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Yoruba Leaders Of Thought And National Interest By Idowu Ajanaku

January 25, 2014

No matter what its enemies may say,

Patriotism-the love for one’s country

And the contemplation of its greatness-

Is one of the noblest sentiments of man

-Mokwugo Okoye(Storms on the Niger)

THE TREND

No matter what its enemies may say,

Patriotism-the love for one’s country

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And the contemplation of its greatness-

Is one of the noblest sentiments of man

-Mokwugo Okoye(Storms on the Niger)

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THE TREND

One must admit, right from the outset that the art of politicking and base sentiments (of ethnicity, geographical zone, religion and even gender) work hand-in-glove to foist political leadership on the people; for better or for worse. This becomes even more intense when there is a paradigm shift in the handing over of the political baton especially from a group that has held it longer than other parts of the country, as it happened in the emergence of President Barack Obama as the first African-American to mount the pedestal of the number one political  power in the United States(U.S.).And incidentally, that of Dr.Goodluck Jonthan as the first Niger-Delta indigene to find himself in the exalted seat of Nigeria’s presidency. Since that watershed event, the political equation has never been the same in the country.

 For instance, it has been observed in recent times, especially since the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as Nigeria’s President  that not a few politicians from both the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones are of the erroneous opinion that politicians of the Yoruba stock have always aligned with their Northern counterparts to foist and sustain the Hausa/Fulani hegemony at their own expense.

In fact, this sensitive matter has assumed a more strident dimension since President Jonathan’s body language has taken on the swagger of increasing interest in returning to Aso Rock, come 2015.But nothing could be further from the truth going by events that have so far shaped our collective political destiny. It all boils down to the Yorubas’  political sophistication and perhaps, this may be traceable to their early contact with the erstwhile colonial masters.

HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

Unknown to those who still hold tenaciously to this sentiment, the average Yoruba politician has always been driven by the overall national interest. Many of them have been driven by a patriotic mantra to protect what they consider would enthrone, sustain and develop the dreams of the founding fathers for the unity and prosperity of the nation-state. And there are ample empirical evidences based on historical facts to bolster this assertion. For instance, eminent Yorubas were at the fore front in the struggle for political independence even at a time the Northern politicians felt that Nigeria was not yet ripe for it. The Egbe Omo Oduduwa, a Yoruba cultural Union founded in 1948 and led by Sir Adeyemo Alakija and Obafemi Awolowo aligned its forces with both the Ibibio State Union and the Ibo Union in the determined struggle for Nigeria’s political emancipation.

Before then, when the National Youth Movement(NYM) took off in 1934 on the inspiration of Professor Eyo Ita,the Efik-born philosopher and educationist the first support base he got in his effort to reposition the minds of Nigerians to start agitating for self-rule was from Samuel Akinsanya( who later became the Odemo of Ishara), H.O.Davis  and others such as Ernest Okoli and Dr.J.C.Vaughan.

Similarly, when in 1945 the Constitutional Proposals were made by the then Governor Richards surreptitiously, “to promote the unity of Nigeria; to provide adequately within that unity for the diverse elements which make up the country; and to secure greater participation by Africans in the discussion of their own affairs” only one man saw through the grand deception that was at stake. He was Dr.N.T.Olusoga from Ijebu Ode.

Though the Constitutional Proposals were an improvement  on the 1923 Constitution and were also against the four obnoxious  bills on the Appointment and Deposition of Chiefs Amendment, Public Lands Acquisition Amendment, Minerals and Crown Lands Ordinance, Olusoga was the only member of the Legislative Chamber who, during the debate in March,1945 had the courage and foresight to detect that the local authorities fashioned out by the colonialists had neither legislative power nor financial autonomy. Indeed, the Central Legislature then was supreme with its sovereignty still vested in what Mokwugo Okoye described as ‘the omniscient and omnipotent British Government.’

Thus, it was Olusoga’s candour that apparently opened the eyes of the political elite to the continuation of British colonialism behind the mask of Constitutional Proposals that led to their vehement opposition to the crass imposition.

It would also be recalled that in August 1947 prominent Yorubas such as Dr.Olorun-Nimbe, Adeleke Adedoyin and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti were members of the Dr.Nnamidi Azikiowe-led NCNC Delegation to the Colonial Office, London, to demand for self-rule. There were other concerned Nigerians in the delegation, notably, Nyong Essien,P.M.Kale and Abubakar Dipcharima. Even though the delegation was told to”go home and surrender to the government” that was still run under the anti-people Richards Constitution, they were not in the least fooled or deterred. All they did was in the national interest.

Interestingly, it was another prominent Yoruba politician, Chief Obafemi Awolowo who back then as a law student in London felt sad at the internal squabbles that characterized the Nigerian delegation in London, based on the use of funds and personal comportment. He came out with his book Path to Nigerian Freedom. In it he stigmatized the British Indirect Rule in Nigeria as “ a mere subterfuge for petty autocracy of British Administrative officers”. He mapped out a programme for a Nigerian Federation based on regional/tribal leadership. It is interesting to note that over six decades later the song on the lips of every Nigerian patriot and in the wake of the proposed National Dialogue is that of true fiscal federalism and regional integration to devolve power away from the bloated centre.

Subsequently, the evolution of the Nigerian mass media with Lagos and the South-West axis as its hub bolstered both the confidence and influence of Yoruba politicians in the political sphere. With the likes of Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe out with their newspapers, Awolowo joined the fray with The Nigerian Tribune.

IN THE QUEST FOR DEMOCRACY

Indeed, it is interesting to note that the penchant of the average Yoruba political helmsman to be driven by the national interest traversed the nation’s history right from the military interregnum all through to the current democratic dispensation. For instance, during the counter-coup of 1966  Major Adekunle Fajuyi gave up his life in the defence of the then military Head of State, Major-General Aguyi Ironsi who he was  hosting. He had the offer from the coup-plotters to be a conspirator but chose to defend the national interest.

And so did Chief Obafemi Awolowo at the heat of the civil war, who as the Vice-Chairman/Minister of Finance under Major General Yakubu Gowon regime. He had to design a fiscal framework for the change in currency in the overall interest of Nigeria’s unity. Had he not taken that critical decision when he did Nigeria would have been history.

In a similar vein, it was the late patriot, Tai Solarin who rose above the prevailing public apathy, acquiescence and political lethargy in the mid-seventies to stop General Yakubu Gowon’s refusal to enthrone democracy. With a thought-provoking lecture entitled: No one is indispensable he toured the existing federal university campuses and media houses to drum home the call for an end to military rule. For that act of pure bravado, the military junta sent him behind bars but his spirit was unbowed.

To ensure the sustenance of constitutional  democracy Chief Awolowo then as the leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN  went to court to quash the attempted deportation of  Alhaji Aliyu Shugaba during the infamous Shehu Shagari-led NPN government that wanted to carry out the illegal act.

Before then and based on the hard stance principles of the Yorubas that the survival of the Nigerian nation should take precedence over and above personal interest, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was advised by his political associates at a meeting in his Apapa home to honour the invitation of the then President Shehu Shagari after the controversial 1983 presidential election.

Though, he, Awolowo felt that he was robbed of the presidency he still went ahead to attend the meeting with his right hand bandaged to prevent him from shaking hands with Shagari, in a congratulatory gesture. What was paramount was Shagari’s call for a robust discourse to move the nation-state forward.

Even within the class of the Yoruba political elite when there are disagreements, what takes precedence at the end of the day is what the members consider would drive the Nigerian dream to the dawn of reality and not personal interests. One apt example of this was the well-known political differences between late Chief M.K.O.Abiola and Awolowo. When circumstances compelled Abiola to resign from the ruling NPN, Awoilowo said that: “Though Abiola’s status in NPN was little, his greatness will shine as a Yoruba leader.” It was instructive that Awolowo still gave an unbiased and fair assessment of Abiola despite the fact that the latter had used his then formidable media machinery, courtesy of the National Concord to unleash attack on the former’s person.

Furthermore, though members of the Awolowo family did not support the presidential candidature of Abiola, they nonetheless threw their weight behind the call for the validation of the electoral victory after the crude, callous and conscienceless annulment of the June 12,1993 election. Especially as it was considered to be the freest and fairest of its kind in the Nigeria’s chequered political history.

Prominent Yoruba leaders of thought including Ayo Adebanjo ,Laniwu Ajayi, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande and Segun Osoba led by Chief Abraham Adesanya of blessed memory went the whole  hog in that battle to enthrone democratic governance in tandem with the wishes of Nigerians.One which the despotic General Ibrahim Babangida-led administration had truncated again. In spite of Adesanya being shot at and the brutal assassinations of Kudirat Abiola and Suliyat Adedeji and the death of a pro-Yoruba politician Chief Alfred Riwani, they were not deterred.

Others, still of Yoruba race who took the fight against the fascist Abacha regime  included General Akin Akinrinade, Dr.Amos Akangba, late Chief Gani Fawenhimi, late Chief Bola Ige, Barrister Femi Falana, Dr.Kayode Fayemi, then of the Kudirat Radio fame and the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.

It was no coincidence that the same Wole Soyinka took up the gauntlet against the blood-thirsty General Sani Abacha-led military administration soon after  the death sentence was passed on Ken Sao-Wiwa the late, indefatigable environmentalist. Soyinka, it would be recalled took the fight to the international circle involving the much-respected organ of Human Rights. As the situation evolved it was a clear signal that what Soyinka and other right thinking Nigerians fought against was  all in the best interest of Nigeria as it could have happened to any other Nigerian from any part of the vast country.

This same line of thought underlined the vehement  and most vociferous opposition by Yoruba political activists to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s veiled attempt to amend the constitution to prosecute his Third Term Agenda. That was at the tail end of his administration in 2010.They were not in the least concerned that he is their own son of the soil.

Such a rare passion for patriotism was extended to the current President Goodluck Jonathan when he was the Vice President and it became apparent that the powers that be, did not want him to be politically empowered as the number one citizen in line with the extant constitution. The erstwhile President Umar Yar’Adua was terminally ill, yet the letter that was supposed to be transmitted to the National Assembly in that regard was not forthcoming.

As history would recall, it was the Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural Organisation as well as patriots in the mould  of  Soyinka, Falana and the Save Nigeria Group led by fiery Pastor Tunde Bakare that spear-headed the call for Jonathan’s presidency. At that time nobody said anything about Yorubas aligning with the Hausa/Fulani hegemony.

And good enough, it was the massive votes from the South-West geo-political zone that sealed that presidency in 2011. Indeed,they stood stoutly behind him when the bloody violence erupted up North soon after Jonathan was sworn in as the president of the world’s most populous Black African nation.

Curiously enough and as fate would have it, the intriguing aspect of the Jonathan-led administrative structure is that no Yoruba man occupies any of the seven top most powerful political positions in the country today! Only recently, a non-Yoruba  concerned Nigerian,Tony Nyiam lamented this open relegation to the shadows of a race known for its political sophistication, sagacity and all-inclusiveness in governance. Is it because of this obvious political marginalisation that some Yoruba politicians led by the highly resourceful, visionary strategist Asiwaju Bola Ahgmaed Tinubu, the National Leader of the wave-making All Progressives Congress,APC is working closely with General Muhammad Buhari to turn the table against the ruling People’s Democratic Party? The answer is a resounding “No!”.

As usual, concerned Yoruba patriots are sore-worried that the Jonathan, who they invested their sacred trust, electoral franchise and leadership mandate on to steer  the ship of state from the stormy waters of crass corruption in high places,(Oduahgate, Pension Scam, unremitted $10.8 billion NNPC windfall et al) the steamy stench of impunity and  inter-tribal acrimony doesn’t give a damn about their clarion call.They are worried stiff that even as that ship of state is heading for the rocks President Jonathan and his co-travellers are busy regaling those who care to listen that the economy is robust and macro-economic indices indicate so. That it is the fastest growing economy in Africa and Foreign Direct Investment ,FDI has significantly improved, even as Nigeria has become a dumping ground for all manner of Malfunctioning electronics from China and filthy rags from all over Europe.

At a time when all Human Development Indices on poverty rate, purchasing power of the average citizen, unemployment rate and health issues such as infant and maternal mortality rates are worsening and when the education sector is on the verge of total collapse, the only sweet song in Jonathan’s ear is Second Term in 2015. 

The Yoruba leaders, in line with their desire and determination to always look at the larger picture of a prosperous Nigeria are saying, “No” to this drift to a state of anomie. What should be of priority attention now is to fix the nation state in line with its God’s given enormous natural potentials in oil and gas, agriculture and solid mineral and tourism  development for the benefit of the long-suffering Nigerians and not for the  insatiable greed of the favoured few.

As history always repeats itself to those unwilling to learn from its dictates, the Gowons, Shagaris, Babagindas, Abachas refused to heed the clarion call of patriotic Yoruba leaders when they gave the warning and when  it mattered most.Will Jonathan make the difference? Only time will tell. If not, the only alternative to this is CHANGE  through the ballot box, come 2015.

 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters

 

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