Remembering Great Zik Of Africa, 20 Years After

                                     

His memorial this year was not marked. All the television and radio networks did not even give it a mention. But, it is indeed a reality that 20 years ago, exactly on May 11, 1996, the father of modern Nigeria and the architect of Nigeria’s independence, 

Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha, joined his ancestors. It was indeed sad that the political class, many of whom claimed to be his political philosophy, veteran media gurus, many of who caught their teeth under him, and thousands of social activists who imbibed his idea of comradeship, could not even hold any event in his honour. 

But, it is indeed a fact that the Zik of Africa, and Father of Nigerian nationalism, strode like a colossus in the nation’s political environment for decades, and indeed, with the collaboration of other founding fathers of the nation, like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and the late Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, helped to bring into being what we have today as a modern Nigeria. That the nation survives as a nation till today not withstanding its myriads of challenges shows  that these founding fathers did not waste their time, their efforts were not in vain, where their dreams of the nation will never die. Dr Azikiwe was indeed a true Nigerian. 

An Igbo by origin, he was born on November 16, 1904 at Zungeru, Northern Nigeria and played his politics in the Western Region, particularly Lagos. Since he died 20 years ago, apart from the initial show of public speeches and promises, nothing much have been to immortalise his name, except perhaps the naming of the Abuja International Airport after him and may be a hall at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) after him. 

The state of his mausoleum is nothing to write home about, compared to promises of making the place a historical centre of sort.

No Foundation, No Immemorial For Zik

It is sad that while foundations and memorial organisations were set up to immortalise the legacies of heroes in other parts of this country and indeed the world, nothing is done for the coming generations to remember this heroes of Nigerian nationalism.

 For instance, a foundation setup in honour of Chief Obafemi Awolowo by his family and associates, recently drew crowd to Ikenne, his home place where people were busy for days eulogising the late sage and stressing the need for the present and future generations, especially the progressives to emulate him. It is an annual event . Also an organisation founded in honour of the late lawyer cum activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN drew activists together in Lagos recently to imbibe in people the political ideology of the Senior Advocate of the Masses (SAM). 

When heroes are thus remembered and honoured, a new political culture is developed while the present crop of leaders would know that they are not wasting time serving the people in honesty and faithfulness. But, for the late Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe, no one remembered his 20th immemorial, either in the states or in the Aso Rock for the former Governor General and first Nigerian President. The only one who remembered was Maxi Okwu, the chieftain of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) who left a one-paragraph remark in remembrance of the late here in his Facebook Group. 

On it, the politician cum lawyer said: “Twenty years ago, today, May 11, 1996, the father of modern Nigeria and the architect of Nigeria’s independence, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Owelle Onira passed on. May he continue to rest in peace and may his labour and sacrifice for Naija not be in vain.”  The family of the late leader, all the South East socio-political organizations and pressure groups could not mention Zik, either in public advertisements, press statements or even hold any event in his honour.

 It has been so since his death. One begins to wonder why South East does not honour its heroes. Even the Ohanaeze Ndigbo seems not to bother about the past leaders. For instance, since after the burial of Ikemba Emeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, everyone seems to have forgotten the Eze Ndigbo Gburu Gburu. Even his party, the APGA, do not hold events to remember him, except the two occasions the party’s former National Chairman, 

Chief Victor Umeh, took few people on a weeping trip to Ojukwu’s graveside to get public sympathy when APGA seemed to be slipping away from his grip. Ndigbo seem to forget ‘The Labour of the heroes past” as soon as they leave the scene.

Okwu, Anike Explain Neglect

Mazi Okwu, a lawyer and politician who is a Zik’s admirer informed that by the time the former president died, his political children in the then Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) scattered, and many went to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), unlike the Chief Awlowo’s political children who remained intact united from the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to Alliance for Democracy (AD), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Okwu maintained that even if the Federal Government, for whatever reason, forget to honour or remember Zik, the South East governors, especially the governor of Anambra State should take it as their duty to do so. Okwu stressed: “Zik if the Father of Modern Nigeria. He is a Philosopher. 

He was Zik of Africa. Most early African leaders looked up to him, and even Awo conceded that Zik was Number One and that he was Number Two.” He said that Ohanaeze Ndigbo cannot do enough honour to Zik because it is a cultural and not political organisation, stressing that “The South East governors, especially the Anabra State government should try and build the Ziks Mausoleum which has been abandoned for years.” Okwu however disclosed that he is championing the resurrection of Zik’s Annual Lecture, adding, “Zik’s Annual Lecture will be taken up by some of us who believe in Zik.” Hon. Charles Anike, National President, Eastern Union, a body which comprises of  all the states in the former Easter Region, attributed the non celebration of Zik to the neglect of South East leaders.

 He maintained that it is not only Zik that is being neglected, adding that even the Ikemba Nnewi, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and other past Igbo leaders have been forgotten. Anike stated that South East political leaders ought to have annual events to honour the past heroes, an action, he maintained should not be left to only those in government, as the church and traditional institutions should also be part of instituting such honours. 

According to him, “We talk of political leaders because they have the voice. I advise that the South East leaders, especially the five state governors should see honouring our pasty heroes as a duty that must be done. Today, no one even remembers the soccer heroes who did the nation and the region proud. “South East leaders should know that if they fail to remember such heroes, they too will be not be remembered. 

The five governors should come together to see what should be institutionalised so that Ndigbo should be should come together to honour our past heroes.” For those who may have forgotten and for the younger one who may not know or read in the history books, here is a brief on Zik, released by ChatAfrik Network  which indicates  why he deserves to be greatly honored not only by Ndigbo, but by all Nigerians.

Zik’s Early Life and Education

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904-1996) was one of the foremost Nigerian and West African nationalists and the first president of Nigeria. He was born on November 16, 1904, of Igbo parents in Zungeru, Northern Nigeria, where his father worked as a clerk in the Nigerian Regiment. His parents gave him the name Benjamin, but he later changed it to Nnamdi. 

He attended school in Onitsha, Lagos, and Calabar. In 1921, when he discontinued his secondary school education, he was fluent in the languages of the three major ethnic groups of Nigeria, the Hausa, the Igbo, and the Yoruba, a major asset for the future Nigerian nationalist. Between 1921 and 1924, he worked as a clerk in the Nigerian treasury in Lagos. In 1925, Azikiwe went to the United States to study.

 He attended Storer College and then Howard and Lincoln universities. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Lincoln in 1931 and advanced degrees from Lincoln in 1932 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1933. 

As a black penurious student (nicknamed Zik), Azikiwe worked at a wide range of mostly lowly jobs and was frequently a victim of racial discrimination. His American experience was certainly a source of his pan-African patriotism. Between 1932 and 1934, he taught Political Science at Lincoln University. At this time, he began to write seriously, and his productions reflected his pan-African inclination.

 He devised a “Syllabus for African History” and wrote a book, Liberia in World Politics (1934), in defence of the black republic. In 1937, he published Renascent African, the most important single expression of his pan-African ideology.

Newspaper Career

In 1934, Azikiwe returned to Nigeria and accepted an offer to edit the African Morning Post, a new daily newspaper in Accra, Ghana, which he quickly made into an important organ of nationalist propaganda. In 1937, he returned to Lagos and founded the West African Pilot, which became “a fire-eating and aggressive nationalist paper of the highest order.”

 In the next decade, Azikiwe controlled six daily newspapers in Nigeria: two in Lagos and four strategically placed in the urban centers of Ibadan, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, and Kano. These played a crucial role in stimulating Nigerian nationalism. To support his business ventures and to express his economic nationalism, Azikiwe founded the African Continental Bank in 1944

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Political Career

Azikiwe also became directly involved in political movements. In 1937, he joined the Nigerian Youth Movement, leaving it for the Nigerian National Democratic Party in 1941. In 1944, on Azikiwe’s initiative, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) was founded to “weld the heterogeneous masses of Nigeria into one solid block.”

 Azikiwe was elected the Council’s General Secretary and in 1946 its President. In this period, his major political writings, apart from his newspaper articles, were Political Blue Print of Nigeria and Economic Reconstruction in Nigeria (both 1943). Between 1947 and 1960, Azikiwe, as leader of the NCNC, held a number of elected public offices. 

He was a member of the Nigerian Legislative Council (1947- 1951), member of the Western House of Assembly (1952-1953), Premier of the Eastern Region (1954-1959), and President of the Nigerian Senate (1959-1960). During these years, he had continued to play the single most vigorous role in Nigeria’s march towards independence. 

While Premier, he greatly expanded educational facilities in the Eastern Region and laid the foundation of the University of Nigeria at Nsukka (UNN), formally opened in September 1960. On October 1, 1960, Nigeria became independent, and Azikiwe was appointed Governor General with the Prime Ministership going to Sir Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Deputy Governor General of the Northern People Congress (NPC), the largest single party of the federation. On October 1, 1963, Nigeria became a Republic, and Azikiwe was named its first President, a position he held until he was deposed by the military coup of January 15, 1966. 

During the Nigerian-Biafran civil war, May 1967-January 1970, Azikiwe at first reluctantly supported Biafra, but in August 1969 came out against Biafran secession and in favour of a united Nigeria. From 1978-1983, Azikiwe led the Nigeria People’s Party (NPP); he was the NPP’s candidate in the presidential elections of 1979 and 1983. He retired from politics in 1986.

Ejikeme Omenazu, independentnig,com