Late chief obafemi awolowo biography of mahatma
How my father coined ‘naira’ as Nigeria’s currency –Tokunbo, Awolowo’s daughter
Chief Obafemi Awolowo was a man many would describe as a leader like no other. Even though he was the Premier of the Western Region between and , when Nigeria was operating regional government, he was a nationalist and statesman whose contribution to national development remains a model that subsequent leaders try to emulate till date.
While he was the Premier of the Western Region, late Chief Awolowo executed several developmental projects that were lauded openly by many, including people from other regions, and those programmes included free health care for children, free primary education for all, etc. In furtherance of his love for Nigeria, he championed the efforts for Nigeria to gain independence from Great Britain, and together with members of the political party he founded in , the Action Group, and other notable personalities, Nigeria’s independence became a reality on October 1, Chief Awolowo, died in his Ikenne home on May 9, Today, the independence that Chief Awolowo and several othersfought for is being celebrated as Nigeria marks its 56 years as an independent nation. In this interview with TUNDE AJAJA, one of Chief Awolowo’s children, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, talks about her late father’s beliefs, his experience in prison, the troubles he faced and why he never gave up on Nigeria
Chief Awolowo led several others to make case for Nigeria’s independence and he was one of those who initiated the move. Would you know what prompted that idea?
He started since he was young, almost from the moment he got involved in political activism in the Nigeria Youth Movement. So, the independence of Nigeria was always top on his agenda and of course when he went to the United Kingdom to study Law, that was when he and a few like minds started the Egbe Omo Oduduwa and the Egbe had noble objectives, one of which was the independence of Nigeria.
When he came back President of Ghana (–; since ) John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November ) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since 7 January A member of the National Democratic Congress, he previously served as the 12th president from to and as the fifth vice president from to Mahama took office as president for the first time on 24 July , following the death of his predecessor, John Atta Mills. A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahama was Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi from to and served as Deputy Minister for Communication between and before becoming the substantive Minister for Communications in Mahama is the first vice president to assume the presidency following the death of his predecessor, and is the first head of state of Ghana to have been born after Ghana's independence in He was elected in the December election to serve a full-term as president. He contested re-election for a second term in the election, but lost to the New Patriotic Party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. This made him the first president in the history of Ghana to not have won a consecutive second term. Mahama was again the NDC's candidate for president in the election, where he lost to Akufo-Addo. He was re-elected president in the election, defeating the then incumbent vice president Mahamudu Bawumia, making him the first president in Ghanaian history to be democratically elected to a non-consecutive second term. A member of the Gonja ethnic group in the Savanna Region of Ghana, Mahama hails from Bole in the Savanna Region. Mahama was born on 29 November in Damongo, an area in present-day West Gonja District of the Northern Region. His father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, a wealthy rice farmer and teacher, was the first Member of Parliament for th In general, I have for long held that any collection of essays on aspects of the life and career of any great political leader will be a good introduction to the history of the particular polity. In particular, I have held that any collection of essays on aspects of the life and career of any of these three Nigerian political leaders - Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello - will be a good introduction to the history of modern Nigeria. As I said earlier, I was not disappointed when I opened the pages of the book under reference. The Awolowo book was edited by David Oke, Olatunji Dare, Adebayo William and Femi Akinola - four prominent Nigerian intellectuals who had previously researched and written on Chief Awolowo. The first three of the four editors have contributions in the book - with the first appearing twice. There are altogether 17 essays divided into four parts: Part 1: Obafemi Awolowo as leader (Chapter ); Part II: Obafemi Awolowo's legacy for Nigeria (Chapter ); Part III: footprints on the sands of time (Chapters ); and Part IV: Awolowo in and through history (Chapter 17). There are, in addition, an opening poem, For Obafemi Awolowo (Ten Mays later) composed in by Niyi Osundare; a Foreword, A Guru for all time and all places by Wole Soyinka; a Founding Philosophy by Obafemi Awolowo Foundation; and Ackno VALUES FOR AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT Lecture Delivered at the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation 30 TH anniversary Lecture, held on 6 th March -The Chairman of this event, His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, Former President Republic of Ghana, -His Excellency, General Dr. Yakubu Gowon, GCFR, Former Head of State, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Special Guest of Honour, -Her Excellency, Ambassador Mrs Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, Executive Director, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, -Professor Banji Oyeyinka Oyelaran, The Director of this event, -Distinguished Special Guests and Participants, -Ladies and Gentlemen. Preamble For upwards of 30 years, I have been in politics in Nigeria; during this period, I have operated in various important theatres in the life of this great Federation. I have, with others, fought against British imperialism with all my might, and with all the talents that it pleased God to give me
I have also fought against anything which savours of injustice. It is thus an irony of history that, as one of the architects of Nigeria's independence, I have spent almost half of Nigeria's three years of independence under one form of confinement or another.' - Obafemi Awolowo, September 11, I feel greatly honoured to have been asked to deliver this year's Obafemi Awolowo Foundation lecture, before such an eminent audience. This is in memory of the greatest political Thinker and pragmatic leader which Africa has produced, popularly described by both friend and foe as The Best President that Nigeria never had, His Excellency, Chief Dr Obafemi Awolowo, GCFR, LL.D, former Premier of Western Region, Nigeria. In context of a common African characteristics of historical amnesia, it is significant that the memories and legacies of Chief Awolowo continues to resonate, not necessarily in the ears of the present generation of elders but more, in the ears of John Mahama
Early years
By Edwin MadunaguI WAS not disappointed when I eventually obtained a copy of Awo: On the trail of a titan: Essays in celebration of the Obafemi Awolowo Centennial. Since its presentation to the public early in March I had sought the book because I believed that it would not only answer some lingering questions on the life and career of the late pre-eminent Nigerian leader, but also fill some gaps in my knowledge of Nigeria's political and social history. This fulfilled expectation explains the title of this article.
By Rt. Rev. Prof. Dapo Folorunsho Asaju