By Kunle Odufuwa
Today marks the 34th anniversary of the transition of Nigeria’s greatest sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, first Premier of the Western Region, a selfless, visionary and welfarist leader.
A man who yesterday saw what is happening in Nigeria today.
When he introduced free primary education in the Western Region, his opponents mocked him but today, the region is undoubtedly the most educated in the country.
When the visionless NPN government decided to hand over road haulage business to lorry owners instead of the traditional railway, Awo warned that it was not economically sound to do so arguing that it might lead to inflation and food scarcity noting that one hundred lorries wouldn’t be able to carry in a week, the number of cattle and goods a train would carry from Maiduguri to Lagos in one trip. Awo further argued that a good number of the lorries conveying cattle to the south might be involved in road accidents resulting in the loss of some of the cattle to accidents while the rearers might be forced to pilot the remaining on foot to the south. That was what actually happened and today Nigeria and Nigerians are groaning under the onslaught of cattle herders.
He equally argued then that Nigeria may never enjoy good roads again until the railway was restored to transport goods from the North to the South because the roads were not built to service huge lorries and what do we have today, the roads had been completely destroyed no thanks to the huge lorries taking their toll on roads that were not designed for them.
We don’t know how much the country had so far spent to prosecute the onging war against Boko Haram but interestingly, it is on record that Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Nigeria’s Finance Minister and Vice-Chairman of the Federal Executive Council single handedly managed Nigeria’s economy during the Civil war and ensured that Nigeria never borrowed a kobo to prosecute the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970. A feat that was commended around the world.
When he warned during his Presidential election campaign in 1982 that the children of the poor that were not provided for by the then federal government and the rich elites of the time would make life uneasy for their children in future, the NPN under the Chairmanship of Chief Adisa Akinloye tagged him as a “Prophet of doom” but today we are faced with the stark reality. The untrained children of yesterday are part of today’s deadly Boko Haram fighters.When he also ceaselessly warned about the consequences of the economy being mismanaged then, the NPN was equally quick to call him a prophet of doom but today, the nation is ingloriously reeling under the weight of a prodigally battered economy the foundation of which was laid by the great grandfather of the PDP, the NPN.
Awo was no doubt Nigeria’s own Nostradamus but whose views and warnings were not heeded then and for which we are paying greatly today.
Yes, Awo is dead but Awo lives on in the heart of those who benefitted from his welfarist programs especially his free education program and the various institutions pioneered by him including the first television station in Africa.
We can’t exhaust Awo’s achievements but the great tributes paid to him at his transition one of which was the late Warlord, the Ikemba of Nnewi,
Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who described him as “The best President Nigeria never had” along with other great tributes remains a testimony to Awo’s political sagacity, unparalleled economic soundness,foremost and legendary administrative acumen and unparalleled humane welfarist vision and agenda.
“Lives of great men teach us that we can make our own sublime and while departing,leave our foot prints on the sands of time” wrote a great poet and writer.
Awo left thirty four years ago and his foot prints remain very indelible, why can’t our present day leaders emulate the great Awo and the ideals for which he lived and died ?
It is by doing so that we can truly achieve the Nigeria of our dream.
Adieu the great Sage, Papa Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Omo Ologbo Ijeun.
