Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime; and departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.'' HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOWWHAT yardstick do we employ to measure the greatness of a man' Do we assess him on the basis of material possession or aristocratic pedigree' Is it a man's high military rank, academic laurels or political influence that we consider' Could we evaluate his greatness on the number of traditional/honorary titles won to draw our judgment' Or is it the Nigerian society's creation of 'bigmanism' or 'Oga Sir' syndrome' Does one regard a man as great, because he would always have wads of hard currencies to spray at parties or social engagements' Do we measure such a person because of his capacity to multiply wives annually' Has a man attained to greatness just because he would like to announce his presence to the four winds through bugles and trumpets and so would expect 'lower' mortals to shiver and quake at his sight' Just how best does one size-up a giant'Quite frankly, while some of the above credentials may assist a man (or woman) to catapault into greatness, they do not in themselves mark him/her off or set him/her apart as great. Funny enough, great men do not feel great nor do small men ever feel small.There is only one anvil upon which a man's greatness could be tested; that his greatness consists not in his material possession or social position or status, but in how he uses either to positively affect or improve the lives of his neighbour. Perhaps, no one epitomises greatness more than the Biblical Good Samaritan. He was great, not because of his monetary possession, but because he used the money to save the life of a complete stranger. Late Dr. Tai Solarin was of the view that, 'a great man demonstrates his greatness when he makes himself accessible to the less privileged.' While Pharaoh Rameses was widely noted to have persecuted, oppressed, suppressed, depressed and distressed his subjects, particularly the Israelites, another king of the same nation, Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, practically believed that 'the glory of a king is the welfare of his people.'Awolowo himself had shown that a great man is identified as a result of his worthy and abiding contributions to the welfare and happiness of his fellow human beings and the development of his fatherland.Born March 6, 1909, to David Shopolu and Mary Efunyela Awolowo, at Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State, Jeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo had an early exposure to hardship due to the sudden death of his father, Shopolu, in 1920. He was disappointed by an uncle, who had promised to see him through his educational career. Femi, as he was called by friends, age mates and relatives, had to fend for himself. Amidst difficulties, he started his journey to the top in a world that had no compassion for an indigent.The story of how Awo completed his elementary education, his experiences at the Wesley College, first as a student, and later as the College's clerk, to the time he became a shorthand-typist; his acquisition of Bachelors of Commerce degree, his days in the Nigeria Youth Movement, as a reporter-intraining; his business fortunes and twist of fortunes, and finally, to the time he travelled to Britain to study Law, is well-known. All these vicissitudes were to toughen and build up Chief Obafemi Awolowo as a moralist, political philosopher, formidable politician and a distinguished administrator in later life.Awo, as he was later known in political circles, was a well-disciplined man, a devoted husband and a loving father. He was a brilliant and successful lawyer, a man of high principles and morally impeccable. A practical and pragmatic politician, he was the quintessence of Plato's philosopher-king.Papa Awolowo's incursions into the Nigerian politics dated back to 1930s, when he was an active member of the Nigerian Youth Movement. However, the country began to realise the significance of his involvement in Nigerian politics in 1947, when he published his first book, 'PATH TO NIGERIAN FREEDOM.' He had, two years earlier, in London, founded the Egbe Omo Oduduwa, which was to metamorphose into the Action Group (AG) as a political party in 1951.It will ever remain incontestable that the Action Group was the best organised, the most disciplined and the first (if not the only political party) in the First Republic to have well-articulated programmes and people-oriented manifestoes the implementation of which in no small way benefited the povertystricken and downtrodden hoi-polloi.As a result of his leadership of the AG, Awo was appointed the Leader of Government Business and Minister of Local Government, Western Nigeria in 1952, Premier of the Region in 1954. In his two terms of office, Western Nigeria became, not only the most economically prosperous region in the Federation, but also the pacesetter of the country's progress. All good things began in the West; the democratisation of local government; the establishment of a minimum wage of five shillings per dime (when the other regions were paying less than half of that amount); the provision of free medical services for all children under 18 years, and above all, the introduction of free primary education. The launching of the first television station in Africa in 1959 by Chief Awolowo's administration was his last act in office in the First Republic.In the Second Republic, Awo founded and led the Unity Party of Nigeria. The party won and administered five states- Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Bendel and Ondo with four cardinal programmes - free health services, free education (up to secondary schools), integrated rural development and full and gainful employment. Under Chief Awolowo, all the five governors recorded excellent performances. Among his contemporaries, Awo was certainly the most serious political philosopher. Generally speaking, Chief Awolowo was thorough, serious, studious and meticulous, charismatic, determined, methodical, practical, pragmatic, fastidious and purposeful. He was an original thinker, a sound planner and excellent organiser. He was also a visionary leader, a purposeful administrator and innovator in social engineering. He was in every sense a giant among great men. He spent his entire life working for the less-privileged people and his great nation, Nigeria. Awo's most attractive qualities were his sincerity of purpose, undeniable efficiency, forthrightness, absolute honesty in politics and rare resilience.Says Ralph Waldo Emerson: 'Not golds, but only men can make a nation great and strong. Men, who for the truth and honour's, sake, stand fast and suffer long. Brave men who dare while others shy; diligent men who toil while others sleep. They build a nation's pilltus deep, and lift them to the sky.'Chief, the Right Honourable Obafemi Awolowo would be remembered as a statesman,who as a result of his unparalleled achievements, has continued to live in the hearts of Nigerians decades after his death. He would be remembered most as a moon, if not a sun, in the lives of many Nigerians.The world shall look in vain to see the like of him again. Happy birthday Papa; your spirit lives on.Awopeju wrote in from the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke.
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