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The social critic, in an interview granted to Sahara TV which was uploaded to YouTube and seen by our correspondent, said although “Mandela was good for the liberation” of his people, Awolowo made far-reaching impacts on the lives of many Nigerians.
Ofeimun, while comparing the two leaders, said the processes leading to independence in South Africa and Nigeria “followed exactly the same pattern” noting that the liberation struggle championed by Mandela did “not create the end of apartheid.”
He said Awolowo negotiated Nigeria’s independence just as Mandela did, adding that it would amount to a “hype” to think that there were differences in what the two leaders essentially fought for in their respective countries to end colonisation.
Ofeimun said, “I am too much of an Awolowo man not to see that the process of moving into independence in South Africa and in Nigeria followed exactly the same pattern. It was based on a negotiated settlement. The liberation struggle did not create the end of apartheid. It was a negotiation and Nigerians negotiated exactly the way Mandela negotiated.
“You can hype it if you like, but the pattern was exactly the same. You move from one meeting to the other, discussing politics and economics, and they successfully convinced Mandela to buy the pig in a poke of an economy and they also successfully succeeded in convincing Nigerians to buy the pig in a poke of an economy.
“The only man in Nigeria, who stood up against it, was (Obafemi) Awolowo. He was quickly jailed and all his men scattered across the prisons in Nigeria. Some driven abroad and the educational system that he had put in place was smashed.”
While choosing Awolowo above the late anti-apartheid leader, Ofeimun said the philosophical postulations about the workings of a state put forward by Awolowo were superior to those credited to Mandela.
Insisting that Mandela could not match the stature of Awolowo, the Edo State-born poet said Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah was the only African leader that could be seen to rival Awolowo.
But according to him, Nkrumah’s ideology of pan-Africanism lacked the capacity to “save Africa’’ when compared to Awolowo’s brand of socialism.
He said, “People talk about Mandela’s capacity to put various classes (of people) together as theory, but Awolowo ironed it out very clearly, why you don’t need a class struggle, in order to create a society in which all children can go to school; in which everybody can get a job, and in which old age pensions will be paid to people.
“It is not just love and I want to emphasise that. Those who criticise Awolowo’s socialism for wanting in love are obviously basing their argument on his claim that a government should be like a sun that shines on all equally. If it is about a theory of how to bring the people together on the African continent, none is as good as the Awolowo’s and I’m not trying to pretend.
“Bring all their writings, fine phrases, alright, but reduce them to economic terms, and I can tell you that there is only one man who rivals Awolowo in this respect and that is Nkrumah. Unfortunately unlike Awolowo, Nkrumah did not believe in either a democratic or a federal theory. If you want to save Africa, you need those two.”
Asked by the interviewer why he chose Awolowo over Mandela, Ofeimun said “Yes and I will tell you why, the simple reason is that what needed to be done in South Africa, after apartheid was precisely what Awolowo wanted for Western Region and Nigeria after independence. Which is to say put every child at school, ensure that productivity takes the creativity of the individual citizen into proper focus and build the relationship between people and not on whether they did not love each other? But whether there is justice and equality.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Continue deceiving yourself old man! Awolowo had nothing in common in mandela if he did the western region crisis would have been averted and we wouldnt have had the first coup in Nigeria. world history will forever remember mandela and not awolowo. this is evident in the number of goodwill messages and world leaders that attended his funeral. Have nothing against awolowo but comparing him to Mandela is way off the mark.
ReplyDeleteI am sure u were bt a toddler wen Pa Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo died in 1987. If it were now, more acolades would hv gone to him dn Madiba. However, these ppl died heroic death, what will be said of u?
DeleteEveryone knows that already. In fact, all African liberation leaders are far greater than Mandela in every respect. Mandela's 'greatness' is a creation of the West who made him their god because he forgave them. That's his only claim to greatness; forgive the whites of their heinous crimes against your people even without their consent and you are a 'great' man. Even if your people are living in the worst of human conditions without the ability to think on their own. Even if your people are so battered mentally that they lack basic human pride and dignity, still sucking up to their white masters. Just forgive those white masters and your 'greatness' is assured. Of course they will deploy their mass media to ensure you are so 'idolized', While making sure the rest African leaders who genuinely wanted and promoted/promoting African total emancipation from whites domination is branded negatively in their media.
ReplyDelete@AnonymousJanuary 2, 2014 at 8:49 AM Yes I agree with what you say about Madiba but Awolowo = Genocide. So how you wan do am?
ReplyDeleteWhat a big joke. Please do not deceive yourselves and stop this nonsense already. So you would have preferred he put south africa into perpetual war because of the years of apartheid? South Africa remains a great nation today because he did not allow silly divisions to hold them back, the same silly divisions that continue to hold us back in Nigeria, the same silly divisions that are making you to "attempt" comparing Awo to Mandela.
ReplyDeleteAwolowo was a regional leader who truncated democracy in the old western region, which lead to the first coup. Mandela was a national leader who became an international figure by living an examplary life as the president of South Africa
ReplyDeletePls, let us be realistic personally i will not condem Awo,it quit obvious dat d 2 leaders worthy of emullation in all ramifiction,but madiba is exceptional 4 d reasons u and i know
ReplyDeleteThis Odia Ofeimun must be retarded! I have no problem with you admiring your idol, but to compare your Awolowo with Mandela, in their impact on their respective societies/countries, is like comparing night & day. No matter your brilliance as an economic manager, etc, as a leader, if you're tackless & vindictive, as Awolowo was, your impact on history will be greatly reduced outside your immediate stock of followers. If Mandela had Awolowo's mindset, South Africa would be worse off than Zimbabwe today. So, Mr. Ofeimun, go & worship your Awolowo in your bedroom, & stop ridiculing yourself by comparing him with Mandela.
ReplyDeletey is it dat yoruba pple always like to make noise in every thing.?how can u compay awo with mandela?
ReplyDeleteThe few comments here just.confirm.that Nieria will.remain like.this... underdeveloped and poor, until its broken int its contituent states. Its becos majority of Nigerians reason with their tribe rather than.their brain. Thats why most will never see the logic of Odias proposition, which by.the way.is purely academic as both men are dead.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely no basis for this comparison. Whilst both men were specially gifted, one was a tribal leader, whilst the other was a world leader.
ReplyDeletewisdom comes with knowledge. The second commenter demonstrated both qualities. That is the gospel truth about whites.
ReplyDeletemind you Awolowo would have been a national and even a world but the rest of Nigeria do not like him because he was a radical fellow and a revolutionist whose impact on western Nigeria is being felt Today fearing that he would make the yorubas more pronounced in Nigeria and that is why they worship him . To my own reasoning Africa needs People of such who will liberate us from white domination
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to compare Awolowo to Mandela because you had free education from Awolowo on regional basis. Awolowo was a tribal leader who gave free education to Yorubas alone. In terms of fighting for Nigeria's independence, where do you place Zik of Africa? Awolowo was not Awo of Africa but Awo of Yorubas. That Igbos are being marginalized today was the handiwork of Awolowo. I don't know where you got the fact that Nigerians have benefited from Awolowo's leadership. You are free to worship him but don't make it general. Mandela is by far greater than Awolowo almost in all respects.
ReplyDelete