Awolowo, a Good Tree that Did not live Long

An adage says "the good tree does not live long in the forest". This adage is connected to our own hero in Nigeria especially among the Yoruba's.  A nationalist who took a major role in the fight for our independence in Nigeria, the first to be named the asiwaju of Omo oodua, and the political leader of the Yoruba people. This is no other person than Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo, the first premier of the defunct Western region of Nigeria.

Chief Obafemi was born may 6, 1909, a native of Ikenne in Ogun state. He was the voice of the masses responsible for most of the progress in Nigeria till date. In his quest for Nigeria to be independent, he founded "Nigeria tribune", the oldest surviving Nigeria Newspaper.

I will say chief Awolowo is the best President Nigeria never had and this was manifested through his various achievements when he was alive. Chief Awolowo was the first leader to introduce free education in Nigeria. When I say free, it was free indeed; free textbooks, exercise books, in short, all the things needed for education to be imparted on his people were freely provided by this late Icon. It is obvious most of our present leaders benefited from this kind gesture that can only be found in history books these days.

What has the free education established by this our hero turned to? This is another topic entirely. Sometimes I say to myself, why wasn't I born during the era of this legend? He did not only offer opportunity to get educated freely, he also offer free health care and other dividend of democracy.

What triggered me most about this legend is his involvement in agricultural sector of this great country. He made an extraordinary effort on agriculture especially cocoa and rubber which were the basic stake of the region's economy. He financed the free education and free health care through the highly lucrative cocoa industry. Chief Awolowo constructed the first skyscraper in tropical Africa named cocoa house in Dugbe, Ibadan. He launched the first Televisoin station in Africa called Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) now known as Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

His extraordinary contributions to agriculture led to the conferment of an important award on him recently by the republic of Israel 30 years after his death.

Legendary Awolowo lives on; University of Ile Ife was renamed Obafemi awolowo University (OAU) in his honour. His image is also on the 50 naira note we spend everyday.

 This country will continue to miss this hero especially now that the country is in a dying need for an hero. He died the same month he was born, that is in may 9, 1987 at 78 years of age. He survived by a wife who is now late and children.

Reported by Olugbodi Florence.