They are those who are trying so hard to make Mr. Obafemi Awolowo a Yoruba man. What a pity? Awo started his life as a Yoruba man when he and others formed Egbe Omo Oduduwa organization. He focused his initial efforts in developing Yoruba land and in uniting the many factions of Yoruba society. In particular he wanted to cut the Yoruba links to Lagos NCNC which was dominated by Hebert Macaulay, the Bensons, etc.
They are those who are trying so hard to make Mr. Obafemi Awolowo a Yoruba man. What a pity? Awo started his life as a Yoruba man when he and others formed Egbe Omo Oduduwa organization. He focused his initial efforts in developing Yoruba land and in uniting the many factions of Yoruba society. In particular he wanted to cut the Yoruba links to Lagos NCNC which was dominated by Hebert Macaulay, the Bensons, etc.
He was successful but only to a certain extent. Yoruba influence in NCNC remained strong almost to the end. But the mainland Yoruba became predominate in Western Nigerian politics.
That was the way it was with Awo at the beginning.
It was different at the end. Around 1959 Awo no longer saw Yoruba land as his focus because it was very limiting. He decided to play in the national scene just like Mr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. Hence he left a solid base in Ibadan and moved to Lagos as the opposition leader after he had sought the premiership of the nation. Unfortunately the person left behind in Ibadan to cover his back Mr. Ladoke Akintola had other plans almost making Awo to regret leaving Ibadan for Lagos.
But he persevered and kept looking up to the skies. He was tried and sentenced to prison from where he emerged more strongly believing in Nigeria as the place to leave his mark. Awolowo was no longer a Yoruba tribalist, he grew up. Read his later essays (he was very much into writing). Read in particular his lecture at the Christ Church Cathedral Lagos on his vision of the newly reunited Nigeria after the war.
There was nothing Yoruba about it.
Long before the war he had moved to expand the Action Group to be a national party by bringing non Yoruba to the top echelons of AG. Mr. Tony Enahoro, Mr. Samuel Aggrey Ikoku (Secretary General) and many others from different segments of Nigeria. To now reduce Awo to a Yoruba icon is the same as saying that Soyinka’s literature is Yoruba or to say that Mr. Nelson Mandela is not a South Africa but belongs to Transkei and Tembu, his tribe. So my friends, Afis et al, please you are doing Mr. Obafemi Awolowo a great disservice by focusing on just his early life. Look at his entire life and let Awo be a Nigerian nationalist and not a tribal chieftain.
He stopped being a Yoruba a long time ago. His legacy is national
Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Boston, Massachusetts
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