Still on Nigeria's Endless Tears
UNTIL 1943, the British had no confidence in the administrative abilities of educated Africans; not even those who graduated from some of their best universities, like Oxford and Cambridge universities. They have never allowed a Nigerian into the executive cadre of the civil service nor have they been involved in the decision-making process of the government. A good example was the late Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, one of Nigeria's foremost nationalists, who later became Governor General and President of Nigeria. He had a distinguished teaching career in the UK and America. In 1934, while in the UK, he sought to be included in the British team at the Empire Games, but was denied this privilege, simply because of the pigment in his skin. On similar ground, another prominent nationalist, Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam (later Governor of the now defunct Eastern Region, 1960-1966), in his vociferous protest against the growing problems of color discrimination in Nigeria, angrily returned his Knight's Medal to the British Crown. ; and dropped his Christian name, Francis.
Thereupon he chose to be simply called "AkanuIbiam". In 1933, African soldiers, drafted into the West African Frontier Force (WAFF), were randomly whipped by their British masters. Interestingly, during the Nigerian/Biafra War, a renowned boxer, Richard Ihetu ("Dick Tiger"), decided to hang up his boxing gloves to enlist in the Biafran Army, to fight the Nigerian government. In order to register a strong protest against Britain's support for Nigeria during the war, he returned his Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal to the British government. Another daring resistance was led by one of Nigeria's first generation freedom fighters, Mojola-Oluwa ("Mojola") Agbebi, who dropped his English name (David Brown Vincent) on August 24, 1894. There above, he stopped wearing English outfits. Even when he visited Europe, he only wore African robes or his priestly robes, until his death in 1917. As a clergyman, along with Reverend Moses Ladejo Stone, they both left the First Baptist Church to form a native church, the Native Baptist. Church in 1888, at the height of unrelenting racial discrimination, perpetrated against black clerics in various churches, across southern Nigeria, where the seed of Christianity was first planted.
His courage and nationalist stance inspired Samuel Ajayi Crowther to translate the Bible into the Yoruba language. He then founded the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Lagos. To fully demonstrate his vehement resentment, he banned the use of English hymns for the promotion of native hymns in the church.
As part of their strategies of humiliation, the colonialists made it mandatory that any address (verbal or written) to be addressed to them be prefixed with "sir", regardless of the man's age or status white they were addressing. A researcher once interpreted the word "sir" to mean - "slave I remain". Moreover, the arrogance and brutality of the colonialists compelled the Reverend Israel Oludotun RansomeKuti (the father of Fela Anikulapo) to outright ban the recitation of the British (colonial) anthem at Abeokuta High School, when it was the director (1932-1950). Out of grave concern and determination, he composed an indigenous anthem, titled "Abeokuta Ilu Egba (Abeokuta - The Great City of Egba)", replacing the British-imposed anthem - "God Save The Queen ". To further resist colonialism, another great nationalist, MaziOjikeMbonu, aggressively sought “cultural nationalism”. Thus, he has always urged the people to "boycott the boycottable", when it comes to European ways of life. He has always advocated the wearing of traditional dress in offices and serving palm wine, instead of whisky, champagne or beer, at private and official events.
He ate and encouraged the eating of solid meals (eba, amala, fufu,) with his bare hands, instead of the colonized use of fork and knife. He changed his costume to "agbada" and encouraged officials to go to their offices in native outfits as well. His idea was that Nigerians' attachment to British culture was another form of enslavement; thus, claiming that the customs and traditions of Nigeria were as good as those of other nations.
Another brave Nigerian, who came through the thorns of racial discrimination, was David Oguntoye, who took the risk of traveling to the UK by hiding inside the ship, just to volunteered to serve in the Royal Air Force during World War II. But he missed the opportunity, because he was still in military school when the war ended. During his career, he formed a committed relationship with a white lady, Dulcie King, who also served in the Royal Air Force. While interracial marriages were not allowed in Britain at the time, especially in their military. All tactical and administrative attempts to separate them, even going so far as to attack David, have failed. Same...
UNTIL 1943, the British had no confidence in the administrative abilities of educated Africans; not even those who graduated from some of their best universities, like Oxford and Cambridge universities. They have never allowed a Nigerian into the executive cadre of the civil service nor have they been involved in the decision-making process of the government. A good example was the late Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, one of Nigeria's foremost nationalists, who later became Governor General and President of Nigeria. He had a distinguished teaching career in the UK and America. In 1934, while in the UK, he sought to be included in the British team at the Empire Games, but was denied this privilege, simply because of the pigment in his skin. On similar ground, another prominent nationalist, Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam (later Governor of the now defunct Eastern Region, 1960-1966), in his vociferous protest against the growing problems of color discrimination in Nigeria, angrily returned his Knight's Medal to the British Crown. ; and dropped his Christian name, Francis.
Thereupon he chose to be simply called "AkanuIbiam". In 1933, African soldiers, drafted into the West African Frontier Force (WAFF), were randomly whipped by their British masters. Interestingly, during the Nigerian/Biafra War, a renowned boxer, Richard Ihetu ("Dick Tiger"), decided to hang up his boxing gloves to enlist in the Biafran Army, to fight the Nigerian government. In order to register a strong protest against Britain's support for Nigeria during the war, he returned his Member of the British Empire (MBE) medal to the British government. Another daring resistance was led by one of Nigeria's first generation freedom fighters, Mojola-Oluwa ("Mojola") Agbebi, who dropped his English name (David Brown Vincent) on August 24, 1894. There above, he stopped wearing English outfits. Even when he visited Europe, he only wore African robes or his priestly robes, until his death in 1917. As a clergyman, along with Reverend Moses Ladejo Stone, they both left the First Baptist Church to form a native church, the Native Baptist. Church in 1888, at the height of unrelenting racial discrimination, perpetrated against black clerics in various churches, across southern Nigeria, where the seed of Christianity was first planted.
His courage and nationalist stance inspired Samuel Ajayi Crowther to translate the Bible into the Yoruba language. He then founded the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Lagos. To fully demonstrate his vehement resentment, he banned the use of English hymns for the promotion of native hymns in the church.
As part of their strategies of humiliation, the colonialists made it mandatory that any address (verbal or written) to be addressed to them be prefixed with "sir", regardless of the man's age or status white they were addressing. A researcher once interpreted the word "sir" to mean - "slave I remain". Moreover, the arrogance and brutality of the colonialists compelled the Reverend Israel Oludotun RansomeKuti (the father of Fela Anikulapo) to outright ban the recitation of the British (colonial) anthem at Abeokuta High School, when it was the director (1932-1950). Out of grave concern and determination, he composed an indigenous anthem, titled "Abeokuta Ilu Egba (Abeokuta - The Great City of Egba)", replacing the British-imposed anthem - "God Save The Queen ". To further resist colonialism, another great nationalist, MaziOjikeMbonu, aggressively sought “cultural nationalism”. Thus, he has always urged the people to "boycott the boycottable", when it comes to European ways of life. He has always advocated the wearing of traditional dress in offices and serving palm wine, instead of whisky, champagne or beer, at private and official events.
He ate and encouraged the eating of solid meals (eba, amala, fufu,) with his bare hands, instead of the colonized use of fork and knife. He changed his costume to "agbada" and encouraged officials to go to their offices in native outfits as well. His idea was that Nigerians' attachment to British culture was another form of enslavement; thus, claiming that the customs and traditions of Nigeria were as good as those of other nations.
Another brave Nigerian, who came through the thorns of racial discrimination, was David Oguntoye, who took the risk of traveling to the UK by hiding inside the ship, just to volunteered to serve in the Royal Air Force during World War II. But he missed the opportunity, because he was still in military school when the war ended. During his career, he formed a committed relationship with a white lady, Dulcie King, who also served in the Royal Air Force. While interracial marriages were not allowed in Britain at the time, especially in their military. All tactical and administrative attempts to separate them, even going so far as to attack David, have failed. Same...
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