Lagos And The ‘Resurrected’ Awo By Tayo Ogunbiyi

In Othello, one of his famous works, iconic playwright, Williams Shakespeare, flawlessly stresses the importance good reputation with the following words: “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls: Who steals my purse steals trash; ’tis something, nothing; ‘was mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him, And makes me poor indeed.”

This, perhaps, amply describes what the motivation of late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, throughout his political and public service career in building for himself a rare reputation that was hinged on integrity, sacrifice, commitment and selflessness. No wonder, thirty years after his demise, his name still rings a bell across the land and beyond, opening impregnable doors for members of his family as well as political associates.

It is therefore not surprising when the late sage metaphorically resurrected in Lagos State recently with the State Government’s unveiling of a new iconic statue in honour of the revered icon that many simply refer to as Awo. The striking sculpture located along Obafemi Awolowo Way by the Lagos Television (LTV) junction in’, Agidingbi, Ikeja, is no doubt a befitting replacement to the old Awolowo statue that used to be at the Allen Avenue round-about in Ikeja, Lagos. Standing at 20 feet, the new Awo statue reinforces the unwavering commitment of the Lagos State Government to appreciating the contributions of patriots whose deeds and ideals were instrumental to the social-economic and political well being of Lagos State in particular and Nigeria in general.

Designed and produced by Hamza Atta, the Awo bust represents and projects the true value of the late sage and calls the attention of everyone, especially students of history to the legacy of the leading statesman. Undoubtedly, the statue will serve as a constant reminder to all, especially future generations of the need to value the sacrifice of our heroes and strive towards upholding and promoting the ideals which some of them lived and died for. It is mainly n doing this that we can truly ensure that the labour of our heroes past is not in vain.

Hannah Arendt, German-born US philosopher and historian, once said that the connection between history and nature is by no means an opposition. History receives into its remembrance those mortals who through deeds and words have proved themselves worthy of nature, and their everlasting fame means that they may remain in the company of the things that last forever. Immortalizing our heroes, is surely one way of spurring present and future generation of Nigerians to effectively connect with our past with a view to committing them to the vision and ideals of our founding fathers. With several agitations for one thing or the other across the country, there is, indeed, no better time to do this than this particular period in the history of our dear nation.

In Nigeria, the subsequent drop in the quality of leadership inevitably is the result of decline and seemingly loss of hope by many in the nation. One of the most important ways of instilling patriotism and inculcating self belief and a ‘can do’ spirit in our youths is through immortalizing our heroes, both past and living. It is important that we regularly cull from the life of our heroes, great lessons in discipline, altruism, honesty, focus, perseverance, patriotism and hardwork among other useful virtues. It is hoped that by immortalizing our heroes and ultimately calling attention to the ideals they hold in high esteem, our compatriots, young and old, would be encouraged to live a selfless life that is anchored on patriotism and integrity.

These are some of the virtues that made Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of the founding fathers of Nigeria, traversed the country’s socio-political landscape as a colossus for decades. Born in Ikenne, Ogun State, on March 6, 1909, the late sage has been variously described by different people in diverse ways. For instance, he was once described by Late Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu as the ‘Best President Nigeria never had’. Former military ruler, General Yakubu also dubbed him as a ‘revered political leader’ while former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida, once referred to him as ‘the main issue in Nigerian politics’.

In 1954, Chief Awolowo became the first Premier of the defunct Western Region and it was during this era that the foundation for the evolution of modern Yoruba land was effectively laid. With an economy that was mostly agrarian, Awolowo developed and made the hen Western Region a model for the rest of Africa in terms of socio-economic development. Some of the infrastructures that were put in place by his administration endure till date. These include the First Television station in the Africa, (now National Television Authority, NTA), the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now, Obafemi Awolowo University), the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, Cocoa House, Ibadan, various industrial hubs across the Region among others.

A strategic thinker and visionary leader, Chief Awolowo had an intriguing political career. In 1963, he was found guilty of conspiring to overthrow the government of Nigeria and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. In 1966, while still in prison, Awolowo wrote ‘Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution’ which talks about the upholding of a federal form of government composed of 18 states. Later, in 1966, he was released from prison by the Federal Military Government of General Yakubu Gowon and the following year he was invited to join the same Government as Federal Commissioner of Finance and as Vice Chairman of the Federal Executive Council.

Chief Awolowo actively served the Gowon Military Government throughout the duration of the Nigerian civil war from 1967 to1970. In ‘The Strategy and Tactics of the People’s Republic of Nigeria’, a book he wrote in 1970, Chief Awolowo came up with strategies and plans that could make the then Federal Military Government’s post-war spending to be wholly devoted to socio-economic development rather than military adventurism. He resigned from the Federal Executive Council in 1971 to protest the continued retention of military rule.

In 1975, following the overthrow of the Gowon government, he issued a statement questioning the country’s military spending. In 1979 and 1983 respectively, he ran for president as the candidate for the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, losing on both occasions to Alhaji Shehu Shagari. He returned to private life upon the termination of democracy by the Buhari –Idiagbon led military junta in December 1983. But then, he was always commenting on national issues, offering wise counsels to those in power from time to time.

Though he died in Ikenne, his country home on May 9, 1987 at the age of 78, thirty years after, the good deeds that he did has continued to live after him. Herein lies the foremost message behind the recent unveiling of the imposing Awo bust in Ikeja, Lagos. One only hopes that current crop of leaders across the country would see beyond the allure of power, but search painstakingly to properly unearth what made Awo and his likes thick.