The Awolowo rebirth in the Southwest has inspired gongs, songs and rhetoric of sorts. But they have missed one point.

It occurred to me in Abeokuta last week amidst the big crowds and euphoria of the swearing-in of Senator Ibikunle Amosun as governor. In all the states from Lagos to Edo, where Awo has witnessed ideological resurgence, hardly a single family member has played a role.

So we have an Awo family without an Awo. That is an irony. But history overwhelms us with this sort of twist. Obafemi Awolowo toiled for his reputation. His roots were lowly, he toiled to school both home and abroad, launched into careers in law, business, journalism and eventually politics. He carved a niche for himself, and became the first methodical and charismatic leftist in our history.  Other leftists abounded but they did not inspire comparable drama and following.

He faced tribulations, went to jail, failed in elections, won a few, but he imprinted his ideas and legacy in the country, and no single mortal has beaten him in the history of this country. His greatest achievement was in the area of ideas, and that was how he fashioned a family. Most families are born of biology but his issued from ideology. That family suffered with him.

In a spoof of Jesus Christ, these were the men who followed him in his teachings, and endured with him in his temptations. So he formed a kingdom for them in the Southwest, in the old Western Region, presiding over his projects, his legacies and people.

In all of these, the family he had was not his flesh and blood. In another spoof of Christ, who were his family anyway? Those who were with him must be counted as his family. So, I combed in the ambience of Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), and I found none. I went to Ogun, I frisked the crowd under Amosun’s bower, hardly any. Around Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Osun, I could not lay a finger. With Governor Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti, where are the forbears of Awo? Yet, I can hear the chants of Awo. Hardly in any of the inaugural speeches or any of their other public intervention would you miss the philtre and filter of Awo from these gentlemen. To parody Novelist Joseph Conrad, they are the sparks from Awo’s sacred fire, the messengers of the might within the man.

Already all of them are pursuing the legacy ideas of Awo: free education, free health services, infrastructural development, urban renewal and economic engineering.

Lagos has posted itself as the John the Baptist. The others are putting up valiant efforts, and the world of course is watching to see how well they will perform. It will call for great work, resourcefulness and cooperation. They are the real Awoists, and Awo was a man of rigour and vigour.

The Awo son that many expected to take after the father was Olusegun, who unfortunately died in a car crash. We shall never know if he could have pulled it off.  But the others have not shown much of the paterfamilias’ brio and depth. In the past decade, under this republic, they have blended with the wrong crowd. Even H.I.D, hobnobbed with Alao-Akala, who brought illiteracy to governance; with Oyinlola who turned the grace of office into a hell-hole of despots; with Daniel who could not arrest his quick fall into megalomania.

I wrote once that this woman whom Awo once described as the jewel of inestimable value has lost value to his cause. If he came back to life, he would have committed the extraordinary act of divorce after death. Even his newspaper, The Tribune, has so stumbled and fallen that it swims in Awo’s vomit.

Groucho Max, one of the funniest satirists in American history, said of a man that he got his looks from his father. Then he quipped, “He was a plastic surgeon.” That means the son is not his real son, or he did not inherit his natural looks. Ideologically, when we talk of Awo’s family, the chief inheritor is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the leader of all the others. He was the one who stuck his neck out. He could have lost his life or ended his career in politics. The so-called real Awolowos who bear his surname cannot come up for mention. They are Awolowos but not Awoists. They stabbed their father in the back. They have committed ideological parricide.

The only person that made a real try was Awolowo-Dosunmu in the early 1990s and she lost roundly. She was accused of trying to ride her father’s coattail. Political families are good for democracies. They can exemplify the high ideals of diligence, dignity, ideas, character. We have seen these in such families as the Kennedys, the Adamses, the Roosevelts, the Ghandis. They just don’t claim family. They appeal to the high ideals that endeared the families to their societies.

It’s also an irony that these families are falling into twilight. Some of them have vanished. Enoch Powell, a British MP, once gave us the famous line: “All political lives, unless they are cut off midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure because that is the nature of politics and human affairs.”

Columnist Ambassador Dapo Fafowora adverted to this idea in a recent outing, and I debated it with him afterwards. I don’t believe that a political life should be judged by how it ends but what it means. The quote is often missed by many who mistake “careers” for “lives.” A political life should be judged by its legacies. If we judged Awo by how he ended, we would look at him only as the loser to Shagari. That is why I see an intrinsic mischief in Enoch’s quote. But I would agree that political families end also in failure if you judge how they peter out and not the legacy.

Awo’s legacy is alive and well. Members of other families in flesh and blood can carry on. Immediate families tend to suffer from what an author, Noemie Emery, describes as dynastic curse. The children tend to be intimidated by the standards set by the fathers. So they just don’t want to try. They feel they cannot match them or come even close.  The problem probably comes from the fathers themselves. The Adams, who produced important presidents, later gave birth to moral vagrants and drunks. The Bush daughters showed themselves as party girls when their father was contesting the political battle of his life.

But Joe Kennedy groomed his sons assiduously, and they excelled in politics. They also had a fair share of tragedies. Ted Kennedy regained his sobriety and voice in America after a season of debauchery. In Nigeria, we are seeing the Sarakis fade. A Saraki – Bukola - is wiping out the Sarakis from politics. It is a classic case of oedipal tragedy, something I predicted earlier this year on this page.

It is not late though for the flesh-and-blood Awolowos to join their father’s fold. But they must be genuine. Awo was the most important Yoruba personage in history after Oduduwa. They had stellar men like Oranmiyan, Balogun Latosa, Lisabi, Sodeke, et al. None of them had the unifying vision and organisational acumen that Awolowo gave the race. The wife, children and grandchildren should not watch others glow in his jewel without them.
                                                                             http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/columnist/monday/sam-omatseye/index.1.html

I am beginning to love my Edo bros more as the day passes.

very true article

I like it

Very unfortunate article. Impressionistic and utterly unnecessary.

Writer doesnt even know what a classic oedipal tragedy looks like.


:::SMH:::

some are angry at saraki and tinubu because their family members are into politics.

others are angry because awo's family doesnt do politics.

oh well.

hope somehow all this will translate to more accountability and better governance from the leaders.

^^^Awo's family are in poolitics but they have chosen to join the people who are only concerned with robbing and murdering

Well, Mr Omatseye is attempting to revise political history here especially of the South West.
What unfortunately he failed to include or in a way help himself with in answering some of the questions posed by his inference from this is that there has been a considerable gap between the period Chief Awolowo was in active politics, leading up to his death and the new democratic experience we are having.
Chief Awolowo left an ideological legacy, not a political organisation. This explains why many of those who still believe in what he stood for are found in many political groups today. I am sure some of his children still believe in those ideals too, but we must be sure to note that our politics is bereft of ideologies today. And wining elections today has nothing to do with any legacies hitherto. Nay, our people do not even vote for any ideology nowadays, our politics belongs to the highest bidder as it is now. This may explain why none of his biological children are very active in the scheme of things.
The writer is also a bit ignorant on HID Awolowo's role as a Matriarch of the Oduduwa race presently. Her duty is not to make enemies with her children but to gather them together regardless of their political inclination. Which may explain why all the actors that have graced our political space in recent times have warmed to her. It is not representative of any bias or ultimate belief in what those people were doing.

At the end of the day, I think it would be a disservice to Awo's legacy that his children remain the ultimate beneficiaries of an egalitarian and emancipated Yoruba race that he laboured for. And because the Sarakis and Tinubus of today are riding roughshod on the political aspirations of others to "anoint" their wards does not make it al-right at all. The Kennedys and the Bushes of this world did not impose theirs of the psyches of Americans. Their wards made it in the world of politics by their own exertions and they could only do so in an atmosphere that rewards ideas and strong beliefs in the course society should follow. Unfortunately that is not yet our own story.

AWO AWO AWO

This Sam Omatseye is a compound fool.

So, in his jaundiced opinion, that the Awolowo family did not seek to impose themselves on us politically is a failing

Omatseye really is trying too hard to justify his master's imposition of his wife, child and son-in-law in Lagos State, something which is patently unjustifiable. When the whirlwind comes, no amount of stolen billions will protect Bola Tinubu, Fashola or Omatseye for that matter. Just wait.

I'm sooo disappointed in Sam Omatseye, I used to enjoy readin his articles wvwn while he was at The Sun newspapers. But this is utter rubbish. Who is he to say that if Awolowo were alive today, he would have divorced his wife? I believe if Awolowo were indeed to come back to life today, as a yoruba philosopher with obvious respect for family values, he would first of all give Mr. Sam a dirty slap, then begin to quiz mama HID on the supposed ''facts and claims'' made in this trash of a write up.
The writer made reference to Late Segun Awolowo's tragic death, also made reference to his sibling losin an election in the nineties, and even used the phrase ''dynastic curse'' asides to apparently faultin Awo's description of his wife as a jewel! Mama is still alive, and I believe she can read, or at least hear what is bein read to her, assuming she has a sight problem. A 95 year old woman shouldnt be readin such trash about her family above. Good thing she has replied appropriately. A person who doesnt learn his manners at home will be taught by other people outside.
Sam also makes snide remarks alluding to Asiwaju Tinubu as the new Awo. Well, i pity them both. Omatseye knows in his heart of hearts that even tho it is Asiwaju BAT that feeds his family, as he is the proprietor of The Nation, the BAT has looted and is still looting billions of naira from Lagos. Or is that also part of Awo's legacy? I think not (even tho Awo was not a saint).
A message to Sam: if you use the power of the pen, which you have, to turn truth on its head, and incur the wrath / fall out of the good books of people who once held you in high esteem, or people who r VERY SENIOR CITIZENS and who should be TREATED WITH RESPECT because of pecuniary gains, then be reminded that when the Truth finally catches up with falsehood, both the sponsor, the bearer and the supporter of falsehood will GO DOWN. Stay on the side of truth sir.

This omatseye is a very big fool@40

Find Out!:

I'm sooo disappointed in Sam Omatseye,  I used to enjoy readin his articles wvwn while he was at The Sun newspapers. But this is utter rubbish. Who is he to say that if Awolowo were alive today, he would have divorced his wife? I believe if Awolowo were indeed to come back to life today, as a yoruba philosopher with obvious respect for family values, he would first of all give Mr. Sam a dirty slap, then begin to quiz mama HID on the supposed ''facts and claims'' made in this trash of a write up.
The writer made reference to Late Segun Awolowo's tragic death, also made reference to his sibling losin an election in the nineties, and even used the phrase ''dynastic curse'' asides to apparently faultin Awo's description of his wife as a jewel! Mama is still alive, and I believe she can read, or at least hear what is bein read to her, assuming she has a sight problem. A 95 year old woman shouldnt be readin such trash about her family above. Good thing she has replied appropriately. A person who doesnt learn his manners at home will be taught by other people outside.
Sam also makes snide remarks alluding to Asiwaju Tinubu as the new Awo. Well, i pity them both. Omatseye knows in his heart of hearts that even tho it is Asiwaju BAT that feeds his family, as he is the proprietor of The Nation, the BAT has looted and is still looting billions of naira from Lagos. Or is that also part of Awo's legacy? I think not (even tho Awo was not a saint).
A message to Sam: if you use the power of the pen, which you have, to turn truth on its head, and incur the wrath / fall out of the good books of people who once held you in high esteem,  or people who r VERY SENIOR CITIZENS and who should be TREATED WITH RESPECT because of pecuniary gains, then be reminded that when the Truth finally catches up with falsehood, both the sponsor, the bearer and the supporter of falsehood will GO DOWN. Stay on the side of truth sir.

I wonder what pen the Tribune deploys to write their daily attacks against Tinubu and the ACN. Have you read the on they pubished against Tinubu today, yesterday, day before yesterday, last week, last month, last year? If mama can not read, maybe mama can not read or have no knowledge about what the people she hire and pay are doing with her newspaper and her husband legacy. Awolowo created the Tribune to speak for the masses and the oppressed, not to attack the masses on behalf of the same people Awolowo fought till his death.

Sam Omatseye must be mentally challenged to have had the effrontery to insult late Chief Awolowo's family. Obafemi Awolowo is to the Yoruba what Mahatma Ghandi is to the Indian. By the way, what is this Omatseye self and why am I even bothered?

[img]http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theopulentpet.com/images/laughing_dog.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theopulentpet.com/humor.htm&usg=__j10l3cjxvXLFi3FwqQT4sHI2Ix4=&h=381&w=491&sz=49&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=xQVpsjvFvw0pfM:&tbnh=163&tbnw=210&ei=JC3yTYPEK4S3twet5a3tAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dlaughing%2Bdog%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D830%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=408&page=1&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0&tx=121&ty=86&biw=1280&bih=830[/img]

Today has been a very funny day. This yawa is unprecedented. If tinubu tries to use his gossip column to say pim again, they will crown his glories with the final finishing. We are waiting for the part where you tell us why he came to Lagos. Curious Lagosians will like to know and help him pack his load back to Irabiji. .

*Sits down with a bottle of Gulder*

Fake Awoist making Fake Call Logs

Are you all fighting amongst yourselves in who are the true legitimate successors of Awolowo?

^-- Why are you poking your Igbo nose into business that doesn't concern you? Stay in your lane

ekt_bear:

^-- Why are you poking your Igbo nose into business that doesn't concern you? Stay in your lane

Are we not all Nigerians? I have family living in the South-West and South-West issues are of concern for me.

“For all his success at recent elections, true and close followers of Papa know that he is no Awolowo. Sadly, he has begun to evoke what Nikita Khrushchev described as “The cult of the individual”. One way to look at it is that he is a supplanter, [size=18pt]who has acquired a signature cap, got the ‘Awo glasses’ and even an ‘Asiwaju’ title[/size]. He is widely reported to have carefully crafted his identity to suit his ambitions, and has managed to convince many that he has evolved into who Awolowo was.

http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7729:awos-granddaughter-tinubu-a-supplanter&catid=308:headlines&Itemid=600

Na by force to be Awo?

Fine and well, but stay in your lane and mind your business.

Wizardofoz:

Na by force to be Awo?

If e no be panadol, e no fit be like panadol. If you cant be accepted, then tarnish and damage the man. When the article backfired, some of the ACn almajiri were now trying to make direct atacks on Awo. smh. pathetic

The author was almost correct in most of his points, except the one about HID.
His nice article simply detracted from the big picture by joining issues with the poor lady.
HID associated with the people mentioned (Daniel, Akala, and Oyinlola) by the aggrieved author, because they were simply governors of western states. He did not show any evidence that the lady is a PDP card carrying-member who was in charge of the western PDP strategic war room, assuming he believed that the PDP policy was inimical to the Yorubas.
Sam Omatseye's vituperations on HID is not only nauseating, repulsive, and a low blow, it must be condemned by all Nigerians--Igbos, Yorubas, and Hausas who know anything about Awo as a philosopher.

God Bless Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu!!

seanet02:

God Bless Asiwaju Bola Hammed Tinubu!!

Remind me, what has Tinubu got to do with this article?
Because he owns the Nation?
Because he paid Sam Omatseye to write the article?
Because he direct Sam Omatseye to insult HID?
Because he thinks that his dic**ck is now as big as Awo's
Because of what?

ekt_bear:

Fine and well, but stay in your lane and mind your business.

Yoruba's business is all Nigerians' business. We are all in this nation together.

naijaking1:

The author was almost correct in most of his points, except the one about HID.
His nice article simply detracted from the big picture by joining issues with the poor lady.
HID associated with the people mentioned (Daniel, Akala, and Oyinlola) by the aggrieved author, because they were simply governors of western states. He did not show any evidence that the lady is a PDP card carrying-member who was in charge of the western PDP strategic war room, assuming he believed that the PDP policy was inimical to the Yorubas.
Sam Omatseye's vituperations on HID is not only nauseating, repulsive, and a low blow, it must be condemned by all Nigerians--Igbos, Yorubas, and Hausas who know anything about Awo as a philosopher.

BTW, Awo is not a philosopher. A great thinker, YES. Well ahead of his time, Yes. A genius, Yes.

Calling him a philosopher would be pushing it.

Omatseye's article was more troubling looking at how he tried to discredit and humiliate HID. His reference to her son's death 40 yrs ago, casting aspersion at his credibility. Someone Wole Soyinka himself hold in high-esteem, describing himin his latest book, You Must Set Forth At Dawn, as a man with great potential.

Why attack a 96 yr old woman, for gods sake? But why?

Most of Omatseye's points were wrong and illogical.

For starters, we will never know which party Awo would have associated with, if he were alive. We will never know. After all, Ebenezer Babatope, Awos right hand man is in PDP. Bola Ige started off in PDP.

So let know one try to rewrite history or lay 'sole' claim to Awoism. Doing so would be tantamount to desecrating Awo's legacy.

one thing is for sure, Awo would never have condoned Tinubu's actions. Tolerate, yes. Associate?, Hellz NO.

naijaking1:

Remind me, what has Tinubu got to do with this article?
Because he owns the Nation?
Because he paid Sam Omatseye to write the article?
Because he direct Sam Omatseye to insult HID?
Because he thinks that his dic**ck is now as big as Awo's
Because of what?

Yes yes yes yes yes and yes to all of that!

Wizardofoz:

BTW, Awo is not a philosopher. A great thinker, YES. Well ahead of his time, Yes. A genius, Yes.

Calling him a philosopher would be pushing it.

Omatseye's article was more troubling looking at how he tried to discredit and humiliate HID. His reference to her son's death 40 yrs ago, casting aspersion at his credibility. Someone Wole Soyinka himself held in high-esteem.

Why attack a 96 yr old woman, for gods sake? But why?

Most of Omatseye's points were wrong and illogical.

For starters, we will never know which party Awo would have associated with, if he were alive. We will never know. After all, Ebenezer Babatope, Awos right hand man is in PDP. Bola Ige started off in PDP.

So let know one try to rewrite history or lay 'sole' claim to Awoism. Doing so would be tantamount to desecrating Awo's legacy.

one thing is for sure, Awo would never have condoned Tinubu's actions. Tolerate, yes. Associate?, Hellz NO.

Who's a philosopher again? Please find the answer, and the word-usage, before arguing.

naijaking1:

Who's a philosopher again? Please find the answer, and the word-usage, before arguing.

I am the Wizard of Oz, I dont argue.

To me, in the generic sense of it, yes, he is a Philosopher.

But as a purist, i regard philosophers as people who seek truth and deal with fundamental questions like, God, Mind, consciousness, etc

Awo's ideas werent fundamental to human existence. He was just ahead of his time. Thats it. His socialist agenda was formulated using the Russians' as a template. It wasnt mind shattering in any way.

EzeUche!:

Yoruba's business is all Nigerians' business. We are all in this nation together.

No, it is not. Keep your damn nose out of it.

ekt_bear:

No, it is not. Keep your damn nose out of it.

Sorry but I cannot do that. The other groups are looking with interest in what your people are doing. We all know how your political fights end.

Absolutely irrelevant. Mind your business. A very simple concept.