THE BEST
PRESIDENT THAT NEVER RULED NIGERIA When he died in 1987. He was described, as the best President Nigeria never had, by those that made sure he never reigned in the post for one day. Despite all he did for all, when he was elected as a Premier in the old Western Region of Nigeria. The most out-spoken and result oriented politician in Nigerian political history, never came to power. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was nullisecondos in political and economic achievement in Nigeria and even Africa. If I should ask; in what country in Africa was the first
television station? Most people will say may be Egypt, some will say South-Africa and I will not be surprised if some say “the Gold coast” now known as Ghana. But all these answers are wrong.
Awolowo brought the first television station in Africa to the Western region of Nigeria in the late fifties. A fit he achieved when he was the premier of that region. Awo! As his die-hard followers fondly call him; was the first person in Africa, that said education should be the right of a citizen and not a previledge hence, it should be free. Being a man that practice whatever he preaches. He went ahead to declare a free education in the then Western region of Nigeria, which in history is the first and only. Moreover, the first modern stadium in Nigeria and still one of the best in the country, the liberty station was built during its administration. He also built a gigantic building names the “ cocoa house”, where all farmers that grows the cash crop “cocoa” comes and sell to the government before, the government later resell to companies and foreign countries. This really helped the farmers in selling at a profit. Bye to the days they sell directly and lose despite all their labouring.
Obafemi Awolowo, a legal practioner and a renowned politician covered his era like a colossus and what he achieved has not been neared talk less of been equaled. There is an adage that says “show me your friend and I will tell you who you are” no wonder, he was a close friend of the great Kwame Nkurumah of Ghana and was given the honour and previledge of delivering a paper on his friend’s first memorial lecture.
Awolowo! a selfless man. Awo! gave hope to the hopeless. Awo! turned education into a necessity and not a luxury. Awo! made health care free so that the masses can live longer life and enjoy life to the fullest. Awo! Practiced modern political Ideology during the Dark Age, in a dark continent. No wonder many people love to hate him not because of anything but all because his Ideologies were too complex for them to comprehend. A times, I sit and wonder if this man was from the West i.e. Europe, I ponder what the West would have turned to.
I pray and hope that one day his name will be written, where it really belongs in the history of Nigeria, Africa and indeed the world.