SegzyJoe:

@post
Funny enough, all the people disputing that Awo is not the best Nigerian leader of all time have not been able to present alternative credible leader so far. I think the problem is not because Awo is not the best, rather it is because as Nigerians every of our decisions is not without an ethnic colouration. Sincerely, It is not our fault everything in Nigeria is premised on ethnic sentiments, that is why we have quota system, rotational presidency, even now some ethnic group are warming up for the presidency in 2011 and beyond. Above all, whether at local, regional or national level, no Nigerian leader has measured up or surpass Awo's vision, leadership and achievements. Some of the Posts and comments above are classical example of how ethnic colouration and sentiments can obscure and blurr objectivity. An average Nigerian sees life from ethnic perspective. It is a sin we re all guity of as Nigerians.

There is no disputing the fact that Awo was a man of ideas,almost unarguably the brightest among his contemporary. But the problem I have with him is his selfish and know-all style. He also often deployed his widely-acclaimed sagacity to deceive people, and gullibly enough, it worked for him and and he won the sentiments of many of the Yoruba people around him then. My Dad, also a first republic politician, is an Awoist to the core, and dare not see this I'm writing about Awo.

In 1963, after relinguishing premiership of Western region to Akintola, and not being able to clinch power at the central, he wanted his seat back by force, and that triggered bloodshed and arson(the infamous Operation wetie crisis of 1963 in Ibadan and the whole West).

Herbert Macualey, though a Yoruba, was more nationalist. Although he died, not being able to complete the independence struggle, he was more widely acceptable nationally. In fact he slumped in the North(Minna, to be precise) on a nationalist struggle. Zik was another leader whose leadership style also has minimal tribal. Zik spoke Hausa,Yoruba and of course Igbo, fluently, maybe taht helped him.

@ Ife-eco,

I share similar sentiments about Awo. He should just have waited at the regional level and sent Akintola his aide to compete with Tafawa at the federal level while holding his forte as the kingmaker back home.

See Ahmadu bello he sent his boy Tafawa to compete with Awo That was a big slight on Awo.

Though Awo was the most visionary leader in the history of nigeria, his Insatiable quest for power atimes overrode his good Judgment.

Some of the things credited to Awo are actually Akintola's legacy.

dayokanu:

@ Ife-eco,

I share similar sentiments about Awo. He should just have waited at the regional level and sent Akintola his aide to compete with Tafawa at the federal level while holding his forte as the kingmaker back home.

See Ahmadu bello he sent his boy Tafawa to compete with Awo That was a big slight on Awo.

Though Awo was the most visionary leader in the history of nigeria, his Insatiable quest for power atimes overrode his good Judgment.

Some of the things credited to Awo are actually Akintola's legacy.

Abiii o.
Being a trained lawyer and journalist, maybe only ZIK can compete with him in terms of education then. But wanting to eat his cake and have it was his major problem.
Unfortunately, ignorant people demonized Akintola as a traitor, and see Awo as a saint. No disrespect for Awo though, but he was not as good as many people people use to think.

@ Ife & Dayokanu
There is no perfect man on planet earth, every nation celebrate their heroes not because they re without fault but rather because their service to their society outweight their faults. Again no single tree can make a forest but you will agree with me that good vision and ideas are not enough, you need charisma and leadership to make people believe in your vision and ideas to transform it to tangible achievements.

Before the strategic miscalculation of Awo of going to the centre, you will all agree that Awo was Akintola's leader and he respected Awo a great deal. Whatever Akintola achieved as Premier, it was the same Awo's ideas and sagacity that provided the ideological basis, political structures and solidarity that pioneered outstandinginfrastructural and industrial development in the west. Awo was zealous and eager to repeat the same process that lead to transformation of the West at the centre while trusting regional leadership to his trusted lieutenant.

Awo was a man of great mind and sagacity, the mood during independence was such that there was panic among developed nations that should Awo become Nigeria leader, Nigeria could rapidly become a developed country which will treatens the colonialist exploitative adventure in Africa and because of his socialist tendencies in a Cold War era where war of proxy was the order of the day. In short the British colonial master helped cast Awo in bad light and frustrated all his effort to rule Nigeria. The last thing the British colonist will do was to allow its colony to be ruled by a leader with socialist mindset at a time intense ideological war.

By and large, am sure you will agree with me that if Awo had ruled Nigeria, this country would ve taken on another course of destiny than what we have today. Think about his achievements, the first radio in Nigeria, first TV station in Africa, first stadium, schools and education for all, industrial estates across western states, in short my town got electric light and pipe born water in 1956 before independence.

I believe many people don't know Awo other than what they were taught in school (depends on who is your teacher) but I personally saw Awo campaigning in town and other neigbouring communities, he was such an organizer, rural and remote communities were given radio hung under the shade of trees for rural communities for political participation.

Finally, we all see Awo differently, depends on how and from what perspectives, but he was a nationalist and fought for Nigerian independence like every other Nigeiran leaders, he believed in justice and egalitarian society.

Good write up, but you veered off from the truth when you said:

Finally, we all see Awo differently, depends on how and from what perspectives, but he was a nationalist and fought for Nigerian independence like every other Nigeiran leaders, he believed in justice and egalitarian society.

Even the core awoist can ascribe everything to Awo both true and imaginary but definitely not a nationalist!

Awolowo, greatest leader? or do you mean Nigeria's Jim Crow?, may be but not until he pays my grand father all his money he seized after the civil war. Some people claim that IBB and the northerners started looting in Nigeria, Fa-FA_FA, foul!. Awolowo bought up to 40% shares in Coca cola Nigeria and Unilever with igbo people's money even when the North that fought with igbos couldn't touch the money with a long pole. Who is bringing this tyrant up in here? He is a hero in the minds of only the yorubas that he helped give education with igbo peoples wealth. If igbos can ever forget that, then African americans will easily forget slavery. Some older generation of Yorubas that are upright will always tell you that what Awolowo did was evil. Where are his children today? even in yoruba politics? Awolowo was a devil who knew nothing but tyranny and AMORC. Whatever you sow, shall you reap. The curses upon his lineage by many sons and daughters of igboland can never depart from his home and they shall reap the evil their father sowed until they absolve themselves from that crime.
Look at his sorry life, after doing that, what happened? He thought the igbos will collectively become almajiris after that but he forgot that one thing every Igbo man teaches his sons and daughters is:
Go out there and conquer. Go and live wherever you desire. If they throw stones at you, pick up the stones and throw back at them. Hang on, work very hard and put your faith in God for He shall see you through and make you a shining star someday, no matter what your enemy think about you.



YOU ARE A DUMMY FOR THIS COMMENT.
FREE EDUCATION STARTED IN 1955 , IT WAS FUNDED BY OUR COCOA NOT ANY IGBO WEALTH. IGBOS HAVE NO WEALTH . THEY HAVE SOME OIL BUT MOST OF THE OIL IS IN THE NIGERDELTA.

EVERY IGBO MAN CLAIMS HIS FATHER WAS RICH . THIS IS TOTAL RUBBISH. THEY CLAIM AS IF THEY OWNED EVERYTHING IN NAIJA BEFOR THE CIVIL WAR , ANOTHER PIECE OF RUBBISH.

IGBOS DONT HAVE MUCH WEALTH IN THEIR LAND. ONLY A FEW INDUSTRIOUS IGBOS WERE RICH. SO THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT AWO ROBBED THE IGBOS OF ANYTHING IS TOTALLY FALSE . TOTAL FALSEHOOD.

MOST OF THE IGBO WHO LIVED IN YORUBA LAND DIDNT HAVE ANY PROPERTY THERE. BUT THE WAY IT IS MADE TO SOUND IS LIKE IGBOS OWNED ALL OF LAGOS OR SOMETHING.

FACT IS NO DOUBT THE CIVILWAR WAS DISASTROUS TO THE IGBOS. BUT THEY SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TAKE OIL THAT DID NOT BELONG TO THEM.

YOU ARE A DUMMY FOR THIS COMMENT.
FREE EDUCATION STARTED IN 1955 , IT WAS FUNDED BY OUR COCOA NOT ANY IGBO WEALTH. IGBOS HAVE NO WEALTH . THEY HAVE SOME OIL BUT MOST OF THE OIL IS IN THE NIGERDELTA.

EVERY IGBO MAN CLAIMS HIS FATHER WAS RICH . THIS IS TOTAL RUBBISH. THEY CLAIM AS IF THEY OWNED EVERYTHING IN NAIJA BEFOR THE CIVIL WAR , ANOTHER PIECE OF RUBBISH.

IGBOS don't HAVE MUCH WEALTH IN THEIR LAND. ONLY A FEW INDUSTRIOUS IGBOS WERE RICH. SO THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT AWO ROBBED THE IGBOS OF ANYTHING IS TOTALLY FALSE . TOTAL FALSEHOOD.

MOST OF THE IGBO WHO LIVED IN YORUBA LAND DIDNT HAVE ANY PROPERTY THERE. BUT THE WAY IT IS MADE TO SOUND IS LIKE IGBOS OWNED ALL OF LAGOS OR SOMETHING.

FACT IS NO DOUBT THE CIVILWAR WAS DISASTROUS TO THE IGBOS. BUT THEY SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TAKE OIL THAT DID NOT BELONG TO THEM.

You must be a greater dummy by making all these assumptions. Igbos lost their wealth in the hands of AWO the tyrant in 1970 after the civil war and that has nothing to do with cocoa. I don't know why yorubas keep extolling the likes of Awo when they had the Akintola's, Fajuyi's and Macaulay's. Do not write in block letters next time because i can see.

emeka

how did the igbos acquire this wealth ?

what wealth did they have ?

please dont lie to us here.

yes u had some succesful igbo biz men but generality of igbos were far from rich.

Afterall why are the igbos all over Nigeria ?

why dont u have the same number of non igbos in igbo land.


please igbos did not have any wealth for Awo to steal . our economy has never been dependant on igbos.

and again . free education in yoruba land started in 1955 .

Civil war ended in 1970 and Free education was 15 years before, so He took money from the future

@ Alloyemeka, Are we talking about short selling here?

Pls don't feed us with lies You dent all your credible points with needless lies.

I agree more with Dayokanu and Ife-eco-06

Do all these augument justify the lie and fallacy that Awolowo was a nationalist? I didn't even know that Herbert Macauly was a yoruba man. Lets know and accept the truth, for its the only thing that can set us free. CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO was a tibalist. A hard one at that.

watch your statement. Who really is the tribalist?? Awo was the leader of the west. He now ask to be president, but your people were tribalist, even while the other candidate lack leadership skill. Your people went to vote for people who could not lead. Are they not the tribalist for picking a candidate based on thier and dumping a great candidate. your people are tribalist. they only vote for people from thier tribe.

If Awo was a tribalist how would you describe the GREAT ZIK OF AFRICA who went under the Shadow of Tafawa balewa a minnow, a nobody just to be relevant and this has been the trend since then.

Igbo running under hausas Thats why I am proud of my Yoruba people they would never be a vice to Hausa.

Balewa- Zik
Shagari- Ekwueme
Tofa- Sylvester Ugo
Buhari- Okadigbo
Buhari- Ume-Ezeoke

See the trend a highly educated and respected Igbo man would readily agree to be an appendage of an hausa man.

Yorubas would run for presidency and put an hausa as a vice
MKO-Kingibe
Falae- Shinkafi
OBJ-Atiku
Awo- (One hausa man i cant remember)

The last time the South South beat them to it. So they are now what number in Nigeria.

vote me for president, then,


http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Beftfhvo&altl=Nvtjxb

Dont you have satellite pictures to depict the thing? help your campaign

this is a joke o,  dapo, it is amake do video online, And i pick Turai yar adua as my vice president.

1luvkipsus:

Do all these augment justify the lie and fallacy that Awolowo was a nationalist? I didn't even know that Herbert Macauly was a yoruba man.

Yes he was a Yoruba, a real Lagosian. One of the earliest educated people in Nigeria, born in i think 1867. Nit sure, but think he had a slavery background, hence the name sounded oyinbo.