Awo like Ojukwu was neither a Nationalist or a tribalist.

they played the tribal card to remain relevant.
Only to cosy to the FG whenever the chance availed.

Awo ran for election for Nigerian presidency and served under the military junta of Gowon
He inspired a crisis in western Nigeria after he lost to Akintola
he was neither a Nationalist or believed in democracy
What mattered most to him was his personal ambitions.

OPEN YOUR EYES PEOPLE

If Awolowo gave 20 pounds to the igbos irrespective of the amount they had before in the banks ,if he banned importation of okirika and okporoko 2 items small time igbo traders deal on , if he sold all the cmpanies in nigeria to his people just immediately after the war , if he used hunger as a weapon of warfare even as an appointed vice president one wonders what he will do when he becomes n elected president .

i saw a post of somebody claiming Awolowo's party won Rivers and benue am not surprise by this claim from the claimant but i am surprised every body swallowed it hook line and sinker , the UPN did not go beyond Bendel in their 1979 elections .

I saw in Awolowo a very clever person who would ask Ahmadu Bello to join him in an alliance and the same time beckon on Zik even conceding the post of presidency . if not that zik was a smart person he would have made the same mistake ojukwu made ( when Awolowo told him that if East secceded that the west would also seccede not knowing that Awolowo had signed a pact with Gowon to become his Vice president)

Tribal politics which Awolowo created , invented and nurtured cost him the nigerian presidency whoudl have been the title, why on earth will somebody want to rule or govern a country he sees as a "mere Geographic expression" , if the person is not a hypocrite of the highest order and a pretender . Even in countries where only fools exist can this happen .

"The statement that Nigeria is a Geographical expression is not an anti-Nigerian statement, it is just a recognition that the centre needs to be loose and all peoples should have some degree of autonomy".

You are absolutely right by the by the above statement. But he had the chance to establish a loose centre where all Nigerians would have some degree of autonomy, yet he joined the visionless forces that entrenched a distorted federation which have stunted the growth of the every section of Nigerian. Is it not a contradiction of the highest order?

^ Again you little kids over-fed with akpu and loaded down with propaganda and never bothered to know anything about history.

- If you are not from his tribe, you will see him as a tribalist because it was someone else's job to lead you but he led his people well. If you wanna know, go to Lagos or Ibadan and ask your question in the market place.

- Awolowo was a strong supporter of true federalism, which also helps immensely all the other minority tribes which would have made it difficult for some larger tribe t unfairly dominate a smaller tribe. How fair is that? Did you know that the Mid West clamored for the same thing at the conference before the declaration of Biafra? How is that tribalism?

- If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones. Some uneducated and mostly young tribalists come on NL to say things like this to see if it changes or corrupts the opinions about other but it never does. When you say tribal politics cost him, can you agree that secession cost Ojukwu any chance to win any kind of democratic position in Nigeria? So much so, when he contested in his own region, party and yet he did not win?

- About the monetary policy, that has been dealt with in an exhaustive thread here on NL and he spoke publicly way back in 1983 in the presence of journalists including Okey Ndibe, Sonala Olumhense and more. You probably were not born then or still on feeding bottle, so we should accept your position ahead of your lie inspired stories?

"Forcing tribes to live together with no scope to determine their destiny is what causes ethnic hatred, not the other way around"

You are absolutely right. The 30-month (Northern) Nigeria-Biafra War which Awolowo actively participated and passionately prosecuted as the Federal Commissioner of Finance and Vice-Chairman Federal Executive Council is the zenith and encapsulation your statement above and more tellingly, an indictment of Awolowo war role.

Ibime:
@ Afam,

Why wouldn't they go to Awolowo when Awolowo supported their vision of autonomy and devolution?

Saro-Wiwa was a frequent visitor to Awo. Do you know Awolowo is quoted in the Ogoni bill of rights?


@ Dede1,

Thunder fire! 


@ meex,

people misread Awo's intentions and labelled him a tribalist. Awo recognised that all tribes have different goals and different levels of development and should be allowed a stake in their own affairs. Go and read the following writings from Awo:

(1) Path to Nigerian Freedom
(2) Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution
(3) The People's Republic
(4) Strategy and Tactics of the People's Republic

Forcing tribes to live together with no scope to determine their destiny is what causes ethnic hatred, not the other way around.

meexteriox:


My brother, the actions of this men shaped and fashioned out what we are experiencing today.
It simply cannot be ignored. The chaos created in the western part of Nigeria after the 1964
election paved way for the first military coup in Nigeria, it was the aftermath of the coup and
the resultant killings thereafter that led to the civil war. The effect of the war is still apparent in Nigeria till date.

Stop blaming Awolowo for igbo coup fool, face your problem. Rubbish.
Awolowo is not responsible for your problem.

Interesting

kettykin:
If Awolowo gave 20 pounds to the igbos irrespective of the amount they had before in the banks ,if he banned importation of okirika and okporoko 2 items small time igbo traders deal on , if he sold all the cmpanies in nigeria to his people just immediately after the war , if he used hunger as a weapon of warfare even as an appointed vice president one wonders what he will do when he becomes n elected president .

i saw a post of somebody claiming Awolowo's party won Rivers and benue am not surprise by this claim from the claimant but i am surprised every body swallowed it hook line and sinker , the UPN did not go beyond Bendel in their 1979 elections .

I saw in Awolowo a very clever person who would ask Ahmadu Bello to join him in an alliance and the same time beckon on Zik even conceding the post of presidency . if not that zik was a smart person he would have made the same mistake ojukwu made ( when Awolowo told him that if East secceded that the west would also seccede not knowing that Awolowo had signed a pact with Gowon to become his Vice president)