Leroy Edozien: REMEMBERING AWO
Today, March 6, is the anniversary of the birth of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, GCON (06.03.09 - 09.05.87).
'Awo' was the quintessential social democrat. I subscribe to his school of political thought.
In my student days, I arranged for him to address students of the University of Ibadan (UI) but unrest on campus meant that this (and many other student activities) were shelved. The next year, a team of students met him in Lagos and invited him to UI. He told them to first obtain clearance from Leroy Edozien before he could accept their invitation, as he had previously made a commitment to me. I was stunned when the boys reported this to me. I knew he was a man of principles, a man who paid attention to detail, a man who meticulously kept records, but I didn't anticipate that he would apply these to our fleeting interaction.
This photo is the front cover of the March 1987 issue of Times International newsmagazine, celebrating Awo's 78th birthday. The intro to the cover story reàd: '[Awo] in the next two years will join the octogenarian club'. This was not to be: two months after this publication, Awo died suddenly.
The intro also described Awo as 'a man who is intensely loved by millions of Nigerians and equally hated by many millions'. Love him or loathe him, it is incontrovertible that he was a man of courage, foresight, determination, intellectual acumen, and commitment to national development.
His legacy lives on. His four cardinal objectives - free education, free medical services, integrated rural development and full employment - remain the compass for our journey towards 'a nation bound in freedom, peace and unity'.
Leroy C Edozien, PhD
Ubili-Ka-Nkwu Ahaba
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