Origamist: ACB scandal. He was indicted by the Foster-Sutton Tribunal.
See how contemporary people are talking about Awo's controversies including Yorubas. Who is talking about this? Nobody knows if u just pulled it out of thin air and most importantly NOBODY CARES!
Origamist: lol @ 2. There was Igbo Federal Union,which was formed before Egbe Omo Oduduwa.
It was not formed by Zik. Zik was not, and never intended to be, an Igbo leader. He didn't speak Igbo well and may have spoken Yoruba and Hausa better. Igbos claimed him but he never saw himself as belonging to just Igbos.
WetinConsignMe: I think most of these things are explainable and I don't think any of them necessarily disqualifies Awo from being a hero, especially to the Yorubas. I'll expatiate in my following posts.
Strictly for my own edification. At the bolded. Does any of u guys know any non-Yoruba who would say anything close to this about Awo?
Here is Unongo:
"Night came, and when day broke, Zik discovered his majority had collapsed. The Yoruba abandoned him and went to a strange person they did not know ideologically, that is Awolowo, on the basis of tribe.
...nobody questioned the fact as at then that Zik was the leader of Nigeria and then suddenly, having won victory, which would have been a great thing for Nigeria, in a predominantly Yoruba region, because the Yoruba were extremely sophisticated and they were the most developed part of Nigeria, and they voted on the basis of ideological orientation. Zik’s party produced a Zik premiership in Western Nigeria and in the night, Awolowo went round to convince the Yoruba that, ‘you are a tribe. Your tribe is called Yoruba. Zik’s tribe is called Igbo. Do not allow this to happen. Whether you like me or not, it is better to have a Yoruba man to rule over Yorubaland’. Unfortunately, I feel, this was the starting point of our problems.
So, he succeeded, and Zik was forced to go to his own place to become a little tribal leader, which was never what he wanted. That man called Zik was responsible for the revolution in Ghana, and he started his revolutionary activities in America. Zik was very keen on having a United States of Africa. He wanted nations within each state, that could create supra-powerful goals around which political actions could be taken.
Origamist: Dude, I don't understand what your obsession with Awolowo is all about. All these allegations have been interred on this board several times.You claim to be the moderator of the thread,yet you don't find it hypocritical to also play the role of a judge without taking time to conduct a comprehensive research on how tribalism crept into national politics. I guess Zik & Samuel Akinsanya who claimed the latter was not allowed to assume the NYM vacant seat because he was an Ijebu Yoruba were not tribalists,but Awolowo who supported Ernest Ikoli (an Ijaw candidate)against a fellow Ijebu man deserves to be called the father of political tribalism,init? And the nationalist who displaced Eyo Ita after returning to his region was no tribalist,right? What objective person will accept d opinion of Unongo -the present Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum who is yet to condemn the activities of the herdsmen killing his people in Benue- about Awolowo,when we all know NCNC was in an alliance with the North then? Stop being a closeted tribalist,man.
My friend the "obesesoon", as u put it, with Awo is justified. How many Nigerians do u know were caught planning two coups, went to jail for one of them and committed suicide for the other. That's just ONE small aspect of controversies surrounding Awo.
Mention ONE controversy about Zik. These are made up things u pull out of thin air that nobody knows nor cares about. And everybody knows it. You are not fooling anybody.
Ofemannnu: Azikiwe was a chameleon tribalist..wetinconsignme pcwww.liv.ac.uk
Here is an earlier post:
My man, each side will claim they are the ones telling the truth. They will put their own spin on things, manipulate facts and pull things out of thing air.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE KNOW FOR A FACT. THESE WILL LEAD US TO THE LIKELY TRUTH.
Here are some things we know for a fact (every other thing is lies, conjectures, twisted truth, innuendos): 1)Awo was thinking tribe right from UK (started Egbe Omo Oduduwa) 2) If Zik were thinking like Awo he would have started "Nzuko Umu Ndiigbo". 3) But the last thing on Zik's mind was Igbo. He started his revolutionary activities in US focused on Africa and black people, not Igbo. 4) Zik started a newspaper in Ghana with which he helped fight for Ghana's independence: WEST AFRICAN Pilot. He later brought it to Nigeria. 5) Awo started a paper a decade later focused on Ibadan called Tribune 6) Zik was born in Zungeru, was based in the West and spoke all major Nigerian Languages. 7) Awo was born in Yoruba land, based in Yoruba land and only spoke Yoruba (besides English)
HOW DARE PEOPLE COMPARE THESE TWO?? HOW DARE THEY!!!!!
The Simple Truth: All everybody wanted was independence and they knew Zik was the person leading it. No one was thinking tribe until Awo introduced it. Everybody alive then knew that was the truth.
Basic123: "He listed these blue chip companies as places the Awolowo family have commercial interests "just to mention just a few": "Dunlop Nigeria Plc ,Guinness Nigeria Plc, Neimeth Pharmaceutical Nigeria Plc ,May and Baker Nigeria Plc ,Vitafoam Nigeria Plc ,Wahum Nigeria Limited ,CAP Nigeria Plc , International Paints of West Africa [IPWA], Berger Paints Nigeria Plc ,Berec Nigeria Limited ,Kabelmetal, Nigeria Bottling Company Plc ,Leventis Nigera Plc ,West African Portland Cement Company, [Lafarge ],Wema Bank Nigeria Plc, Scoa Nigeria Plc ,CFAO Nigeria Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc ,Wemaboard Estates, Odu’A Group, Livestock Feeds Nigeria Plc , Nigerian Breweries Plc""
ALL THIS COMPANIES ARE IN LAGOS
IGBO PEOPLE BELIEVE ALL THE ABOVE AND STILL BELIEVE THEY DEVELOPED LAGOS
THESE BIAFRANS ARE JUST SHOWING THE WORLD THAT CIVIL WARS LOSS IN THE AND OF AWOLOWO REALLY PAIN THEM AND ARE LIVING A FRUSTRATED LIFE.
Are u all right my man? This your post makes no sense. How does a company being in Lagos determine who owns it or anything? Secondly the list is there as part of evidence of Awo's corruption.
WetinConsignMe: I think most of these things are explainable and I don't think any of them necessarily disqualifies Awo from being a hero, especially to the Yorubas. I'll expatiate in my following posts.
Isn't this this the same totally corrupt Atiku who US almost jailed and whose US partner is in jail. He is now running for president. This country sef.
WetinConsignMe: No Nigerian politician living or dead has more controversies attached to them than the person of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
What are the basis of these controversies? To what extent are they justified?
Let this be the definitive thread on Awo's controversies. So, even if you've presented your arguments elsewhere, present them here again for the record.
POLITELY present your points. Try to be courteous and respectful or at least avoid personal attacks on anyone. No bigoted tribal posts please.
Please remember, Awo is a hero to most Yorubas and like a god to some, so try to be respectful.
Here are Chief Awolowo's controversies in chronological order (I only put down things that are already on public record. No input from me whstsoever):
1) That he introduced tribal politics into Nigeria in 1951 by, overnight, convincing a staunch NCNC allied Ibadan party to switch allegiance to AG in other to prevent Zik from becoming first premier of the West. As Unongo put it: "Zik’s party produced a Zik premiership in Western Nigeria and in the night, Awolowo went round to convince the Yoruba that, ‘you are a tribe. Your tribe is called Yoruba. Zik’s tribe is called Igbo. Do not allow this to happen. Whether you like me or not, it is better to have a Yoruba man to rule over Yorubaland’. Unfortunately, I feel, this was the starting point of our problems."
2) That he tried to orchestrate the first coup in Nigeria in 1963. For this he was sentenced to 10 years hard labour by a Yoruba judge after a long trial. A co-conspirator, Enahoro, later escaped to Ghana and confessed they were indeed planning a coup.
3) That the January 1966 coup plotters intended to release him from jail and install him as prime minister.
4) That only Ojukwu could have released Awo from Calabar prison as Gowon never had authority in the East and was never in any position to order the release of Awo or any other prisoner in the East.
5) That Awo promised Ojukwu personally, and later said publicly, that the West would secede if Biafra seceded.
6) That he encouraged the starvation of Biafrans durring the war. That he made the statement: "Starvation is a legitimate weapon of war."
7) That he was the architect of the 20 pound policy after the war, which most Igbos considered cruel.
88) That he commited suicide by poison in 1987 after a co-conspirator gave Babangida a tape of them plotting a coup. As Adebayo Adeyinka, a staunch Awoist, put it: “Papa Awolowo was invited for a meeting with President Ibrahim Babangida who was then staying at Dodan Barracks which was the seat of power as at then... He gave Papa some options and that was for him to be ready to face a court martial, be ready to go to a prison, or better still go on exile At this stage Papa felt instead of allowing some ambitious khaki boy to mess him up he should just pack it in and call it a day, so Chief Awolowo decided to commit suicide so as to save himself from the ignominy of going to prison for the second time in his lifetime ."
9) That he was corrupt. As Adeyinka put it (in trying to praise Awo): “He was stupendously wealthy during his lifetime, infact there is no company at Oba Akran in Ikeja, Lagos, where he does not have at least a five percent equity. Dideolu Court in Ogba alone cannot be valued at less than N10 Billion, that was the place that he had in mind to be his Seat of power if he was elected as Nigeria’s President. He owned Shonibare Estate but the man he was using as a front and who later went to prison over some issues which Awolowo himself was privy to eventually laid claim to the estate" "“He got all of this wealth due to a great measure of goodwill and tax waivers he gave to investors whenever they come to establish their business. Anytime you buy a bottle of Coca-Cola you are enriching the Awolowo Dynasty." He listed these blue chip companies as places the Awolowo family have commercial interests just to mention just a few: "Dunlop Nigeria Plc ,Guinness Nigeria Plc, Neimeth Pharmaceutical Nigeria Plc ,May and Baker Nigeria Plc ,Vitafoam Nigeria Plc ,Wahum Nigeria Limited ,CAP Nigeria Plc , International Paints of West Africa [IPWA], Berger Paints Nigeria Plc ,Berec Nigeria Limited ,Kabelmetal, Nigeria Bottling Company Plc ,Leventis Nigera Plc ,West African Portland Cement Company,[Lafarge ],Wema Bank Nigeria Plc, Scoa Nigeria Plc ,CFAO Nigeria Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc ,Wemaboard Estates, Odu’A Group, Livestock Feeds Nigeria Plc , Nigerian Breweries Plc" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I don't see how these are controversies. Everything here is long established fact. Op your title should be: "Facts about Awolowo"
T9ksy: [i] Oh that Sardunna's interview with the Bbc they call "hate speech" towards the ibo hence the Jan 15th coupists had to snubbed the man's life out.
Same speech was made by Akintola around 1964 wherein he was sentising his yoruba people of the domineering and greedy nature of our so called brothers, east of the Niger river. Consequently, Akintola too had to suffer the same fate as the sardunna.
Akintola's campaign speech is on youtube and the guy layed bared their greedy propensity.
In fact, this was what made Akintola to run off north and form alliance with the NPC thereby losing the monopoly the ibos had in the public service ............[ /i]
Igbos are hard working and ambitious not greedy. Where is the Akintola tape? How come nobody plays it?
Ofemannnu: All the people who had money in banks that were in the west and North got that money back because there were records, the 20pounds story is a political gimmick used to paint Yoruba/Awo bad and that my friend is what is unfair.Igbos who had nothing who were in the majority(poor people are always more than the rich especially in African societies) were given a new lease of life with the 20 pounds which was quite big at that time unlike #20 and the rich ones went back to collect their monies..remember that a very few people kept their monies in banks during this period.I think it was a humanitarian gesture by Awo because if left to the North,those poor Igbo's wouldn't have gotten a kobo because they were rebels.The rich and educated ones who kept their monies in the banks surely got back their money and the poor were made rich. 20 pounds were not beans in the olden days o.
Many Biafrans didn't get any money. But can't u see how unfair this is? Even if u withdrew millions b4 the war at the end of the war u had £20.
dustmalik: Let me put it this way. If you're trying to attain a certain position, and your first wife is unsupportive, going as far as discouraging you from trying to achieve your goal. Meanwhile, your second wife is very supportive, encouraging you, going as far soliciting for campaign funds on your behalf.
Now, given the above scenario, which among your wives would you put first, as the case may be?
First wife because she's more interested in saving my soul. She knows Nig politics is 4 soul-less thieves
masseratti: I really don't understand why they can't see the bigger picture, I won't be comfortable telling my kids blatant lies for political reasons, it just doesn't make sense that's what "some" Igbo elders have done,others that knows the real truth deliberately kept quiet.
My man, each side will claim they are the ones telling the truth. They will put their own spin on things, manipulate facts and pull things out of thing air.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS WE KNOW FOR A FACT. THESE WILL LEAD US TO THE LIKELY TRUTH.
Here are some things we know for a fact (every other thing is lies, conjectures, twisted truth, innuendos): 1)Awo was thinking tribe right from UK (started Egbe Omo Oduduwa) 2) If Zik were thinking like Awo he would have started "Nzuko Umu Ndiigbo". 3) But the last thing on Zik's mind was Igbo. He started his revolutionary activities in US focused on Africa and black people, not Igbo. 4) Zik started a newspaper in Ghana with which he helped fight for Ghana's independence: WEST AFRICAN Pilot. He later brought it to Nigeria. 5) Awo started a paper a decade later focused on Ibadan called Tribune 6) Zik was born in Zungeru, was based in the West and spoke all major Nigerian Languages. 7) Awo was born in Yoruba land, based in Yoruba land and only spoke Yoruba (besides English)
HOW DARE PEOPLE COMPARE THESE TWO?? HOW DARE THEY!!!!!
The Simple Truth: All everybody wanted was independence and they knew Zik was the person leading it. No one was thinking tribe until Awo introduced it. Everybody alive then knew that was the truth.
Uglyojuku: Telling a chameleon tribalist like Azikiwe to leave Yorubas alone was the best thing Awolowo and the wise Yorubas at that time did.Imagine a person..Azikiwe..who filled the vacant 100 plus positions in Yorubaland with 94 Igbos becoming the premier of Yorubaland.I am sure Yorubas of later years would not forgive Awolowo and his colleagues if they had allowed the chameleon to take Yorubaland backward like Igboland.All juicy positions would have been given to Ojukus like him who are bereft of great and honest ideas in making giant strides like the ones Awolowo made.We love how our forefathers discabled his evil plan for Yorubaland.Unongo was an NCNC man..so you want him to blame Azikiwe,the tribalist?Thank you Awolowo for giving chameleon Azikiwe,the opportunity to go and turn Igboland to eldorado.Ndiara.
My friend, here are things we know for a fact (every other thing is lies, conjectures, twisted truth, innuendos): 1)Awo was thinking tribe right from UK (started Egbe Omo Oduduwa) 2) If Zik were thinking like Awo he would have started "Nzuko Umu Ndiigbo". 3) But the last thing on Zik's mind was Igbo. He started his revolutionary activities in US focused on Africa and black people, not Igbo. 4) Zik started a newspaper in Ghana with which he helped fight for Ghana's independence: WEST AFRICAN Pilot. He later brought it to Nigeria. 5) Awo started a paper a decade later focused on Ibadan called Tribune 6) Zik was born in Zungeru, was based in the West and spoke all major Nigerian Languages. 7) Awo was born in Yoruba land, based in Yoruba land and only spoke Yoruba (besides English)
HOW DARE YOU COMPARE THESE TWO PEOPLE?? HOW DARE YOU!!!!!!
orisa37: Empower the 36 States to take charge of Sourcing and Applying their Earnings and just contributing to run F.G. This is Grassroot Politics not Roof top. Awolowo was an Apostle of Christ and a Prophet of God for Grassroot Politics.
Grassroot politics my as. Simple truth: Awo was thinking tribe right from UK while Zik was thinking Africa/black man as a whole. I f what u suggested is done some states simply can't survive while others will be very developed.
orisa37: Nigeria's Politics started from the "ROOF TOP". Awo, an Economist and a Lawyer had the INSIGHT to introduce "GRASSROOT" Politics.
My man Nigeria politics started just fine. All everybody wanted was independence and they knew Zik was the person leading it. No one was thinking tribe until Awo introduced it. Everybody alive then knew that was the truth
VillageWinch: Bro, 9jadoc is right, many people got no money. My grandpa was rich before the war but became poor after the war and stayed poor rest of his life. I was told he got the 20 pounds. Why this was news was because no other family member got it..
Yeah, even if u were a billionaire b4 the war they still give u not more than 20£ and they think it's fair
VillageWinch: Bro, 9jadoc is right, many people got no money. My grandpa was rich before the war but became poor after the war and stayed poor rest of his life. I was told he got the 20 pounds. Why this was news was because no other family member got it..
VillageWinch: So Ahmadu Bello was younger than Kanu at time of the interview. Yet they call Nnamdi Kanu a small boy while Bello was already father of the North. Weird world!
I still don't understand how Ahmadu Bello was father of the North at 49.
VillageWinch: Yet Unongi is a northerner talking after he had pogroms and war against Igbos. That Zik must have been one charismatic dude. People simply worshiped the guy
Not only that, here he is, a rich old msn risking the wrath of the Yoruba nation just to bring out the truth.
VillageWinch: Thanks bro. Didn't realise it was that simple. Lalasticlala, mynd44, seun this is a good thtead. Teaches history,let's people decide to what extent Awo was a hero, villain.
I thought and still think it is more complicated than that.
T9ksy: Yeah, of course, he didn't! Tell that "fabu" to the marines!!!
Zik did not see himself as an ibo man yet he presided over the Ibo state assembly in her 1st year anniversary in 1949.
Below is part of his speech at Aba, Nigeria, on Saturday, June 25, 1949.........................................
[b]"Harbingers of a new day for the Ibo nation, having selected me to preside over the deliberations of this assembly of the Ibo nation, I am conscious of the fact that you have not done so because of any extraordinary attributes in me. I realize that I am not the oldest among you, nor the wisest, nor the wealthiest, nor the most experienced, nor the most learned. I am therefore grateful to you for elevating me to this high pedestal.
The Ibo people have reached a cross-road and it is for us to decide which is the right course to follow. We are confronted with routes leading to diverse goals, but as I see it, there is only one road that I can safely recommend for us to tread, and it is the road to self-determination for the Ibo within the framework of a federated commonwealth of Nigeria and the Cameroons, leading to a United States of Africa. Other roads, in my opinion, are calculated to lead us astray from the path of national self-realization.
The keynote in this address is self-determination for the Ibo. Let us establish an Ibo State, based on linguistic and ethnic factors, enabling us to take our place side by side with the other linguistic and ethnic groups which make up Nigeria and the Cameroons."
[/b]
Barely two years later, he was salivating at the prospect of becoming premier over the yorubas in the western region of nigeria.
Bros, I see absolutely nothing wrong with what Zik said here. He was simply telling them to prepare for federalism. He would have said the same thing to Yorubas. See, though the Igbos claimed Zik, he never really saw himself as belonging to the Igbos (as, for ecample, Awo with Yoruba). He was called Zik of Africa and that's really how he saw himself. There is one secret non-Igbos do not know about Zik - the man did not speak Igbo well. He spoke Hausa and Yoruba probably better. His aim was African independence and he would have been willing to be premier even in Ghana if that afforded him a better platform to fight the Europeans. His aim was not to be premier over Yorubas. IT WAS A MEANS TO AN END!
Politics › Re: 10 Awolowo Controversies: Are They Justifiable? by 9jaDoc(f): 2:24pm On Oct 21, 2017
