Words on the Marble

“There are three periods in the life of a people or in the life of a country. The three periods are yesterday, today and tomorrow. Yesterday belongs to the dead and to chroniclers; today belongs to current functionaries and operatives and you will find them all over the place. Tomorrow belongs to visionaries and idealists, without whom you cannot build a new society”.

“The great Martin Lurther King postulated and popularised the dream of fundamental change when he said, “I have a dream”. We must not be shy to copy him and say “we too have a dream”, a dream and a vision and what Nigeria can be and what our peoples should be in the long-term. That is what idealism is about. But we must also appreciate what we are, where we are and what is attainable in the short-term. That is what realism is about. I would define one of the tasks of the current generation of Nigerians as reconciliation of idealism and realism”.

Motion for Self Government

Mr. President, sir, I rise to move the motion standing in my name, “that this House accepts as a primary political objective the attainment of self-government for Nigeria in 1956”.

‘Sir, this motion is an invitation to the Honourable Members of this House to associate the highest legislature of our land with the expressed desire of the peoples of this country, whose views we all represent, for political autonomy in 1956.  It seeks to provide representatives from all parts of the country with an opportunity to exchange views on the most burning question of our time.  It is an invitation to this House to make a declaration of objective with regard to Nigerian freedom.

Continue reading “Motion for Self Government”

The National Question: Towards A New Constitutional Order


A Guest Lecture at Yoruba Tennis Club, Onikan, Lagos, July 2, 2002


PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo was reported in the media to have stated that he is not opposed to a National Conference provided it is constructive and contributes to national solidarity. Our organisation, the Movement for National Reformation (MNR), reacted by publicly welcoming the president’s statement as a positive contribution to the national debate on the expediency of a national conference in favour of which popular public demand has refused to go away or to abate, in spite of all efforts to misinterpret and undermine it.

Continue reading “The National Question: Towards A New Constitutional Order”

Anthony Enahoro (1923-2010) – Editorial

THE death yesterday of Chief Anthony Enahoro marks the end of an era. Enahoro was about the last of the titans that thronged the political landscape from the 1950s, fighting relentlessly for Nigeria’s independence. Subsequently he was actively involved in the principled struggle against military despotism. He was a champion of the ideals of good governance, service and common good. Continue reading “Anthony Enahoro (1923-2010) – Editorial”