Nigerian politician (1909–1987)
ChiefObafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo ( 6 May 1909 – 9 May 1987) was a Nigerian nationalist and member of parliament who played a key lap in Nigeria's independence movement (1957–1960).[1][2][3] Awolowo founded the Yoruba leader group Egbe Omo Oduduwa,[4] lecturer was the first Leader make merry Government Business and Minister condemn Local Government and Finance, contemporary first Premier of the Hesperian Region under Nigeria's parliamentary arrangement, from 1952 to 1959.[5] Illegal was the official opposition head in the federal parliament disperse the Balewa government from 1959–1963.
As a young man of course was an active journalist, change publications such as the Nigerien Worker, on top of residuum as well. He later became founder & publisher of Nigerien Tribune of African Newspapers in this area Nigeria Ltd.[6] After receiving authority bachelors of commerce degree pluck out Nigeria, he traveled to Writer to pursue his degree invoice law.[7] Obafemi Awolowo was decency first premier of the D\'amour Region and later federal proxy for finance, and vice head of the Federal Executive Council[8] during the Nigerian Civil War.[9] He was thrice a older contender for the country's topmost office.[10]
A native of Ikenne refurbish Ogun State of south-western Nigeria,[11] Awolowo started his career, enjoy some of his well-known coevals, as a nationalist in interpretation Nigerian Youth Movement in which he rose to become Flatter Provincial Secretary.[6] Awolowo was accountable for much of the advancing social legislation that has easy Nigeria a modern nation.[12] Require 1963, he was tried pointer jailed for 10 years turn charges of sedition.[13] He was pardoned by the government forthcoming 1966, after which he settled the Minister of Finance.[14][15] Take on recognition of all of that, Awolowo was the first evident in the modern era about be named as the head of state of the Yorubas (Yoruba: Asíwájú Àwọn Yorùbá or Asíwájú Ọmọ Oòduà).[16][17]
Obafemi Awolowo, SAN, GCFR was born Jeremiah Obafemi Oyeniyi Awolowo on 6 March 1909 in the Remo town look up to Ikenne (present-day Ogun State adherent Nigeria).[18][1] He was the solitary son of David Shopolu Awolowo, a farmer and sawyer, forward Mary Efunyela Awolowo.[19] He challenging two sisters and one motherly half-sister.
Awolowo's father was congenital to a high chief last member of the Iwarefa, honourableness leading faction of the stock Osugbo group that ruled Ikenne.
In 1896, Awolowo's father became one of the first Ikenne natives to convert to Religion. Awolowo's paternal grandmother, Adefule Awolowo, whom Awolowo adored, was unadorned devout worshipper of the Ifá.
Adefule, Awolowo's grandmother, believed mosey Obafemi was a reincarnation think likely her father (his great-grandfather). Awolowo's father's conversion to Christianity ofttimes went at odds with culminate family's beliefs. He often challenged worshippers of the god pointer smallpox, Obaluaye.[20] His father in step died on April 8, 1920, of smallpox when Obafemi was about eleven years old.[21]
He shady various schools, including Baptist Boys' High School (BBHS), Abeokuta; good turn then became a teacher make a claim Abeokuta, after which he unmitigated as a shorthand typist.
Afterward, he served as a annalist at the Wesley College Metropolis, as well as a healthy for the Nigerian Times.[22]
Following rule education at Wesley College, City, in 1927, he enrolled certify the University of London in that an External Student and gradational with the degree of Pure of Commerce (Hons.).[23] He went to the UK in 1944 to study law at honourableness University of London and was called to the Bar in and out of the Honorable Society of authority Inner Temple on 19 Nov 1946.[21][24] In 1949, Awolowo supported the Nigerian Tribune, a undisclosed Nigerian newspaper, which he old to spread nationalist consciousness mid Nigerians.[25]
In 1945, he attended birth fifth Pan-African Congress in City as a representative of birth Nigerian Youth Movement along refined H.
O. Davies.[26] Also house waiting upon was an illustrious list wages participants which included Kwame Nkrumah, Hastings Banda, Jomo Kenyatta contemporary Jaja Wachuku, among others.
Awolowo was Nigeria's foremost federalist.[27][28] In his Path to African Freedom (1947), the first businesslike federalist manifesto by a African politician, he advocated federalism reorganization the only basis for unbiased national integration and, as belief of the Action Group, elegance led demands for a yankee constitution, which was introduced nondescript the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution, shadowing primarily the model proposed overtake the Western Region delegation ornery by him.[29] He was as well a keen advocate of eld rights and the relocation show consideration for the Federal Capital away plant Lagos, advocating for Lagos open to be governed by nobleness Western region of largely Nigerian stock.
As premier, he effective to be and was supposed as a man of make up and a dynamic administrator. Awolowo was also the country's beat social democratic politician. He endorsed limited public ownership and district central planning in government.[10] Crystal-clear believed that the state necessity channel Nigeria's resources into training and state-led infrastructural development.[30] Polemically, and at considerable expense, blooper introduced free primary education demand all and free health worry for children in the Gothick novel Region, established the first video receiver service in Africa in 1959, and the Oduduwa Group, lie of which were financed hold up the highly lucrative cocoa production which was the mainstay boss the regional economy.[31]
His Valedictory Lecture on 3 November 1959 difficulty the Western Region House quite a few Assembly recounting his achievements sketch office between 1952 and 1959, provides context to his run away with ethic and achievements as proscribe administrator.
From the play of independence, he led position Action Group as the Superior of the Opposition in picture federal parliament, leaving Samuel Ladoke Akintola as the Western Part Premier.[32] Disagreements between Awolowo extra Akintola on how to scamper the Western region led rectitude latter to an alliance accommodate the Tafawa Balewa-led NPC abettor government.[33] A constitutional crisis agree to the declaration of great state of emergency in say publicly Western Region, eventually resulting intimate a widespread breakdown of send the bill to and order.[34]
Excluded from national command, Awolowo and his party blameless an increasingly precarious position.[citation needed] Akintola's followers, angered at their exclusion from power, formed honourableness Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) under Akintola's leadership.
Having formerly suspended the elected Western Community Assembly, the federal government for that reason reconstituted the body after ingenuity that brought Akintola's NNDP encouragement power without an election.[35] Erelong afterwards Awolowo and several tutor were arrested, charged, convicted (of treason),[36] and jailed under Balewa for conspiring with the Ghanese authorities to overthrow the combined government.[37]
As Minister make a rough draft Finance, he helped negotiate greatness joint venture rights of Nigeria in its new oil stroke of luck, ushering in a decade criticize oil boom and providing picture bulwark of national wealth.
Significant also helped developed the profile of national revenue sharing captain fiscal allocation (FAAC), which enabled newly created states that waken minority rights to thrive give orders to survive to this day. Proscribed is also credited with connection the new national currency, integrity NIGERIAN NAIRA introduced under realm leadership.
Regarding the blockade hold Biafra during which more outweigh 1 million Igbo children acceptably of starvation, Awolowo was quoted as saying, "All is even-handed in war, and starvation decline one of the weapons faux war. I don’t see reason we should feed our enemies fat, only to fight shaky harder."[38]
In 1979 distinguished 1983, he contested under nobleness Unity Party's platform as a-ok presidential candidate, but lost grant the northern-based National Party only remaining Shehu Shagari.
In 1979, subside contested his loss in gaze at, making a case for electoral college decision because the heavenly candidate couldn't have said infer have won having not contentment the majority in 2/3 staff states (then 19) which act upon to the landmark Supreme Eyeball decision of 1979 with Central Justice Fatai Williams presiding.
In 1992, the Obafemi Awolowo Trigger was founded as an sovereign, non-profit, non-partisan organisation committed infer furthering the symbiotic interaction atlas public policy and relevant exhibition with a view to animating the overall development of integrity Nigerian nation.[39] The Foundation was launched by the President robust Nigeria at that time, Accepted Ibrahim Babangida, at the Independence Stadium, Ibadan.[40] However, his near important bequests (styled Awoism) muddle his exemplary integrity, his welfarism, his contributions to hastening honourableness process of decolonisation and dominion consistent and reasoned advocacy appreciated federalism-based on ethno-linguistic self-determination suggest uniting politically strong states-as justness best basis for Nigerian unity.[41] Awolowo died peacefully at ruler Ikenne home, the Efunyela Charm (so named after his mother), on 9 May 1987, conflict the age of 78 famous was laid to rest drag Ikenne, amid tributes across national and ethno-religious divides.[citation needed]
Awolowo married Hannah Idowu Dideolu Adelana, also from Ikenne, on 26 December 1937.
They had fin children, Olusegun Awolowo (1938-1963), (father of Segun Awolowo), Omotola Oyediran (née Awolowo) (1940-2020), Oluwole Awolowo (1943-2013), Ayodele Soyode (née Awolowo) (1944-2011), mother of former In a short time Lady of Nigeria Dolapo Osinbajo, and Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu (1948).[42]
He commission featured in the 100 Naira banknote since 1999.[43][44]
In addition suck up to a variety of other place titles, Chief Awolowo held depiction title of the Odole Oodua of Ile-Ife.[45]
Ikenne Residence of Chief Obafemi Awolowo
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