Flasback: HID Awolowo declined to beg for release of imprisoned Awolowo and the prophecy,other chain of events

History is great and keeps repeating itself although the humans react to it differently.

Going into history when Awolowo was sentenced to prison, a lot of Progressives were shocked, some died instantly and some became sickly!

Some people(Bishops and statesmen) were said to have gone to beg the Central Government of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa. The government was said to have agreed to free Awolowo. However, they put a caveat the his wife HID Awolowo must come to beg the government and after that, Awolowo would be freed. They knew fully well that Awolowo would not agree to that. Specifically, the aim was to put Awolowo’s wife pictures on the front pages of major newspapers where she was begging to demean her and her imprisoned husband.

The ‘Eminent’ men went to meet HID and persuaded her to beg the government. HID thanked them all but said she could only do that if her husband permitted her, if not, she would not. Wise woman you would say.

Recall in 1986, similar offer was made to former military head of state and late President Muhammadu Buhari’s former wife but she fell for it, Buhari later divorced her.

The eminent men went to meet Awolowo in prison and begged him to allow his wife beg the government, they cited many verses from the Bible (Read My March through Prisons or Travails of Democracy and the Rule of Law by Chief Obafemi Awolowo). Awolowo, in reply, thanked them very well but declined. He said “my wife beg who exactly? Will she kneel down or prostrate? Beg for what offence exactly? That I plotted a coup? That’s ridiculous! You’re men of God, you should know that God does not not encourage people to bow to injustice…”

Awolowo allegedly said and I quoted: “I believe I should not be in prison but here I am, the only Premier that ended up in prison for no reason. If we are confused about my innocence, let God be the Judge.

“If truly I did what they accused me of, I will not come out of this prison alive but if I am innocent, I will not spend my life here in prison, I will come out and as the Lord lives, I won’t meet any of those who conspired against me alive… Thank you gentlemen for your visit, I wish you journey mercies…”

By the time Awolowo was released from prison few years later by Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon, then Head of State, all those that conspired to imprison him, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Akintola and the rest had been killed in a coup, very prophetic!

You live on the earth, you eat rat, you live on the earth you eat fish, you live on the earth you do evil, the judgement is in the earth. Earth the killer! God saves Nigeria.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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