On Tuesday night, the nation lost Chief Anthony Enahoro, one of the few truly great Nigerian politicians who lived his entire life at the service of his fatherland. Chief Anthony Enahoro died at the age of 87 years at his residence in Benin City, Edo State. He had been ill for quite some time, but until a few months ago, he was active in the efforts to deepen the democratic traditions of the nation and push the frontiers of a federal system which in his views reflect the genuine needs of the Nigerian people.
Chief Anthony Enahoro’s name and record in the service of Nigeria will be mentioned and listed among the most prominent and patriotic Nigerians. Appointed an editor of a newspaper at the very young age of 26, he used his paper to launch bitter and popular attacks against the colonial authorities, which led to his harassment by the colonial administration on many occasions. This early stand he took as a journalist showed a young and brilliant Nigerian with a great promise to affect the future of his country. He later became an active member of the opposition Action Group, known as AG, and was elected a member of the Western Regional House of Assembly in 1951.
In 1953, Chief Enahoro moved the motion for self-government in Nigeria by 1956. His specific words were that “this house accepts as primary political objective the attainment of self government for Nigeria in 1956”. The motion was a profound challenge to rapidly decolonize Nigeria in 3 years, and was squarely in the tradition of the then nationalist, progressive Action group. One other Party, the NCNC supported the motion, but the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC opposed it, suggesting instead a more gradual, even piece-meal decolonization process, with each region choosing when it felt ready to accept self government. Instead of 1956, the NPC proposed self-government for Nigeria “as soon as practicable”.
The position of Northern Nigeria which made the case for gradual self-government effectively scuttled the demand for self government in 1956, and the Southern media and politicians spared no effort to ridicule and humiliate northern leaders in Lagos over the stand of the North. Eventually different regions achieved self-government at different times, and Nigeria became independent in 1960, but the fire lit by nationalists like Anthony Enahoro in 1953 was largely instrumental in convincing the British that colonialism’s days are numbered in Nigeria.
Chief Anthony Enahoro remained in the thick of Nigeria’s post independence politics, with the Action Group in national opposition. During the treason trials in 1962 during which Chief Obafemi Awolowo was jailed, Chief Enahoro fled to Britain from where he was deported back to Nigeria in 1963, and sentenced to 13 years for his involvement in the attempted coup against the government of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
After the overthrow of the civilian administration, Chief Enahoro was pardoned by General Yakubu Gowon and was appointed a Minister. He was also actively involved in the negotiations for a resolution of the Nigerian Civil War on the Federal side from 1967-1970. With the return of democratic rule in 1979, Chief Enahoro broke his traditional ties with Chief Obafemi Awolowo and joined the NPN, where he was schemed into irrelevance by people like Chief Tony Anenih. He remained on the margins of Nigerians politics, until the military coup of 1983 when he because a notable critic of military administration.
Following the abortion of the elections of June 1993, Chief Enahoro inspired and formed the National Democratic coalition (NADECO), and became its Chairman. This coalition provided the only real challenge to General Abacha’s and the military’s rule, and it can rightly lay claim to success in keeping the spirit of the fight against military dictatorship alive, in spite of many threats and harassment, including murders, of its members. With the return of democratic governance, Chief Enahoro turned his attention his to other pet concern, which is the need for the structural reform of the Nigerian federal system. He also formed and led the Pro-National Conference Organization (PRONACO) which attempted to provide an alternative constitution to the Nigerian people.
Chief Enahoro has left many legacies. For today’s politicians, he has left a legacy of principled politics, of vision and courage, which is sadly lacking. For the nation, he has left a legacy of a leadership which is totally committed to a constant search for improvement in the manner it organized its affairs. For young Nigerians, he has left a legacy of politics with conviction and honor.
Chief Anthony Enahoro has died at a time Nigeria needs leaders of his vision, courage and persistence. It is quite possible that he may have died with the regret that the nation he and his compatriots fought so hard to preserve and unite is still showing signs of massive structural weaknesses. It is also possible that he died lamenting the poor quality of our democratic system, where leadership seeks only to preserve itself through fair and foul means, and politicians see politics purely as an avenue for self-enrichment. The greatest honor this nation can bestow on Chief Anthony Enahoro is to ensure that we rediscover and imbibe those values which inspired him to live and die as a national hero in the service of his fatherland.
No comments:
Post a Comment