TRIBUNE
December 27, 2007
What I will tell my husband when we meet – HID
Papa and Mama Awolowo during their wedding in 1937
Seventy years ago, you signed off your maiden name, how has it been since then?
Well, with prayers, especially during the trouble which Nigeria passed through, that period was bad, but with my husband, we were happy together. There was no problem because both of us had vowed that unless death do us part there shall be no problem and it was so.
Papa was always going from one state to the other. As a woman, how did you feel then, seeing your husband going up and down in the interest of the country?
In fact, we did it together for sometime. That was no problem at all
70 years ago, you must have passed through some turbulent periods. Could you let us into some of these?
During the crisis period in Nigeria, we passed through so many problems but with God, we were able to come out triumphantly.
Can you mention some of these problems and how you were you were able to weather the storm so that ladies of today can share from you?
Well, I won’t mention them because we are different from one another. Some may like to pass through such problems and some may not like to pass through them.
Naturally, is there anything you still want God to do for you?
Everything I asked from God, He gave me because I believe in God. During my youth days, I have always believe in God and during all the problems I passed through, I believe God was and is still with me.
Is there any day you can describe as your happiest day in life?
My happiest. I am always happy everyday especially with my children. I was giving a testimony during the morning service that God has been very kind to me because my grandmother was the only child of her parents and my own mother too was the only one and I, I am the only one, but God has been so kind to me. You can see the children when we were taking photographs – my children, grandchildren, my great grand children, they were all here to celebrate with me. Some of them even came from abroad and some came in from different parts of the country.
Is there a day you had a cause to regret something?
My saddest day was the day I lost my eldest son. Although, I was sad that my husband was jailed for 10 years but my saddest day was the day I lost my son.
What message will you like to give Papa when you eventually meet him?
Lot of messages. The Tribune is one of them. I will tell him that since he left, the Tribune has been able to rise up from the time he left. Some people, when they see the paper, they don’t believe it is the Tribune but thank God Tribune has risen to the challenges.
Awolowo, Zik, the rest of the them. Why do we admire these people? I want to hear about Tai Solarin and Wole Soyinka, not about small-minded Awolowo.
If these founding fathers were great, the nation ought to be where Malaysia is today. All these small-minded “founding fathers” of the nation sowed the seeds that the nation is reaping today. They couldn’t manage the nation for even four years (!), and barely seven years after independence, the nation was already fighting a civil war and pushing genocide (with Zik cooling the time off in London, you know!). Awolowo had multiple oppourtunities to become national hero, but blew it at every point in time.
You are very stupid indeed! what have you done so far to help Nigeria?
HABAAA!!! HOW COULD HE BE STUPID IN DEED WHEN YOU PROBABLY DO NOT KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH?
YA YA DE? AS AN IGBO WOMAN ..I RESPECT NGBATI AWO…WAY TO GO!!!! UNITED NIJAII
Dominic, it’s hard for me to figure out where you might be coming from with what you said and referring to Awolowo as “small-minded.” I can only hope you do not mean it otherwise I’ll regard your thoughts from this point on as Base, and that would indeed be unfortunate.
Dominic:
Do get your facts right and stop throwing accusations left, right and center.
1. Between 1952 and 1959, Zik, Ahmadu Bello and Awo, were Chief Ministers of their respective regions UNDER colonial rule, and each region was moving forward in terms of economic development. Add Tafewa Balewa to the mix.
2. From January 1, 1960 – October 1 1960, Awo relinquished his Premiership of the West, and was Leader of Opposition in the Federal Parliament, and into Independence until he was confined in May 1962, arrested for treason in November 1962 and jailed in September 1963. He was not released from prison until August 1966, after two military coups had occurred in January and July 1966.
3. Ahmadu Bello continued as Premier of Northern Nigeria from 1959 until he was asssasinated on January 15, 1966 in a bloody coup.
4. Zik was President of Senate (January 1 – October 1960), Governor-General of Nigeria from October (October 1, 1960 – October 1, 1963, when Nigeria became a Republic), and President (from October 1963 to January 15, 1966) when the bloody coup occurred.
5. Balewa was National Minister from 1952, Federal Prime Minister from 1954 to 1960, and continued as Prime Minister after Independence until he was assassinated in the January 15, 1966 coupt.
6. The above chronology means that each of them had clearly different roles to play, and blames to take .
7. That there were “electoral problems” in 1964 ff. does not mean that they were not managing the country well. What makes you take them to be “small minded?”
8. So could you indicate the “multiple opportunities” that Awo had to “become a national hero, but blew it at every point in time?”
Thanks.
Odere, I am sorry you seem so offended, but in my book, Awolowo is truly not a national hero. He doesn’t even come close. Now, if holding that opinion disqualifies everything else I say on any subject, I am quite content to loose whatever respect you mistakenly had for me previously.
Bolaji, everything you have said is correct, but of course you must know that your facts have been carefully skewed to skirt around the issues. That’s not surprising … its pretty much your preferred tactic whenever there is a controversy.
Now, I understand that Awolowo is someone who is very much admired among his kinsmen, and for good reason: wasn’t it he who educate your fathers and grandfathers? Can I truly expect you to be non-partisan and objective? Tai Solarin was a man I knew and respected superlatively, but even Solarin was a great fan and student of Awolowo. So, please do not get me wrong. Awo was a great statesman for the Western region.
The question is: was he also a great nationalist? When he acted as a federal officer, when he had to deal with the rest of the nation outside Yoruba land, did he care? Was he just? Was he fair-minded?
I contend that he was not, and why?
A few but by no means exhaustive facts:
1. Awolowo it clearly was who sabotaged Azikiwe
Dominic Ogbonna:
You have written:
QUOTE
Actually, I don’t want to continue this discussion. I have heared this argument over and over again and ultimately, it can only degenerate into the kind of ethnic garbage that I hope no one here cares to engage in.
UNQUOTE
So I will respect your wish not to be confused with the facts, and allow you to continue with your long-fed propaganda of Awolowo being the ultimate nemesis of Ndigbo at every turn since 1952 until his death in 1987, and tarring anybody, particularly Yoruba, who does not equally condemn him as anti-Igbo.
By the way, I am not one of those who argue whether Awo is a national hero or not. We are agreed that he was a national figure, but like an elephant being felt by blind – or blinded – people, he is a different animal to different people. There is no figure in Nigeria’s historical landscape with greater passion for and against than Awolowo.
Season’s greetings.
Bolaji Aluko
The web is an open forum. It takes all forms. Humans, sub-humans, and most obviously in this case, improperly formed creatures masquerading as normal and functional beings! Reading the piece by this Dominic Ogbonna fellow just reminds me that species like this person still abound. Even the wise must step lightly where the likes of this guy just jump to illogical conclusions! Haba! We have a saying in my line of work: “Put your brain into gear before you open your mouth” This might serve you well when you go out into places like this. Thank you.
Let us be Nigerians and forget this Ibo, Youruba, Hausa thing , we are better off together irrespective of our differences, I am yoruba and I agree with Dominic, when I look at the western world as they are been referred to, this countries are developed by their fathers and fore- fathers and we all came to enjoy the fruit of their labour. In our case, forefathers failed us, grand fathers failed us, even our fathers now are failing us, so what we can do is not to fail our kids, are we doing it? Asia is a good example for us , Indian is one too, China is doing
it, im going back home now before China colonize us again… trust me.
I think all of you are not getting your priority right, because what Nigeria needs at this point in time is freedom for all, irrespective of your race. Argument on who deserves national heroism cannot solve the problems we are in. Tafawa, Zik Awo, Ahmadu Bello and co really worked in their times but we are yet to learn from their mistakes- to be Hausa Yoruba or Ibo and to pretend to be a Nigerian, and this single reason does not allow free and fair election in Nigeria. Once the spirit of Nigerianization is effectively and genuinely ruling the minds of everyone by dismantling all the structures that encourage ethnicity like quota system, where you come from, sentimentality and so on, coupled with genuine and effective rule of law. The sky is the limit. Leave dead people alone and let us do something about the mad people that would steal public money, for example, meant to build roads,then use it to buy personal expensive cars and be driving them on these bad roads. (Examples are many)
Interesting. As far as I am concened and supported by history, it does seem that the various regions in Nigeria prospered the most under their various regional premiers. Awolowo as one of these premiers that did well in the region he governed never had the opportunity to run the cuntry as a whole. It will be foolhardy to make any saintly claim on behalf of the late sage but we will mostly agree that he had a vision far ahead of his time.
He had a plan for the country as a whole but did not have the opportunity to try this out.
Whatever shortcomings he had makes him no different from the rest of us with our expected human frailties/defects. These should not by any means tarnish his accomplishments.
tayo, u do not sound like a Yoruba in any way. A true “omo yoruba” that know the history and have the heart of the Yoruba will not agree to the nonsense that Dominic is pulling on this page. I must say, that a conscientous Nigeria will know that without the geniosity of Pa Awo, Nigeria would have cease to exist. I wonder how the late sage will feel in his grave to realize that the future generation he labored for were saying this. Did you know that it takes Nigeria just a year after the U.k to start a T.V station, we have Awolowo to thank for that. Perhaps, you need to blame the forces of anti development that kept Awo from ruling Nigeria, rather than blaming the late sage. If any of Awo’s critique have an iota of his intelligence, Nigeria would have been better than Malaysia, it is just plain stupid to condemn our fore fathers who played significant roles in us being free men. Americans will never condemn any of their forefathers, neither will the English they knew every one of them was important to the height of their nation. Shame on the generations who are lost for lack of wisdom. May God serve all the tongues that aimed to ridicule Awo with deserving punishments (Amen)
The military intervention starting with Nzeogwu killed the dream of the first republic politicians. If Nzeogwu had not intervened, we would still have the regional system which was a perfect fit for a diverse country as ours. As alluded to above, there was progress in each region, inspite of political problems that our politicans had then. The military boss intervention brought the divisive and inaapropriate central system, when you add suspicion and tribal intolerance to a central system then you have sabotage and inordinate goals. The North who took over the reign of the federal government after the outsting of Ironsi did not trust the South. They did not have the right human resource to run the whole country as dictated by the centralized system. What happen? You guess it. Nepotism and mediocrazy. Northerner were placed in charge of areas they had no qualification or expertise for and they expect the qualified southerners to work in a subordinate position. How else do you kill progress? The military intervention killed Nigeria.
To Dominic, Awo was a great man. Do I need to explain that to you? No. The facts are there.
I find the wedding photo extremely disturbing. Why are all the family & guests dressed in WESTERN CLOTHING!