“THEY WERE NOT FANTASTICALLY CORRUPT”
I was reading an old Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN) publications, and I am compelled to share my experiences and information with the younger generation. The labours of our Heroes past shall not be in vain. A reflection of the lives and times of the old generation politicians shows a sharp contrast with the present day billionaire politicians. You cannot point to any old politician that is a millionaire, talkless of being a billionaire. The latest Dansukigate/ Dieziangate reveals how billions of naira were shared amongst our politicians, for what seem now for personal reasons. The focal point is just on six veteran old politicians from the six geographical regions of Nigeria, who greatly contributed to Nigeria’s independence but never amassed wealth from the nations treasury for any reason what’s ever. It will be a serial article, but for now let’s read about six notable but unsung Nigerian politicians in this era of fantastically corrupt politicians, these individuals were rare breed of Nigerians.
Habib Raji Abdalla
Raji Abdalla was a Senior Wireless Monitor and Announder with the Posts and Telegraphs Department. The writings in the West African Pilot, which was Zik’s paper made him to revolt against the discriminatory behaviour of the British White Colonial master as at that time.
During one of his working annual leave, young Raji decided to utilize his annual vacation towards educating the masses on the white man’s usurpation of Nigeria’s political administration. He delivered a lecture under the auspices of the Northern Elements Progressive Union in Sokoto, challenging the British Authority in Nigeria in 1947. He later joined the Zikist Movement, which was very popular then. His pragmatism and sense of purpose made him to be elected as the President General of the Zikist Movement in 1947, and at Glover Memorial Hall Lagos. Raji Abdalla delivered a thought provoking public lecture titled “What is Zikism”?.
When he resumed work, and returned to his post in Kano, he received a government query asking him to deny or confirm his public lecture at Glover Memorial Hall on 11th August 1947. The Government alleged that the public had access to it and that it was politically inciting in nature, and he did not get permission as a public servant from His Excellency, the Governor or the Secretary of State to deliver such a lecture.
Radical Raji Abdalla owned up and he was sacked from the P & T job. He later left Kano and launched into full time political activism. In 1948 he delivered another lecture on “the rewards and penalties of leadership”. The theme and vocal point was primarily on how to win freedom and MAKE NIGERIA A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN. Later, he and another nationalist legend, who is still alive presently, Osita Agwuna, unrepentant author of “A CALL FOR REVOLUTION” and many other nationalist and Zikist were arrested for “uttering sedition”, contrary to section 51 of the then Criminal Code of Nigeria as administered by the Colonial Masters.
Raji Abdalla owned up to all the charges and told the British Justice Creeg, I quote him “…if you sincerely believe that it is a crime to fight for freedom, then by all means condemn me to death. Were I to be set free today, I cannot give assurance to muzzle my tongue….proceed to fulfill the pleasure of those who put you there. As for me my conscience is clear. I shall be satisfied to leave the final verdict to God and his unfathomable river of time….”
Raji Abdalla was later jailed for two years and he went to serve his prison term. His ideas stuck and the fight from National freedom continued. With the achievement of Nigeria’s independence and with the attendant discovery of petrol, oil and rapid development in Nigeria till date, “God and his unfathomable river of time” vindicated the cause for which Raji fought and was jailed. The moral lesson is that he believed in a better and free Nigeria and was not jailed for bribery, corruption or stealing. I doubt if the Nigeria Government and State has shown sufficient gratitude to one of our old heroes, who graciously and selflessly fought for Nigeria’s independence.
Michael Imoudu
Michael Imoudu was born at Ora in 1902 in the Benin Province. He was orphaned at the age of 12. He was a houseboy to a policeman and later had his primary educational careers in towns like Ora, Sapele, Warri, Onitsha and Agbor. It was at Agbor that his radicalism and love for human welfare started. Young Imoudu organized his fellow school children to demonstrate and protest against the mismanagement of their empire (as national Independence Day was called then) day funds. This made the authorities of the day to dismiss the headmaster of young Imoudu. Because of that spectacular achievement Michael Imoudu pledged and decided to dedicate the rest of his youthful and adult life to fight for the rights of the under priviledged, the down-trodden and the “forgotten masses” in the society. Imoudu would have made a significant impact in Nigeria now, in this era of the increase in the pump price of petrol which has adversely affected the lives of the masses in Nigeria. Prices of basic commodities has skyrocketed and the masses are finding life really difficulty.
Imoudu joined the Nigerian Railway Corporation in 1928, but started his activism in 1942, when he successfully organized and got registered the Railway Workers Union. History has it on record that it was the first registered labour union, and this won young Imoudu, the accolade of LABOUR LEADER NO 1.
During Sir Bernard’s regime as Governor General in Nigeria, Imoudu organized an active but famous protests by Railway, Post Workers Department (PWD) and other Nigerian workers, who marched to the then Government House in Nigeria. Before the Governor General, Sir Bernard Bourdillan, Imoudu made an impassioned speech which centered on the basic demands;
(a) The African/Nigeria workers demand leave with pay. Since the European workers have paid leave.
(b) The Nigerian/African workers demand for pension, since the European workers were receiving pension on retirement.
(c) The Nigerian/African workers demand for better conditions of service, since the European worker is given better conditions of service and preferential treatment.
Imoudu was able to achieve all these demands.
Again in 1964, he played a major role in helping to united All Nigeria workers under a center umbrella, known as the Joint Action Committee (JAC) which won the Morgan recommendations for the Nigeria workers. JAC was later dissolved and this made Imoudu unhappy. Imoudu fought to defend Nigerian workers against those who exploited and persecuted them, even in their fatherland, not minding whether they are fellow Nigerians or foreigners.
Michael Imoudu later joined forces with Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe to demand and agitate for independence for Nigeria. Independence was won, but Imoudu’s next focus was on the economic independence of Nigeria workers. He opined, “the Nigerian workers and peasants joined the Nationalist leaders and won political independence without economic independence”.
To him, “Nigeria’s political independence was akin to having a footballer, who has no legs to play the football”. “The leg is the economic power of the workers political independence, without economic independence is not real independence”. Nigeria workers are suffering in the midst of plenty”.
In all his life, Michael Imoudu was never charged for court for bribery, corruption or embezzlement. In fact, he wanted independent minded union leaders. He was against union leaders like we have them now, who are interested in amassing wealth. He was against union leaders who own mansions and cannot organize Nigeria workers. He detested union leaders that take bribes form the government to subvert the interest of the Nigeria workers. He was against money hungry officials who crew the hands of the trade unionism backwards.
Many years after Michael Imoudu’s death Nigerian workers are still poorly paid, maltreated, ill-treated, under priviledged, down-trodden, insulted and are owed salaries for so many months, without the possibility of receiving it in their lifetime. Their take home pay, cannot take them home.
In June 1960, Nigeria’s labour leader Michael Imoudu and his associates were released after serving their three months imprisonment in connection with rioting charges during the “Emerson must go” demonstration by Nigerian Railway workers. After coming out from prison, Imoudu broke into a church hymn, “forth in thy name Oh Lord I go”, and declared to rededicate himself to Nigeria worker’s cause.
Oba Samuel Akinsanya “Odemo of Ishara”
Samuel Akinsanya, who later became the Odemo of Ishara, was born in August 1898. He was educated at Anglican School, Ishara and later worked with the British Bank of West Africa. Young Samuel, together with the true Nigerians of yesteryears like Ernest Ikoli, Herbert Macaulay and many other young men, founded the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) which was the first nationally oriented organization in Nigeria. NYM was the first national organization and party to ask for independence and self-government for Nigeria from the Colonial masters. It was on the basis of this agitation by Samuel Akinsanya, that Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe and Chief Obafemi Awolowo came in political prominence and eminence in Nigeria.
In 1941, Samuel Akinsanya lost an election to the legislative council. It was a year of decision for him, whether to stay in Lagos and re-contest or not. His people want him to return to Odemo to his kith and kin. Was he to continue with Lagos politics or go back to Odemo.
A newspaper editorial of those days, made the decision easier and faster for Samuel Akinsanya, “Go home Akinsanya. The motto of your party is service. So go home and serve your people in Odemo, if you are really serious about service”.
So Samuel Akinsanya yielded to his people’s request and in July 1941, he was installed as the then famous Oba Afonlade II, the Odemo of Ishara. He never amassed wealth and was he for anytime charged for high level corruption, which is the mantra of Nigeria politicians and their public service accomplices. All are alleged to be fantastically corrupt now.
Mazi Mbonu Ojike
Mazi (which means Mr) Mbonu Ojike was born in 1914 at Arondizwogu in the present day Abia State in 1914. Young Mbonu was educated at Awka Training School. He later proceeded to the United States of America (USA) precisely to University of Pennsyluania, Illinois and Chicago, and graduated with B.Sc and M.Sc in Economics.
As a secondary school teacher, Mbonu Ojike led his colleagues in the teaching profession to protest and strike for better conditions of service for teachers in Nigeria. The European manager of the Anglican Schools in Nigeria, tried to soften the young radical teachers of that time, and Mbonu Ojike with tears in his eyes cried out “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. Mbonu Ojike would not be softened and he retorted, “give me the crown and let my head suffer uneasiness”.
Mbonu’s contribution to Nigeria’s independence lies in his campaign that the Nigeria’s customs and traditions were as good as that of the white colonial masters and others. Before this time, Nigerian politicians usually wore English/American suits to political and official engagements. Mazi Mbonu Ojike was noted for this political message “boycott all boycottabales”, “foreign goods and customs go back to your land”.
He wore the “Agbada” and drank from cow horns and ate Fufu and Eba with his bare hands instead of the normal fork and knife. Mazi Mbonu Ojike proved that he could wear the crown of political agitator. This earned him the title of “Boycott King”. How many of our present day politicians are known for anything special and unique. Mbonu was never charged to court for embezzlement of public funds.
At National Council of Nigerian Citizen (NCNC) rallies, he usually began his speeches by singing Negro Spiritual and Freedom songs, and that earned him the second nickname of “Freedom Choirmaster”. Mbonu Ojike believed that Nigeria and Africans can really be free, and must have economic independence, and he was aware that colonialism was synonymous with economic strangulator. He was later made the then Eastern Nigeria Minister of Finance.
Mbonu was really a colourful politician with very original Nigeria ideas. This he exposed in his two famous books, “My Africa”, and “I have two countries”. At his death and burial, a Nigerian famous musician sang a record in his honour, “big men have died, small men have died, Nigeria will never forget Mazi Mbonu Ojike”, the Boycott King, Boycottal, Boycottable.
Chief Anthony Enahoro
Anthony Enahoro was born in 1928 and educated at the prestigious Kings College Lagos. Young Enahoro was early in life exposed to a wide mental horizon by his primary school headmaster who incidentally was his own father, who introduced him to the life of being a detribalized Nigerian.
At 21 Chief Enahoro became the Editor in Chief of the Southern defender in Warri. Two years later he was made the Editor of Comet Newspaper, and was imprisoned for his famous editorial “Bravo Sir Bernand”, which the then British Colonial authorities considered as highly seditious and defamatory in Nigeria.
In 1948, when the Zikist Movement gave their lecture in the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos, titled “A call to Revolution”, Chief Enahoro chairmaned the occasion. For this again, he was imprisoned for six months. When Chief Obafemi Awolowo was tried and imprisoned for treasonable felony, Anthony Enahoro was jailed for 15 years, and was later pardoned by General Yakubu Gowon who later released him from prison.
Young Anthony Eronsele Enahoro ranks after Nehru for the number of imprisonments he underwent just for the love he had for Nigeria and for Nigerians. A foundation member of the Action Group, Chief Enahoro was elected the first member for ISHAN Division in the Western House of Assembly in 1951. From the floor of the Western House of Assembly, he got elected as a member for Ishan in the Federal House of Representatives.
In March 1953, young Anthony Enahoro became a controversial figure by being the first Nigerian to move the motion, “that the house accepts as a primary object the attainment of SELF-GOVERNMENT (independence) for Nigeria in 1956.
Soon after the motion was proposed Ibrahim Iman of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) rose to move the amendment seeking that the specific date of 1956 be replaced with the phrase “as soon as practicable”. This rent the Federal House in an uproar as the motion was not carried or adopted, but it helped to quicken the tempo of Nigeria’s march to independence.
Anthony Enahoro was a great detribalized Nigeria. No record was shown of his being arrested for bribery or corruption, nor was he noted for acquiring estates in Dubai, England or America. He was not in the category of people that David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Britain referred to as fantastically corrupt. He was never a fantastically corrupt politician. He was a Nigerian, but was never involved in corruption. We have and have had very clean and incorruptible Nigerians. Better Nigerians that can compete with great men and woman of other nations.
Dr. Ayozie Daniel Ogchukwu
Federal University Lokoja,
Kogi State, Nigeria.
Phone: 07058267126
Email: danayo2001@yahoo.com
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