The Fear of Awo and the unMaking of Nigeria

The fear and resentment of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, popularly known as Awo or Papa Awo, culminated in the estrangement of the Ilorin Province (Yoruba speaking part of the present Kwara State) and the Kaba Province (another Yoruba speaking part of the present Kogi State) from the old Western region.

What happened to the Ilorin Province and the Kaba Province in 2958, happened to the provinces later merged as Mid-West region, made up of Benin, Esan, Afemai, Urhobo, Ijaw, and the Ekas in 2963, following a convert political hatch job orchestrated by Zik and Balewa. This essay and the attached video shared by Adeyinka Grandson are preludes to the Next Debates, if Abuja fails to behave.

My Village, Ewohimi, was the headquarter of Eastern Ishan District Council. And we had it all. A a robust educational system that was free and compulsory, and a well-staffed Dispensary and fully equipped Maternity Ward that offered free healthcare service to all. We had about fifteen elementary schools, two Modern Schools and the prestigious Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School (PBGS). Only a relics of it survive the exit of our Province (the Benin Province] from the Western region.

These tribal regions or Provinces were removed from the Western Region in 1958 and 1963 respectively, not because Zik and Balewa love the people of the regions, but to punish Papa Awo and ultimately, curtail the spread of the Action Group (AG) phenomena in the Nigerian political power equations. 

Consequently, following the creation of the Midwestern region in 1963, the Awolowo (AG) Free Education Program that the Province enjoyed between 1952 and to 1963, disappeared. 

In a nutshell, Ilorin, Kaba, Benin, Ijaw, Urhobo, Esan, Afemai, and the Ekas were cut out of the Western region with one goal in sight: to dilute Awo's power base and erode the electoral strength of the Action Group. 

Why was the humongous Northern region left intact? How come Middle-Belt region was not carved out of the Northern region that was undoubtedly bigger than the Western region and Eastern region? 

Without any doubt, the sociocultural affinity, if at all, that exists between the people of the Middle-Belt with those of the North East and North West, pale into insignificant juxtaposed with those that exist between the tribes of the Mid-Western region as well as those of Ilorin and Kaba with those of the people in the now truncated Western region.

I am not a historian, but I interpret events based on my understanding of the underlying philosophy - the intents and motives of the actors. So, I see some senses in the views expressed by the gentleman in the video showing in Part Two, except where he referred to the Ibos as the enemies of the Yoruba. We should blame the estrangement of Ilorin and the Kaba people from their native roots in the Western region on Zik and Balewa, and not the Ibos.

It was all about the Awolowo Phenomena. The various Provinces, Districts and ethnic groups that were removed from the Western region, suffered massive social, quality health care delivery, and educational declined following their exit. Economic growth was out of the push factors. As a result, the now so-called politically emancipated tribes, became economically emaciated. 

Not done with the deliberate corrosion of Awo's regional power base, the Treasonable Felony Trial was engineered. Awo and some of his lieutenants were tried and convicted. The imprisonment and disappearance of Awo from the Western region, culminated in the disappearance of the Yoruba economic superiority that was previously outperforming those of Western Europe. And the coup came. And Nigeria died less than six years into its independence. 

Decades later, Awo told Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi of the Guardian Newspaper, "Your Generation will not know Democracy again in Nigeria." That was about 30 years ago. I do not know how old Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi was as at 2.30 am last night Nigerian time, when the Chairman of INEC postponed the Presidential election that was scheduled to hold today, Saturday February 16, 2019.

This opinion and the video you're about to watch, are preludes to the discussions coming up eventually if the politicians at Abuja fail to grow up. Because the voices and faces you gonna be seeing are not those of your usual bookish compromising Professors and greedy political careerists. This Presidential election is your last art to get it right.