Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, also the keynote speaker for the occasion, began his speech by stating that he had arrived ten minutes earlier in order for the event to begin on time. He then warned the audience to refrain from observing “African time” lest they miss Jesus and end up in a “very hot place.”
In a gathering at the National Institute of International Affairs, several dignitaries including former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, came together to honor the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president. The event was the 18th Nnamdi Azikiwe Remembrance day and it was hosted by the Ndi-Igbo Cultural Society of Nigeria on November 16, Dr. Azikiwe’s birthday.
Dr. Azikiwe’s remembrance was a very festive occasion, with groups of women arriving in matching gele (head ties) and wrappers. Dignitaries dressed in official traditional attire as befitting their chieftaincy titles, were greeted at the gate by a troupe of men playing traditional Igbo music. Present at the event were Senator Ben Obi (representing President Goodluck Jonathan), Musiliu Obanikoro, political scientist Henry Ebireri, amongst other dignitaries. General Yakubu Gowon, also the keynote speaker for the occasion, began his speech by stating that he had arrived ten minutes earlier in order for the event to begin on time. He then warned the audience to refrain from observing “African time” lest they miss Jesus and end up in a “very hot place.” His banter was very indicative of the lighthearted spirit with which people had gathered to honor Dr. Azikiwe, also called “Zik” by many of the speakers.
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe was president of Nigeria from 1963-1966. Born in 1904, in the town of Zungeru, Niger state, he completed his high school education at Methodist Boys’ High School Lagos. He went on to finish his higher education in the United States, earning an undergraduate degree from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, and Masters degrees from Lincoln University and University of Pennsylvania.
In his home country, Dr. Azikiwe was instrumental in passing the law to establish a University in Nigeria’s East; to that end, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was founded in 1955. When Biafra attempted secession, he initially campaigned for the country’s recognition, but switched his support to the federal government when he realized that the war was futile. Several guests at the Remembrance day lauded his quest to achieve unity across ethnic lines in the country.
In his speech about Dr. Azikiwe, General Gowon acknowledged the political scene in Nigeria today, saying, "We have politicians who have become rebels without cause or creed and who cannot be pinned to any ideology, quite unlike Zik and other political heavyweights of his time." He called for reflection on the values of those who had gone before, asking, "What ideals did they die for? Was their perception of united Nigeria exclusionary or all-inclusive?" Truly, Dr. Azikiwe's attempts at uniting with Northern leaders met with the disapproval of several southern leaders, including Obafemi Awolowo. In current affairs, the echoes of distrust due to ethnicity are still visible.
Musiliu Obanikoro, candidate for the Governorship of Lagos State under the People's Democratic Party (PDP), took a lighter tone in his speech, instead discussing Dr. Azikiwe's athletic prowess joking, "that's probably why he lived so long."
While the event featured speeches, there was also a martial arts performance by pupils from the Ema Martial Arts Shotokan Karate school, which had the guests applauding and a few of the dignitaries rising to their feet for a better view.
View more photos of the event, in the slideshow below:
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