22nd July 1923 – 15 Dec 2010
A contributory, anecdotal tribute expunges hitherto known clichés and confirms that Chief Anthony Eromosele Oseghale Enahoro, the King’s College (KC) student of the 1937-42 class was a human comet, whose demise/home call would have been heralded by a celestial comet were Nigeria’s development normal, if not seriously moribund at the time.
Continue reading “Okanlawon: Enahoro (1923-2010) And Pax Nigeriana: A Tribute”
CHIEF Anthony Eromosele Enahoro was an excellent newsmaker. That would have been sufficient for a prolific journalist that he was——except that Tony Enahoro was most times the news himself. In his profession, he was a Rocky Marciano who came in with rip-roaring qualities that made the great Zik make him a newspaper editor at the incredible age of 21. In politics, his brilliant ideas won the heart of the remarkable Awo who made him Minister in the then Western Region and consequently member of the caucus of the pragmatic Action Group.
EACH time a national icon like Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro passes on, the country descends into convoluted mourning to impress the uninitiated that Nigeria cares about its past, present or future. Nigeria remains uncaring even about issues that affect its existence.
When Chief Anthony Enahoro died on 15 December 2010 at the age of 87 – he was born on 22 July 1923 – he could not have been a happy man. A foremost nationalist who first moved the motion for Nigeria’s independence from British colonial rule in 1953 when he was just 30, he died with his vision of a strong, united and federalist country on the verge of disintegration after the long years of military rule and a Fourth Republic in which the dividends of democracy were to be enjoyed only by a venal political class.
‘WE are starting a chain of events, the end of which nobody knows.’’ That was one of the prophetic statements by the late Chief Anthony Eronsele Enahoro. It was made on the floor of Nigerian Parliament. Tafawa Balewa Square (then, Race Course), Lagos. And the occasion was at the passing of motions on May 29, 1962, to declare a state of public emergency in the Western Region. He was supporting the Leader of Opposition, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to move an amendment that the then Federal Government’s action was a dangerous precedent and a travesty of democracy. This writer was at the Gallery watching the Parliamentary proceedings. Today, Chief Enahoro, the nation’s beacon, is no more. But the circumstances that led to his prophecy are still with us. In other words, the chain of events has not ended. Continue reading “Oshisada: Enahoro, The Nation’s Beacon, Is Out”
THE First Executive Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, has described the death of frontline nationalist, Chief Anthony Enahoro as a national loss. According to him, Enahoro was an icon, a titian, patriot, committed leader and freedom fighter and urged Nigerians to honour him with credible elections in 2011.
Continue reading “Honour Enahoro With Credible Elections, Says Jakande”
IT was with great sadness that I and the communities of Movement For National Reformation received the news of Chief Anthony (Tony) Enahoro’s death on December 15, 2010. He was old enough to have died, he came and left many positive marks and as such his departure is a celebration of a life well spent. Nevertheless, it has been very difficult to accept the fact that we will never see him again. Despite the gap in our age, he was first a friend before he was a leader to me. He was the most democratic Nigerian I have been privileged to associate with. He is one leader that will be greatly missed. Continue reading “Akinola: Enahoro: The departure of a great leader”
Anthony Enahoro campaigned for independence from the British in the 1950s and was at the forefront of the campaign to end military rule in the 1990s
In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, Sola Odunfa fears for the legacy of one of Nigeria’s great statesmen.
The Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to immortalise the late Anthony Enahoro by naming a national monument after him.
Continue reading “Senate urges government to immortalise Enahoro”
In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, Sola Odunfa fears for the legacy of one of Nigeria’s great statesmen.
He had joined in the struggle for the democratic emancipation of colonial Nigeria as a nation. In the next 60 years he was harassed, jailed and detained without trial innumerable times. Last week at age 87 he died still with his boots on. Continue reading “African Viewpoint: Looted legacy?”