ALLOCUTUS - STATEMENT BY CHIEF OBAFEMIAWOLOWO WHILE BEFORE THE HIGH COURT BEFORE SENTENCING FOR TREASONABLE FELONY SEPTEMBER 11, 1963

CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO'S ALLOCUTUS

STATEMENT BY CHIEF AWOLOWO WHILE BEFORE THE HIGH COURT BEFORE SENTENCING FOR TREASONABLE FELONY SEPTEMBER 11, 1963

Show moreI must say, and this may have to be taken up with a higher tribunal, that I do not agree with your Lordship's verdict, and the premises on which it is based.

For upwards of 30 years, I have been in politics in Nigeria; during this period I have operated in various important theatres in the life of this great Federation. I have, with others, fought against British imperialism with all my might, and with all the talents that it pleased God to give me.

Together with other nationalists, some of whom are with me and many of whom are not with me here, we have successfully thrown out British imperialism and enthroned Africans in positions which, 20 or more years ago, they never dreamt of occupying.

I have been an unyielding advocate of a Federal Constitution for Nigeria. I have all along, with other leaders of this country, been a very active and constructive participant in all the constitutional conferences which have taken place since 1953, and which have culminated not only in the attainment of independence but in the production of a Constitution of which Nigerians are very proud.

This Constitution is now being gradually violated.

I have also fought against anything which savours of injustice. It is thus an irony of history that, as one of the architects of Nigeria's independence, I have spent almost half of Nigeria's three years of independence under one form of confinement or another.

Since 1957 I have fought, as your Lordship remarked, with vigour against the feudal system in the Northern Region and for its eradication. I have also fought to prevent the spread of this evil political system to other parts of Nigeria.

During the same period I have strongly advocated the breaking up of Northern Region into more states in order to have true federation in Nigeria, to preclude the permanent subservience of the people of Nigeria to the autocratic ruling caste in the North, and to preserve peace and unity in the country.

In short, I have always fought for what I believe, without relenting and regardless of consequences to myself. I have no doubt, and I say this without any spirit of immodesty, that in the course of my political career, I have rendered services to this country which historians and the coming generations will certainly regard as imperishable.

Naturally, Sir, in the course of my long, turbulent and active political life, I have attracted to myself a sizeable crop of detractors and political adversaries. Similarly, I have in the course of this long career seen both triumphs and set-backs; and I have met them with equal mind.

Peter, not Peter the Apostle, but Peter the hero of Hugh Walpole's novel entitled "Fortitude" said: "It isn't life that matters but the courage you bring to it."

After life had done terrible things to Peter he heard a voice that said to him, among other things, "Blessed be all sorrow, hardships and endurance that demand courage. Blessed be these things: for of these things cometh the making of a man."

In the words of Peter, therefore, my Lord, I declare (not that I have heard a voice): Blessed be your verdict; and I say in advance, blessed be the sentence which your Lordship may pass on me.

I personally welcome any sentence you may impose upon me. At this moment my only concern is not for myself, but that my imprisonment might do harm to Nigeria for three reasons.

First, the invaluable services which I have hitherto rendered and which I can still render will be lost to the country – at least for a season.

Second, there might be a heightening of the present tension which has lasted 15 months, and has done incalculable injuries to the economy of the country.

Thirdly, for some time to come, the present twilight of democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law, will change or might change into utter darkness. But after darkness – and this is a commonplace – comes a glorious dawn.

It is, therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope, and with faith in my unalterable destiny, that I go from this twilight into the darkness, unshaken in my trust in the Providence of God that a glorious dawn will come on the morrow.

My adversaries might say who am I to think that if I am imprisoned the country might suffer? What if I died?

The point, of course, is that I am still alive and will not die in prison. Furthermore, the spirit of man knows no barrier, never dies, and can be projected to any part of the world.

This being so I am confident that the ideals of social justice and individual liberty which I hold dear will continue to be projected beyond the prison walls and bars until they are realized in our lifetime.

In this connection, I must stress that in this very court room, indeed in this dock and in the entire Federation of Nigeria, the spirit of an new Nigeria is already active and at work. This spirit, working through constitutional means which I have spent the whole of my lifetime to advocate, is sure to prevail, before very long, to the delight, freedom and prosperity of all and sundry.

Before I close, I must say that in spite of the delay of the past few weeks on the part of your Lordship in giving judgement in this case, and in spite of my disagreement with your verdict which I have just given expression to, I must acknowledge your Lordship's patience throughout the trial of this case.

Particularly, I want to thank your Lordship for the due and especial consideration which you have always accorded me and the other accused persons.

I thank your Lordship; and I am prepared to abide by your sentence.

THE SENTENCE


The Trial Judge Mr. Sowemimo speaks:

"….Whatever others may say, this is my personal view. I am not speaking as a judge but as a Nigerian. Here we have one of the first Premiers of the autonomous region standing trial. If you were the only one before me, I would have felt that it was enough for you to have undergone the strain of the trial. I would have asked you to go. But I am sorry, I cannot do so now because my hands are tied.

Having sentenced those young chaps whatever happens I have to pass some sort of sentence. If I made up my mind to sentence the other accused persons who I find were tools in the hands of others, and if my conclusion is right, it is for me to see that a punishment by me in my court is such that others would see that there is no preferential treatment.

I do not see what useful purpose a sentence of imprisonment will do to you, but I have come to the conclusion that these things emanate from you. To get yourself involved in this thing is enough shame.

But this is a political crime. There are things which one may never know. All I know is what is before me and I am bound by the evidence. You mentioned about the delay in giving judgement, but I wish you were in my position and had to read some of these things – the evidence which was about 800 pages and the notes of submissions also about 600 pages. I was never hoping or thinking that I would be called upon to try a former Head of Government and Leader of Opposition. I am only happy that this is a court of first instance. "

At the conclusion of the speech by Justice Sowemimo, Chief Awolowo was sentenced as follows:

1st Count – 10 years I.H.L (Imprisonment with Hard Labour) Treasonable felony, contrary to Section 41(b) of the Criminal Code.

2nd Count – 5 years I.H.L (Imprisonment with Hard Labour) Conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code.

3rd Count – 2 years I.H.L (Imprisonment with Hard Labour) Conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose, contrary to Section 518 (6) of the Criminal Code.

Sentences to be concurrent."


Thanks to Ayo Arannilewa for the above.

WHAT TRIGGERED THE MARTIN LUTHER REFORMATION?

WHAT TRIGGERED THE MARTIN LUTHER REFORMATION? AND WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST?

Here is the story, and why I think the Church is back to where it was before the Martin Luther Reformation exactly 500 years ago.

1. Before 1517, everyone belonged to the Roman Catholic Church which was the official religion, with the Pope as the head. The Pope had the final say on all issues concerning religion.

2. Pope Leo X wanted to build a fanciful Church building called St. Peters Basilica in Rome. The building was going to cost him so much. Hence, he decided to raise money from the sale of purgatory.

3. Purgatory was invented by the Catholic Pope during the Crusades in order to get more men into the army. The pope claimed he could buy souls back from hell. His soldiers believed him and the practice continued.

4.The manipulation of the people through the sale of purgatory(Offering God money in order to get God's favor) infuriated Martin Luther. The same idea of purgatory was why mandatory tithes and offerings got established in the early Church. 'God gets excited at the sound of coins in the offering plate'.

5. On Oct. 31st, 1517, a Roman Catholic Monk named Martin Luther posted 95 Theses on the door of the Church claiming salvation was by faith alone, among others. He claimed the Pope had no power to forgive sins or collect purgatory.

His 5 pillars were, 1) sola fide( faith alone), 2) sola scriptura (by scriptures alone), 3) solus Christus (through Christ alone), 4)sola gratia (by grace alone), 5)soli deo gloria (for God's glory alone)

6. The posting of the theses happened at the early beginnings of the invention of the print media, just like today's internet. Within weeks, Luther's theses was widespread all over Germany, and all over Europe within months.

7. Before that, nobody had challenged the authority of the Church or Pope and lived. The Church had killed all scientists, historians or anyone who had a contrary view to the Pope. Often burning them publicly or beheading them.

8. Hence, the posting of the Theses was like Martin Luther posting his own death notice.
Ever heard the story of David and Goliath? The Pope was Goliath, Martin Luther was not even a David, he was a worm. The Pope could crush him easily. Somehow, the Pope was not able to. He referred to Luther as a wild boar. Luther often referred to the Pope as a 'lustful dog'.

9. Martin Luther was summoned by the council of Church and State to recant his writings. He declared he wouldn't as he was prepared to die for what his conscience believed.

10. Meanwhile, he remained in the Roman Catholic Church as starting another form of Christianity was not his goal. Luther's mission was to reform the Roman Catholic Church.

11. The Pope declared Luther a non-grata, meaning whoever killed him was doing God a favor. His life was put at risk.

12. Martin Luther was then kidnapped by close friends and hidden in a castle. His physical form was disguised for fear that he would be killed. He had already become so popular in Europe through his writings.

13. While hidden away and in Isolation, he translated the entire Bible for the first time into German from Latin, giving everyone access to the Bible for the first time. From German, it was then translated into other languages.

14. Before Luther's Bible, the Bible had only existed in Greek and Latin which only Priests had access to. You could be killed if found with a copy of the Bible. This gave the Priests so much power, similar to today's Priests and Pastors.

15. As more people read the Bible for themselves, revolts broke out all over Europe as people saw how the Church had taken advantage of them over many years. The Pope lost so much power and the Roman Catholic Church became irrelevant. Luther called out the Popes, Bishops, and princes without mincing words, often challenging them to public debates.

16. Because everyone now had the Bible, different sections began to break out of the Catholic Church every man claiming his own revelation. There were the Lutherans, Calvinists, Puritans, Unitarians, Anglicans, and many more. The differences between them are so slight and insignificant.

17. Each of these grew so much in power, became capitalists and began to practice in new forms and with new languages, exactly what the Catholic Church was doing that led to the break out of the reformation in the first place.

18. Denominationalism then became Capitalism. Churches became more about big and beautiful buildings, selling cajoles to people in exchange for money in order to fund the lavish lifestyles.

19. 500 years after, we are back to where it all began. We are practicing that old form of Catholicism. The church now is about money and buildings, tithes and offerings.

20. Who shall write for us another 95 theses?

500 years of the Reformation. We are still bleeding...

Read and let others know and understand the importance of the Bible and the truth.

Every day you see is a Miracle!

How Fulani People from Futa Jallon in Northern Destroyed The Hausa kingdoms

Alhassan Dantata, an Agalawa merchant of Kano, victim of the Fulani tyranny and great grandfather of Aliko Dangote - By Gbonka Ebiri

Prior to their arrival in the Fulani people from Futa Jallon in Northern Nigeria, the Hausa kingdoms were a confederate of very prosperous nation states. They were the best traders  in the whole continent for leather products and textiles and held large merchant bases in Katsina, Gobir, Kano and Zazzou. Trade in these regions were so vast that caravans came all the way from the ottoman empire and North Africa. . The agalawa merchants of Kano were the middle men who traded with the Arabs and traders from Sudan. One of the very important commodities traded at the time was Kola nuts, which was introduced by a legendary Hausa female ruler known as Queen Amina.

After the Jihad, the fulani leadership destroyed the prosperous Hausa kingdoms and turned it into a region of mass poverty and hub of slavery. It destroyed the merchants bases and persecuted the Agalawa merchants. One of the persecuted merchants at the time was the Dantata family. The famous Alhassan Dantata at some point was a slave of the fulani overlords and his family had to part with vast fortunes to buy his freedom. They fled to Ghana and the Fulani destroyed the agalawa merchant base at Kano. They took the fertile lands of the North for the fulani herdsmen who were being wooed at the time to stop the seasonal migrations and settle in the Hausa lands permanently. They forced the natives into a life of slavery so much that half of the native Hausas were stripped of their freedom. Over 50% of the hausa natives were slaves in their ancestral home. The largest concentrations were in Sokoto, Yola Kano, Zaria, katsina and Ilorin emirates

A German explorer called Heinrich Barth who travelled to many parts of the North in the 1850’s observed ‘slavery exists on an immense scale in the Hausa lands. There are many private individuals who have more than a thousand slaves….. Yola had so many slaves that the emir Mohammed Lowel built a slave village in Rumde to contain slaves. These slaves where used for farm labor. Every year Mohammed Lowel enforced a yearly tribute of five thousand slaves from his subjects. ( Barths Travels in Nigeria)

The hausa people were at the verge of fighting back when the British arrived and further favored the presence of the Futa Jallon emirs, so much that after independence, they not only ensured that the North had a bigger region and more advantage over the south in voting blocs, but also restricted the champion of the hausa masses ( Aminu Kano) who was ready to retake the North through the ballot boxes and totally destroy the emirates of the Hausa kingdoms under Fulani immigrant invaders.

The fulani leaders who eventually cause collateral damages come as humble friends, endear themselves to the people, give them false promise of a better future and bargain with the powerbrokers who think they would have a better stake in a fulani government but hold regrets when it is much too late. Such heavy weights to suffer such fates include Afonja, Zik, Abiola, Ekweme and currently Tinubu.

As they further gain grips on the country, they are determined to disenfanshise the south like they did the Hausa people. they hate western education and most especially history. After they have ensured that all histories of the hausa kingdoms is lost to them, so much that they are alienated from their past great leaders like queen Amina of Zaria and King Rumfa of Kano. They have ensured that history is striped out of school syllabus in the south and ensure certain records that expose future generations to their cold-hearted tendencies like their role in the civil war remains unspoken

. In the 60’s when Ahmadu Bello became the premier of the North and Middle belt region. He structured the region very much like his great grandfather ( Dan Fodio) and tried to use religion as a weapon to subdue the North into conformity.  He turned down Awolowo’s offer to help in ensuring free education in the North through migration of kids to the primary schools of the west. In 1962, he founded the Jamaatu Nasril Islam ( Society for the victory of Islam) and sent muslim teachers (mallams) throughout the region using the same blue print of his great grandfather who secretly tried to recruit natives through an organized koranic school structure and was restricted by Sultan Nafata from sending disciples out to teach and recruit in disguise thereby frustrating Dan Fodio’s effort to share his dream of the prophet. (in the dream, he was granted a green mantle, special turban and a command to raise the sword against his enemies and lead his followers to a new era of prosperity in the Hausa kingdoms).  Not until after the saultan’s son (Yumfa) ascended the throne was he able to fully consolidate his army to launch the jiahad. Ahmadu Bello used this organized system to lead many conversion campaigns focused in the middle belt. The movement was called Ahmadu Bello’s Jihad by politicians in the west who held great reservations for the system. this organized structure remains in the North today and ensures that the hausa remain perpetual slaves carrying slates and taking koranic classes while the Fulani elites enroll in western schools. A second attempt under Jonathan to ensure mas education in the North was quickly proscribed in the early stages of Buhari presidency.

what they did to the Hausa kingdoms, they are determined to do in the south. They would not stop until they destroy its education system, enforce the Fulani minority as head of all ministries, take important lands for their cattle to graze, take wealth of the south as spoils of war as they spread poverty, ensure destruction of history and frustrate all attempts of the natives to reconnect with their past and maintain their ancestral pride. They do not belong here and hold no loyalty to anywere in Nigeria as their ancestral home. Nigeria would never prosper under a Fulani leader.  We should never allow a fulani politician appeal to us, regardless of his tricks and gimmicks. Buhari should be the very last to ever fool a southern electorate. They will forever remain immigrants from Futa Jallon that came to take spoils of war regardless of how the sell any candidate from their stock.