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Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by agentofhell(m): 9:31pm On May 09, 2016 |
He Died 29years Ago Today (Saturday, March 6,
1909 – Saturday, May 9, 1987)
.
Today, the 9th of May 2016, is a remarkable day in
Yoruba history as we celebrate the life and times of
Chief Obafemi Awolowo Awolowo (A Nationalist, A
Statesman and Former Premier of Western Nigeria).
On this day, 29 years ago, Nigeria’s political
landscape shook to its roots, when the unexpected
happened. The earth-shaking occurrence was the
transition to glory of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
With such a massive blow, Nigeria lost her most
priced and valued possession, the man whom Chief
Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu called, “The Best
President Nigeria Never Had”.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo was born in Ikenne, Remo
Division of Ogun State in Southwest Nigeria on
March 6, 1909. He was actively involved in politics
from 1947 – 1987 (40yrs).
Obafemi Awolowo was born to Chief David Sopolu
Awolowo and his wife Mary Efunyela Awolowo in
Ikenne, Remo, (now Ogun State of Nigeria. Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, leader of the banned Action
Group and leader of the Yorubas of western
Nigeria, was a son of a farmer and was a self-
made man. He was the leader of the Yorubas of
Western Nigeria.
Chief Awolowo was educated at Anglican and
Methodist schools in Ikenne, his home town, and
at Baptist Boys’ High School in Abeokuta, Western
Nigeria. His had hiccups with his education due to
lack of money.
As a result of this, Chief Awolowo worked as a
pupil teacher at the age of 17 (in 1926) and then
went to Wesley College in Ibadan, the then capital
city of Western Nigeria, to attend a course in
teacher training. Leaving Wesley College, he
studied shorthand and typing, and after working for
a while in Lagos, returned to Wesley College in
1932 as a clerk.
Two years later, he became a trader and a
newspaper reporter. He organized in the late ’30s
the Nigerian Produce Traders Association and
became secretary of the Nigerian Motor Transport
Union.
Awo was not satisfied with his level of education
so he decided to take up part-time studies and,
after matriculation in 1939, went on to obtain a
Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1944; in that year
he was also editing the now defunct Nigerian
Worker.
In June 1940, he became secretary of the Ibadan
branch of the Nigerian Youth Movement ( NYM )
and, in this position , led the agitation for the
reform of the Ibadan Native Authority Advisory
Board in 1942.
He was co-founder of the Trade Union Congress Of
Nigeria in 1943. The following year, he went to
London to study law and founded the Egbe Omo
Oduduwa, a Yoruba tribal society.
After qualifying in 1947, he returned to Nigeria to
set up legal practice and continued to work for the
Egbe Omo Oduduwa, becoming general secretary in
1948. Two years later he became the moving spirit
in organizing with other Yoruba leaders the Action
Group, which won the then Western Region
elections in 1951.
Chief Awolowo was a leader of Government
Business and Minister of Local Government from
1951-1954 when, with the introduction of the new
constitution; he became the first Premier of
Western Nigeria.
Chief Awolowo, who was highly competent, full of
initiative, original in thought, practical and very
often single-minded when he was convinced about
something, built the Action Group into what was
then described as ‘the best political party south of
the Sahara’.
Chief Awolowo led an able and efficient team, both
in Government and in making the Western Region
the admiration of the rest of the Federation of
Nigeria. He resigned the premiership of Western
Nigeria in 1959 to contest the Federal elections
but, failing to win, became the leader of the
opposition in the Federal House Of Representatives
.
Chief Awolowo led his party’s delegation to the
London Constitutional conferences in 1953 and
1954, and to a later conference in Lagos in 1958.
So excellent was the administration of the Western
Nigeria during Chief Awolowo’s tenure in Office as
Premier that when in 1953 the British Government
announced its intention to grant self-government
in 1956 to any Region desiring it, the Action Group
Leader asked for and secured it in the same year.
He was chosen by the Yoruba elite as their
political leader or, formally, Leader of the
10,500,000 Yorubas, during the peak goodwill
period following his release from imprisonment for
about three years (he was released on August 3,
1966 with a state pardon) on the charge of plotting
to overthrow the national government, and was
later appointed Federal Commissioner for Finance
and Vice-President of the Federal Executive
Council in Yakubu Gowon’s Federal Military
Government during the Civil War.
He was also leader of the Western delegation to
the All Nigerian Conference on the future
association of Nigeria. In those capacities, he
played a major role in preserving the Nigerian
federation.
As chairman and Presidential candidate of the
Unity Party of Nigeria, which contested the
elections of 1979 and 1983 on a social welfarist
platform, Awolowo polled the second highest
number of votes. He retired from politics on the
termination of the Second Republic in 1983.
Chief Awolowo was an unyielding advocate of a
federal constitution for Nigeria. He is also a strong
antagonist of any form of feudalism or feudal
system and its spread to other parts of Nigeria; an
advocate of the creation of more states in Nigeria.
Awo brought the first television network to Africa in
1959 before quitting office voluntarily. In all his
forty years in Nigerian politics, Awo remained the
same – a man magnificently gifted, charismatic,
competent and a “visioner par excellence”.
He was indeed a statesman.
|
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by micktoxin(m): 9:33pm On May 09, 2016 |
Undoubtedly the greatest Nigerian and definitely up there among the greatest Yoruba son. 1 Like |
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by agentofhell(m): 9:34pm On May 09, 2016 |
lalasticlala, mynd44 food is ready |
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by faaz24: 10:07pm On May 09, 2016 |
Ibadan was not the capital of western nigeria in 1926 Chief Obafemi Awolowo omo Efunyela sunre o Ebenezer Babatope has derailed from your legacies but sir there is a new kid on the block by name. JAGABAN, he is keeping the flag flying. He is doing a great job sir ! |
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by Clerverley2(m): 10:40pm On May 09, 2016 |
How did he die? 2 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by Agunechemba1(m): 11:40pm On May 09, 2016 |
OgbonnaUbani: He ate otapiapia 1 Like 1 Share |
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by Okanokan(m): 11:40pm On May 09, 2016 |
Happy Birthday to a man who lived before his time.
Up Awo! Up Nigeria!!! |
Re: Today Is Awolowo's Posthumous Birthday by ayzTIGER: 11:53pm On May 09, 2016 |
I heard Awolowo died by drinking poison.. And just yesterday Adekunle my conny browny friend told me that Awolowo ascended to haven just like Oduduwa who descended from haven without a parachute. Pls my is that true 1 Like 1 Share |
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