From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Private Secretary to late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Odia Ofeimun, has expressed strong conviction that despite the incessant calls and agitations for the division of Nigeria by sections of the country, Nigeria would not break up.
Ofeimun declared this, on Thursday, when he spoke at ‘Awo Conversations: An overview of his vision, his politics and his philosophy’, organised by the Awolowo Foundation, for youths across the country, held at the Ikenne country home of the late sage.
According to him, “the reason Nigeria can’t break is not because the “forces” to tear it apart are not there or strong enough but its continued existence as one entity rests on the “deep, long and unbreakable” chord that binds the Nigerian tribes together”.
He maintained that the people of Nigeria share a strong bond and affinity both historical and cultural and noted “if Nigerians could honestly find out about their history, they would discover the bond of unity and similarity among them and none would sincerely wish for a break up”.
The poet, however, revealed that contrary to the misconception that Chief Awolowo smashed the terms of Aburi Accord when General Yakubu Gowon and Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu returned to Nigeria from Ghana, it was the minority people of midwest, south south and the north who put pressured Gowon to jettison the Accord bordering on “resource control and regional autonomy.”
He described the late Premier of Western Region as a true advocate of true federalism noting the exclusive legislative list was deliberately beefed up in favour of the Federal Government, which according to him, had led to the weakness of the federating states.
“One of the fears of the people working against the restructuring of Nigeria is that they worry about where their allocations will come from to run their states.
“But I tell you if the Niger Delta region was allowed to control their resources 100%, the federal government will still have fund to run its affairs.
“I just want to refer you to Chief Awolowo’s book titled ‘ Strategies and Tactics of the Republic people of Nigeria,’ where the late sage analysed how true federal system could work”. Ofeimun submitted.
In her remark, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, said the since no Nigerian was worthy enough to clinch Awo Leadership Award in 2016, the Foundation decided to put the event together in order to inculcate Awolowo’s values, philosophy and vision in the youth.
Also speaking, Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, recalled that all the programmes of Awolowo were philosophy backed. According to him, “the philosophy behind the then free education was not to read and write, but to create an egalitarian society whereby everybody will have equal opportunity. It was in this line that free healthcare policy and rural integration was conceived to ensure the people were developed”.
He, therefore, said the forum was necessary to interact with the younger generation so that the principles of the late sage could be discussed with a view to expand the scope of the youth on the need for individual development.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly at the event, Hon. Joseph Oyebanji, called for the establishment of Awo radio station, where according to him, visions, philosophy and ideas of Awolowo could be broadcast to the people especially the youth.
Other eminent personalities at the event included Professor Banji Akintoye, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe, Senator Anthony Adefuye among others.
another confused illiterate. watch-out. it would break before your eyes, idiot.
He talked from the background of a poet not political or social scientist. He is not in the position to see or know present reality.
Only a naive and ignorant one will think this 21st century Igbos will not defend the worthwhile price those Biafran Soldiers Kanu visited in Enugu paid, in Republic Of Biafra with Diplomacy or War.
The illiterate are human too.Peter Carlos Hinds.
Chief Odia Ofeimun,is partly right and partly wrong in his
summations and thesis.
It is indeed, the oil and gas deposits of our Lower Niger Region
that is still keeping us Nigerians together as a nation.
It is therefore,a sheer greed that is keeping us together with those
other ‘One Nigerian Parasites.’
Come to think about that,our Hausa/Fulani Overlords of the North (the Emirs,Imam et al) own the oil wells of the N’Delta and their
Yoruba allias run our Oil and Gas Industry.
Thus,while the Hausa/Fulani Caliphate of Sokoto is wont to never
let go of its Islamic Hegemonistic hold on Nigeria,their Yoruba
allies purely for the lucre, will of course,continue to support the current status quo in the polity.
But then,what about us the indigenous people of the South East
and South South?
That same moral world that supported the Indigenous People of South Africa gainst their Afrikaan Overlords,will stand by us, the
People of the Lower Niger Region ,aginst the Caliphate of Sokoto Colonialists, their Treacherous Yoruba Muslim Allies, their willing- tools of the Middle-Belt, their Igbo Khakis and Igbo Wawas Surogates.
That there is a permanent bund between us Indigenous Qua (Kwa) Nigerians and the Troglodytes,the barbaric,bellicose Fulani murderers of the North,is blantantly and speciously mendacious.
The only bund that links us with those Fulani barbarians is that we were colonised and amalgamated with them by the fucking bloody British Colonialists.
No! Chief Odia Ofiemun you are wrong jare!
Our ancestors survived slavery. Our grand parent and parents
endured British Colonialism.
We Biafrans,shall never ever let our children and posterity be
silly vassals to the Abokis like us.No never!
We Biafrans are ready to start where Ikemba left off.
And this time round,we shall never stand alone.We shall never ever be subjugated.The Almighty God and moral Christian World
will surely stand with us as usual.
This moribund country of ours must be restructured,or we must be prepared fo yet another civil war,whereby we shall eventually go our separate ways.
No to the staus quo ante bellum!
Down with Hausa/Fulani Islamic Hegemoy!!
Hail Biafra!!!