By Ayodele Fagbohun

The name,  Obafemi Awolowo will continue to resonate in the nation’s psyche as long as the current political ruling class is still struggling hard to get it right and finds its feet in good governance as it appears elusive and unattainable in view of the reckless pillage of nation’s fragile economy by some of government functionaries.

The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a legal luminary, the first premier of Western Nigeria, erudite and accomplished nationalist politician of high repute 31st post humous birthday was celebrated recently at his Ikenne country home in Ogun state by Hon. Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

This outstanding foremost political prodigy holds the field in political discourse and remains ever controversial in death. What is more, Obafemi Awolowo aptly described on his last birthday on earth on March 6, 1987 by a controversial military self styled president, the then head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) as the “main issues” in the contemporary Nigeria’s politics.

Indeed, Awolowo continues to remain the main issue even after his transition 38 years ago.

This, perhaps as a result of the dearth of able and right ideological oriented leaders around the country beckoning in the nick of time to stem the drift and salvage the nation from the rudderlessness and socio-political quagmires the past governments willfully plunged the nation. The nation is yet to fully recover from the apparent lack of vision and right ideological framework of our “new breed” politicians trained by the military adventurers who deliberated hijacked political powers for selfish and ulterior motives.

The man, Awolowo imbued with spartan self discipline and magnetic personality which attracted sizeable number of eminent scholars, like professors Sam Aluko, Hezekiah Oluwasanmi and a retinue of political eggheads, Chiefs Michael Adekunle Ajasin, S. O. Awokoya, Anthony Enahoro, Bola Ige, Lateef Kayode Jakande, Bisi Onabanjo, Mofolorunso Alli, Michael Omisade, to mention a few that were responsible for good government in the Western Region on which Obafemi Awolowo  held sway as premier.

The introduction of free education by Awolowo led Action Group (AG) party administration in the Western Region of Nigeria was a ground breaking innovative milestone that took the whole country by storm.

The scheme was blindly copied and incorporated into Obasanjo/Murtala Mohammed Military junta as Universal Primary Education (UPE) after 20 years of huge and exponential success, wind of positive change and transformation for Nigeria as emerging federal republic.

It was an ambitious and populist programme and a pivot around which other equally important lofty policies of government revolved. Every human effort and weapons in the arsenal was geared towards, the success of free education, first of its kind in the country, as an engine of meaningful development and rapid progress in education and enlightenment of the people, the grassroots in education and enlightenment of the people, the grassroots and entire polity in all its ramifications.

Other programmes like free medical services, access to pipe-borne water, electricity supply; to nip in the bud rural/urban drift were pursued with great vigour leaving absolutely nothing in the government coffers to gratify personal aggrandizement and other trivial matters as the norm and what obtains in the present day political dispensation.

Awolowo and his team took husbandry and frugality as their watchword in government business. Hence the administration’s astonishing superlative records of success which were non paralleled. Awolowo administration built the Cocoa House, a sky rising edifice to boost the morale of farmers and dignify their labour. Liberty stadium, a television station, the first in Africa south of Sahara all in Ibadan and University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

These solid architectural designs were first of its kind, the best and cynosure in black Africa. No wonder, the sobriquet “pace-setter” conferred on Western Region of Nigeria still sticks permanently to this day!

Unfortunately and alas! In spite of the enormous chunk of the national resources sunk in the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo junta was unable to declare free education in the post Primary and Tertiary institution. His junta also failed calamitously to develop and improve upon  the infrastructure and to consolidate good government.

In this connection, it is very ironic and lamentable, that the unfortunate military coup staged by Major General Buhari/Idi-Agbon ousted the constitutional government of the Second Republic. The progressive administration of the banned Unity Party of Nigeria (UPE) controlled administration of Lateef Jakande (Lagos), Bisi Onabanjo (Ogun), Bola Ige (Oyo), Micheal Adekunle Ajasin (Ondo) and Ambrose Alli (Bendel) were abruptly terminated.

Futile attempts by the succeeding administrations both civil and military to replicate Awolowo laudable programmes of action it was a grim story of aping mimicry and finally resulted in instilling the mere caricature of Awolowo scheme, dotting mere veneers of Awolowo’s undying legacies across the nooks and crannies of the eight (8) states roughly conterminous with the defunct Western Nigeria from Lagos to Asaba, the present Delta state.

Most of the governors and military administrators at the helm of affairs, at  one time or the other, brazenly perverted the erstwhile laudable schemes in place. Some openly condemned free education as not feasible whilst a certain civilian governor in the land of honour. Governor Peter Ayo Fayose of People’s Democratic Party in Ekiti State confessed publicly his sheer inability to venture into a scheme of free education as he lacked the stamina and requisite know how to embark on such a gargantuan project the was at sea!.

What we can behold now, to the people’s chagrin and dismay is the ashamedly donning of fez caps in sheer imitation of Awo’s cap going cap in  hands to the inner sanctorum of Ikenne home of the late sage to pay pious and empty homage making false and tragic assertions and puerile claims having done incalculable injustice and injury on the works of indomitable Awo.

Some only visisted  Ikenne home of Awolowo as a tourist centre and unwanted pilgrims to disturb, distract and  “murder” Baba’s sleep and the result is a foregone conclusion!

Against this backdrop, Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) Ekiti chapter deserved kudos for organizing a unique carnival like programme on the post humorous birthday of the late sage I am not, however surprised that this positive initiatives emanated from the land of honour since Ekiti people are in majority, the essential true vanguards and the bulwark of Awolowo’s brand of social democratic and welfarist politics.

Inspite of the general lull and utter despondency in the political activities across the country due to the great and dishonest behaviour of some political leaders. There are always silver linings behind every dark cloud, come rain or high waters. Awolowo’s legacies especially free education must be re-introduced and pursued aggressively especially in the south west geo political zone.

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the erstwhile governor of Ekiti should be commended for his rare courage and hitting the nail on the head and promised that All Progressives’ Congress (APC) would definitely restore and rejuvenate the defunct UPN four cardinal point programmes in the South West in the foreseeable future.

Let’s face it, the country is no doubt at crossroad. It only requires the intervention of men and women of public spiritedness to brace all odds and put things in proper shape through constitutional means. That is the surest path to our development and progress as a nation.

The elected governors must work in team in the constituent states to consolidate the beauty of democracy in their respective domain.

For emphasis, our democratically elected governors must consolidate democracy and good government as elucidated in the writings, norms and best practice of our ideological oriented leaders in public administration especially Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s experiment in the defunct Western Region.

When Sir Ahmadu Bello of Fulani’s, the Sadauna of Sokoto and first premier of Northern Region boasted and threatened to dip Quar’an in the sea i.e to overrun and “islamise” the entire country, Nigeria. Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Yoruba) and Sir Bello’s contemporary in the West dared him and rose in stout defence of Yorubanation.

Sir Ahmadu Bello recoiled to his cocoon! That is the type of pragmatic leadership we need at this material time to move the nation forward!