Awo Lecture: Why north is a problem to national unity – Eminent Nigerians. Vanguard. Lagos. Nigeria.

 

 

EMINENT Nigerians yesterday lamented the non-sustenance of the leadership qualities of late Premier of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, saying that the north would not have constitued itself as the clog in the wheel of development and unity of the country had Awolowo’s policies been sustained.
They spoke in Lagos at  the 2012 Obafemi Awolowo Annual Lecture, convened by Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, OAF.From left: Alh. Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Emir of Ilorin, HRM King Edmund Daukoru, Amayanbo Nembe and Alh. Shehu Idris, Emir of Zaria, during the 2012 Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture, theme: Power Politice or Welfare Politics? Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the History of African Nationalist Political Thought, held in Lagos. on 09/03/2012. Photo Bunmi Azeez
Those who attended the event from across the six geo-political zones included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade,  Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, Emir of Zauazau Alhaji Shehu Idris, Obi of Onitsha Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Emir of Ilorin,  Alhaji Suru Gambari, King Edmund Daukoru Amyanabo on Nembe, King Dandeson Douglas, Jaja  Amyanabo of Opobo, King Mujakpero Orodje of Okpe,
They also included former governors of Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo and Kaduna States, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Asiwaju Bola  Tinubu, Chief Olusegun Osoba,Niyi Adebayo, Gbenga Daniel, and Alhaji Balarebe Musa as well as Prof Ben Nwabueze, Justice Modibo Alfa Belgore, Justice Mohammedu Uwais, Sen Olorunnimbe Mamora, Sen Anthony Adefuye, Chief Ebeneze Babatope, Sen Daisy Danjuma, Sen Jubril Aminu, Alhaji Musilui Smith, Chief Fredrick Fasheun, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, among others.
Speaking at the forum which was titled; Power Politics or Welfare Politics; Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the History of African Nationalist Political Thought, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who chaired  the occasion said that Nigeria lost the opportunity of having Awolowo as its president, noting that Awolowo was a credible leader.
Musa said, “Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo is the most qualitatively, outstanding, and memorable legend of Nigerian politics and governance since the 1940s. He is the one whose role in politics and governance can still be a reliable guide for any first-time President of Nigeria even though Nigeria ‘lost the opportunity of having Chief Awolowo as its National President.
North in the way of peace —Musa
“He knew how to be relevant both in government and in opposition. When he ceased to be the Premier of the old Western Region, he became a credible and dependable opposition leader. If his policy of free, qualitative, and functional education, for instance, had been implemented and sustained throughout Nigeria, the 40 -year gap in educational development between the northern and the southern parts, which inevitably makes the North stand more in the way of peace and national unity, would have been avoided; and the result of higher educational advancement would  not have been almost absent in Nigeria.
“For the 1983 Presidential Election, even the arch opponents of Chief AwoIowo, the semi-feudal and conservative Northern oligarchy or Kaduna Mafia, as represented by the political group of late Shehu Musa Yar’aduwa, preferred him and went into a principled electoral alliance with the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, the political party he led. However, Nigerians are still hoping for Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s equivalent to emerge.”
Musa’s views were re-echoed by other speakers who called for late Awolowo’s style of leadership in the country. Speaking on the topic of the lecture, the Guest Speaker, Prof. Toyin Falola admonished Nigerian leaders to emulate Awolowo’s prescription for the implementation of welfare politics.
His words: “The most imoportant lesson to take away from Awolowo’s work is his prescription for the implementation of wlafare politics. His legacy to Nigeria , and indeed the world, is the proposal of critical conceptions that must be infused into political leadership.
“He argued that leadership must be grounded in ethics, morallity of spending resources more carefully without curruption and with compassion for people. Leadership must respect the rule of law and human rights and cannot be based on violence.”
Absence of transpernt government——Tinubu
Similarly, former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State regrreted that, “Awolowo’s leadership qualities are not visible  today in gorvernance. All his priorities like rural intergration, welfare, priority of education are lacking. We are gradually moving away from the people. What is the menaing of governance if there is no welfare, development, transperency and accountability.’’
Earlier, the Executive Director of OBF, Dr. Olatokunbo Dosumu-Awolowo had there was need to build bridges of understanding across the country to ensure unity in Nigeria.
She said, “This gathering says that inspite of current, seeming evidence to the contrary, there is still an overwhelming desire across the land to build bridges of understanding in order to remain brothers and sisters domicled in one united indivisble Nigeria and that the prospects for consensus building on cvritical national issues are not necessarily far-fetched.
“The presence of some of the most eminent royal fathers across Nigeria as well as this sizeable and high calibre audience, drawn from all sectors of the Nigerian society, leaves me virtually speechless, But it speaks eloquently to the fact that 25 years after his transition, Cheif Awolowo’s trailblazing leadership keeps being aknowledged and celebrated.’’