“Ogugua Anunoby says that “Awolowo’s greatness is actually diminished by it” (the comparison). Pray Sir, how so? Very personally speaking, I would say that it is not an odious comparison, …”
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Comparison of especially dead historical characters is quite oftentimes a fool’s errand, and a risky business. Seldom does it serve the intention or interest of the ‘comparer’ well. The challenges, times, and manifest differences in the lives and accomplishments of historical characters are sometimes so great that the comparison reduces the erstwhile profile of one or other of the historical characters being compared. This seems to be the case here.
What may I ask, is the value point of a comparison of Awolowo and Mandela? Okay Awolowo is greater than Mandela so what? Is it not enough that Awolowo, warts and all, was a great man in his own right? Why are some, repeat some of Awolowo’s admirers and former employees consumed and obsessed with the need to ever present him as greater than every other leader? It is time left-over opportunists and sycophants recognized that Awolowo does not have to be “greater’ than every and all great leaders to be great as indeed he was. The shameful trade on Awolowo’s greatness must be embarrassing to many true admirers and followers of Awolowo. Awolowo was a great leader and deservedly so. His greatness does not need to be compared with any other leaders’ greatness. It is irreverently munificent to do so.
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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 5:52 AM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: jumoyin@gmail.com
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: On Odia Ofeimun's "Awolowo was greater than Mandela"
Re - "not in good taste" - I should like to withdraw such an accusation with the understanding that he did not give a lecture entitled "Awolowo is greater than Mandela" and that it was only in the course of the interview/ conversation that Madiba Nelson Mandela's name was brought up as a result of which, in my humble opinion Odia Ofeimum went ahead in a reasonable, factual and for me convincing manner, to talk about the late great Chief Obafemi Awolowo's vision and to some extent its implementation, in as far as he was able to successfully implement his education policy for example.
On Wednesday, 8 January 2014 00:42:38 UTC+1, Cornelius Hamelberg wrote:
Awolowo was greater than Mandela is the kind of headline that guarantees that even the okuru dogs will be out to wag their tails, to dutifully show their canines, to grow ominously, to do their share of barking. What cannot be denied is that both men are great by whatever parameters within which you would like to define greatness.
Ditto with any of the following headlines:
Benjamin Netanyahu is greater than Mahmoud Abbas!
Muhammad is greater than Jesus!
Nkrumah is greater than Lumumba!
Malcolm X is greater than Dr. Martin Luther King!
Nigeria is greater than South Africa!
Goodluck Jonathan is greater than Jacob Zuma !
Mugabe is greater than Gaddafi
Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey is greater than King Sunny Ade !
Wole Soyinka is greater than Chinua Achebe - and Shakespeare is greater than both of them!
Obama is greater than Hilary Clinton!
(Of course the assertion that Brother Obama is greater than Hilary Clinton would cause the revered Sheikh Ben-guria to suffer from an apoplexy; such a claim would only perforate his peptic ulcer itself a result of too much pious fasting...)
Well, George Bernard Shaw is reported to have said, “I can think of no writer in English Literature, not even Sir Walter Scott who I more despise than Shakespeare, when I match my intellect against his own!” (As heard from the lips of Von Bradshaw)
Dawodu : Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Chief Obafemi Awolowo speeches
Everyone attests to the impact of his educational policies....
The purpose of the Article – no matter the criteria for making such a comparison could only be to generate debate, discussion and of course in some circles indignation and outright dismissal of any such claim, coming so closely at the heels of dear Madiba’s funeral which was a world event .
Ogugua Anunoby says that “Awolowo’s greatness is actually diminished by it” (the comparison). Pray Sir, how so? Very personally speaking, I would say that it is not an odious comparison, but that such a comparison coming at the heels of Madiba's funeral when the dearly departed is still so fresh in our minds is not in good taste and does not, cannot serve its purpose.
This brings us back to man of the people Chinua Achebe’s reason for not wanting to honour AWOwith a national funeral, in Achebe’s words, because AWO he said “was not an Igbo god!”
And to that extent the author’s purpose has been fulfilled. But we could also take a peek at some factors / basis for any comparisons, for their comparative greatness
To be continued,
On Saturday, 4 January 2014 20:20:35 UTC+1, Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso wrote:Just a tiny piece of the ongoing debate...
http://mobile.saharareporters.com/article/symbolism-and-greatness-case-awolowo-and-mandela-remi-oyeyemi
Grace and Peace Sent from my BlackBerry®
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