 20 nominees - which includes Nobel Laureate and rights activist Wole Soyinka, famed computer scientist Phillip Emeagwali, Super Eagles and Portsmouth of England premiership football star Nwankwo Kanu, dollar billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote and two former heads of state - Pastor Enoch Adeboye has so far drawn more than a third of all votes cast.

The closest person to him is Kanu, but he trails far behind, followed by Mr Soyinka.

Endless vigils

Before shouts of "halleluia!" start ringing out though, some Nigerians may need to be convinced that the votes were not contrived by nudging members of the church to vote en bloc for their leader.

But with their shepherd's seeming popularity rating, the Redeemed flock can now afford to ignore public protests when they block one of Nigeria's arterial highways during their monthly night vigil.

Who is travelling now, anyway?

For the past two weeks Nigeria has been in the grip of a serious fuel scarcity.

We are told it is because of a dispute over pricing between the government and major oil marketers.

There are more cars keeping endless vigils at filling stations than speeding on roads.

The black market is thriving as never before.

Artisans who operate small generators to keep their businesses afloat have closed shop because the public power supply has collapsed.

More and more Nigerians are convincing themselves that the president has gone to sleep. So, to the pastors they rush for respite!


VANGUARD'S LIVING LEGENDS
Chinua Achebe Writer
King Sunny Ade Musician
Enoch Adeboye Pastor
Dora Akunyili Minister of Information
Chief Emeka Anyaoku Former Commonwealth Secretary General
David Dafinone Accountant
Aliko Dangote Industrialist
Philip Emeagwali Computer scientist
Anthony Enahoro Democracy activist
Gani Fawehinmi Human rights lawyer
Yakubu Gowon Former military head of state
Nwankwo Kanu Footballer
Balarabe Musa Politician
Olusegun Obasanjo Former president
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Biafran leader
Anthony Okogie Cardinal of Mt Carmel of Mostacciano
Hakeem Olajuwon Basketballer
Wole Soyinka Nobel Laureate
Pat Utomi Economist
Akintola Williams Accountant

Based solely on the list put above, I will go for:

Gani Fawehinmi
Wole Soyinka
Anthony Enahoro
Balarabe Musa
Dora Akunyili

Na wao for that list.shld i pick from that list,it wud be :
Chinua Achebe
Philip Emeagwali
Gani Fawehinmi
Wole Soyinka
Pat Utomi.

None . . . . .until their struggles lead to positive change. None 4 now !

yicob:

None . . . . .until their struggles lead to positive change. None 4 now !

Supported

Chinua Achebe  ^^^^^
Philip Emeagwali

other just de talk talk, rubbish talk no push

the question is can any of these so called living legend sacrifice his/her life to save Nigeria degenerating into total shambles?

kosovo:

  5 greatest living Nigerians?
  this is a clear indication that Nigeria will remain a bundle of waste.
  5 greatest men and the country is still in ruins/
  what a pathetic situation.
   I could hardly imagine that nigerians would be chanting for people who have not done any significant thing.
  Nigerians = Cowards

What have YOU done that compares with what people on the list have done, talkless of being significant?

@poster why quote Nigeria when the vote is in lagos only.most on that list will be gone as soon as any person takes over their preset job,but Chinua Achebe will always be know(Things fall apart) just a thought.

sayso:

@poster why quote Nigeria when the vote is in lagos only.most on that list will be gone as soon as any person takes over their preset job,but Chinua Achebe will always be know(Things fall apart) just a thought.

No. 1, if you looked carefully, it is a copy and paste of a news report. So you might have to direct you question of Lagos vs Nigeria to the author.

No. 2, so you wrote a wonderful book, hence you are the greatest thing ever? I have regards for Achebe but I have more regards for people that try and do altruistic stuff to change the lives of others that are less fortunate at a great personal risk to themselves and their family. Just a tiny, winny thought, or rather thinking.

WELL,FOR THE SAKE OF CONTRIBUTION.THEY ARE
GANI F
ACHEBE CHINUA
BUHARI
FASHOLA
MYSELF

From the list, not in any order, Il choose

Gani Fawehinmi

Wole Soyinka

Enoch Adeboye

Kanu Nwankwo

Dora Akunyili

the only living legend on that list for me is Kanu Nwankwo.
That guy has helped saved lives on a number of occassion and bring smiles to families.

The rest talk out of their asses.

These people risked their lives and that of their family for our sake. I will personally go for these lots they are freedom fighters.

Gani Fawehinmi
Wole Soyinka
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu
Anthony Enahoro
Balarabe Musa

Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters.

He is the greatest living Nigerian as far as I am concerned.
He has done a lot to expose corruption and bad leadership in Nigeria more than anyone else I know, without compromise.
Andy Ubah, Maurice Iwu, Tinubu, Ibori, Turaki, Abacha, Babangida, Yar'Adua and many others have been shown to be crooks  through the effort of this guy.


@Moderator:
Please rectify the hyperlink to this thread on the home page.
It was wrongly linked and many people might have problems getting here.

This is the link as it is presently:

http://www.niraland.com/nigeria/topic-272576.0.html

I only added letter  "a" to "niraland" and I got here.

Kabikala:

Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters.

He is the greatest living Nigerian as far as I am concerned.
He has done a lot to expose corruption and bad leadership in Nigeria more than anyone else I know, without compromise.
Andy Ubah, Maurice Iwu, Tinubu, Ibori, Turaki, Abacha, Babangida, Yar'Adua and many others have been shown to be crooks through the effort of this guy.


@Moderator:
Please rectify the hyperlink to this thread on the home page.
It was wrongly linked and many people might have problems getting here.

This is the link as it is presently:

http://www.niraland.com/nigeria/topic-272576.0.html

I only added letter "a" to "niraland" and I got here.

Very good choice. The guy is fantastic.

http://www.globalexchange.org/getInvolved/speakers/134.html

http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/articles/855/1/I-Have-No-Interest-In-Working-For-Obasanjo--Omoyele-Sowore/Page1.html

After reading the interview on the second link, I thought the guy has a very sharp mind. Highly intelligent, absolutely smart. A pity such a brain is not in Nigeria solving our problems.

Also I have to commend the journalist that interviewed him. Top-notch guy with incisive questioning, a REAL journalist.

banom:

THE NIGERIAN RELIGIOUS CRIMINAL(PASTOR E.A.ADEBOYE) WHO BLOCKS LAGOS IBADAN EXPRESS WAY EVERY MONTH WHILE ROBING HIS POOR GULLIBLE FOLLOWERS IS VOTED BY HIS POOR FOLLOWERS, NIGERIAN GREATEST LIVING LEGEND, HALELUYA.

CONGRATULATIONS.

Banon! Banon! Banon! you again? You have shown your idiocy in public again?

@banom

You need deliverance oooo
How can you refer to a man of God like that
Remember,you do not have any right to judge anyone much more a man of God

@poster

As far as i am concerned Pastor Enoch Adeboye is the only living legend in Nigeria

ifihearam:

@banom

You need deliverance oooo
How can you refer to a man of God like that
Remember,you do not have any right to judge anyone much more a man of God

@poster

As far as i am concerned Pastor Enoch Adeboye is the only living legend in Nigeria

What has he done to become a legend?

ifihearam:

@banom

You need deliverance oooo
How can you refer to a man of God like that
Remember,you do not have any right to judge anyone much more a man of God

@poster

As far as i am concerned Pastor Enoch Adeboye is the only living legend in Nigeria

Nigerians sef. . .

ifihearam:

@banom

You need deliverance oooo
How can you refer to a man of God like that
Remember,you do not have any right to judge anyone much more a man of God

@poster

As far as i am concerned Pastor Enoch Adeboye is the only living legend in Nigeria

Oh, shut up and go and contribute your tithe to fund his jet-set lifestyle.

@@@@

at out of the talk talk oo

oyibo poeple still envy chinue achibe than more than emm

his novel was strictly african and nigerian

so there u go

very very clever i think

not because he is igbo, na fact na fact

so my ppl oyibo reader in the whole globe knows that

ikeyman00:

@@@@

at out of the talk talk oo

oyibo poeple still envy chinue achibe than more than emm

his novel was strictly african and nigerian

so there u go

very very clever i think

not because he is igbo, na fact na fact

so my ppl oyibo reader in the whole globe knows that

Keep it short now.

The longer you type, the more we will suffer from your AK47 english.

The greatest Nigerian alife today is no other person than Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu,

for standing up against criminal gangs and the rogue government of General Gowon, that killed killed more than a hundred thousand ethnic Igbo's, in the 1966 ethnic cleansing

that killed killed more than a hundred thousand ethnic Igbo's, in the 1966 ethnic cleansing

can you stop spinning one side of the yarn pls. it will help if you go back to numerous banter on n.l months ago. Biko.

vanunu:

The greatest Nigerian alife today is no other person than Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu,

for standing up against criminal gangs and the rogue government of General Gowon, that killed killed more than a hundred thousand ethnic Igbo's, in the 1966 ethnic cleansing

are there non-ethnic igbo's?

HAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,THIS USELESS THREAD IS AMIMED AT SOLICITING MORE VOTES FOR CRIMINAL ADEBOYE,.

SHAMELESS PEOPLE.

Voting for the greatest living Nigerian could be based on different things, and I feel the voting should be based on how the individual has affected the lives of many Nigerians positively. Based on this, I feel Kanu Nwankwo is the most deserving of all those on the list, then maybe Dora Akunyili. These people have fought for what they believe in and there are visible results for this. Although KSA is a great musician, and I appreciate him for that, I don't know what he is doing on that list. As for some of the others, na only mouth dem get. And on the issue of Adeboye being the greatest, I think people really need to wake up to reality. For God sake, what has this man done for the good of the country? He is only good at conducting miracles all over the place, purchasing an aircraft with the congregation money (in order to gallivant all over). I am so sure his followers are responsible for the high number of votes, not with their large number, greatest living Nigerian indeed!!!

Sagamite:

Oh, shut up and go and contribute your tithe to fund his[i] jet-set [/i]lifestyle.

I see what you did there. nice one.