The Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Owelle-Osowa-anya of
Onitsha, and Zik of Africa was born on November 16, 1904 in Zungeru, Niger
State into the family of Obededom Chukwuemeka Azikiwe and Racheal Chinwe
Azikiwe. His father was a Government worker, a clerk, and his mother was a
trader
.
He attended various schools in Nigeria, including CMS Central School, Onitsha
(1911); Methodist Boys High School, Lagos (1915-18); Hope Waddell Institute,
Calabar (1920-21). He was also a pupil teacher at St. Jude’s CMS Central
School, Orafite, and CMS Central School, Onitsha (1919). He was a third class
clerk with the Treasury Department, Lagos (1921). Residing all over Nigeria
enabled him know how to speak the three main languages in Nigeria, Igbo, his
mother tongue,Hausa, and Yoruba. After an unsuccessful attempt to stow away to
America in 1924, his father saved some money, and gave him for his journey to
America.
He left for the
United States in the late 20s, as he put it, "in search of a Golden
Fleece." While in the US, he worked as a dishwasher, coal miner, potato
peeler, car wash attendant, elevator boy, kitchen hand, and waiter, to pay his
way through college. He attended Storer College in West Virginia for two years
(1925-1927). Due to financial difficulties, he left for Howard University, DC,
where he was for two years (1927-1929). In 1929, he entered Lincoln University,
PA. In 1930, he received his BA degree in Political Science. His classmates
included Thurgood Marshal, the late Supreme Court Justices who left a mark in
Americas Judicial system, and Langston Hughes, the late African American Poet.
In summer 1930, he was admitted to Columbia University to read journalism, with
a scholarship from the Phelp Stokes Fund. He obtained an MA degree in Religion
and Philosophy at Lincoln University (1932). While still at Lincoln University,
he was employed as a Graduate Assistant in summer 1930. In 1933, he concluded two
Master’s degree programs, in Anthropology and Political Science at University
of Pennsylvania, PA. He was appointed a full-time lecturer in Political Science
in 1933. He taught ancient, medieval, modern and English history, as well as
African history. While still pursuing his Master’s at Columbia University, he
registered for the Doctor of Philosophy degree at the school. In 1934, his
Ph.D. Thesis, “Liberian Diplomacy, 1847-1932” was published as “Liberia in
World Politics.” Since his attendance at these schools, he has received many
honorary degrees from them, including two from Lincoln University. After
accomplishing his academic dreams, he knew it was time to go back to his
homeland, to join in the fight to free Nigerians from the evil grasp of
Britain, who was then our colonial masters.
He returned to
Nigeria in the mid-30s and got involved in politics forming the NCNC party. He
was a journalist, which translates, to his running a couple of newspapers of
which The West African Pilot was the most prominent of them all. He was
actively involved in Nigeria's fight for independence. His dream was finally
realized on October 1, 1960 when Nigeria became an independent nation and he
was sworn in as her first indigenous Governor-General and Commander-in Chief of
the Federation. In 1963, Nigeria became a republic, and he was then made the First
President. He was forced out of office in 1966 by a deadly coup that I believed
destroyed everything that our founding fathers fought and stood for. He helped
put an end to the slaughtering of innocent Igbo men and women, during Biafra.
He was perceived as a coward and sell out, but anyone that knows him, knew that
he never believed in violence, rather he believed that dialogue could solve any
problem. He saw that Biafrans did not have a chance against the firepower of
the Nigerian army, so he intervened. If he did not intervene, I wonder what
would have become of the Biafrans. The Nigerian Army might have used the
Biafran War as an excuse to wipe the Igbos off the surface of the Earth. We
thank him for that, and I think that Igbos owe their existence to him.
He returned to
politics in 1978, by founding the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). In 1979 and
1983 his bids for the presidency were unsuccessful, amidst suspicions of
riggings. He retired from active politics and withdrew to his country home in
Nsukka where he lived until May 11, 1996 when he passed away at the University
of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. He was buried on November 16, 1996, at his
country home in Onitsha. There were a lot of controversies surrounding his
burial, but in the end he was buried with the respect and dignity he deserved.
His burial period was the most peaceful time that I have ever experienced in
Nigeria. Nigerians from all nooks and corners came to pay their last respect to
the man who was known to all as The Great Zik of Africa. He may be gone, but
his legacy lives on.
He was inducted
into the prestigious Agbalanze society as Nnayelugo in 1946. Then, in 1962, he
became a second-rank red cap chief (Ndichie Okwa), as Oziziani Obi. In 1970, he
was installed as Owelle-Osowa-Anya, making him a first-rank red cap chief
(Ndichie Ume). In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the title of Privy
Councilor to the Queen of England. He was conferred with the highest national
honor of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) by the Federal Republic
of Nigeria, in 1980. He has received fourteen honorary degrees from Nigerian,
American and Liberian Universities. They schools include Lincoln University,
Storer College, Howard University, Michigan State University, University of
Nigeria Nsukka, University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, University of
Ibadan, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, and University of Liberia.
SPORTS – He was
actively involved in sports at every stage of his life, and he was successful
in a lot of events that he participated in. They include Welterweight Boxing
Champion Storer College (1925-27); High Jump champion, Howard University
Inter-Scholastic Games (1926); Gold Medallist in Cross Country, Storer College
(1927); Back-stroke Swimming Champion and No.3 swimmer in Freestyle Relay team,
Howard University (1928); Captain, Lincoln University Soccer Team (1930);
Winner Two Miles Run, Central Inter-Collegiate Athletic Association
Championships at Hampton Institute Virginia (1931); Bronze Medallist, Richmond
Cross Country Marathon (1931); Gold Medallist in the 1,000 yards run, One Mile
Run and Three Miles Run, Catedonian Games in Brooklyn, NY (1932); Silver Trophy
winner in the Half Mile race, and Silver Cup winner in the One Mile Race,
Democratic Field Day Championships, New Haven, Connecticut (1933);
Runner-up(with G.K. Dorgu) at the Lagos Tennis Men’s Double Championships
(Division B 1938); anchor man for the ZAC team which won the 50 yards Freestyle
Relay at the Lagos Swimming Championships (1939); Won letters in athletics
(Lincoln University) and cross country (Storer College and Lincoln University),
swimming (Howard University), and soccer (Lincoln University); entered to
compete in the Half-Mile Race and One-Mile run at the British Empire Games to
represent Nigeria, but was rejected by the A.A.A of Great Britain on technical
grounds (he dropped his English Christian name, “Benjamin”); and Founder (with
M.R.B. Ottun) of the Zik’s Athletic Club to promote athletics, boxing, cricket,
soccer, swimming and tennis in Nigeria.
POLITICS – During
his lifetime, he held some political posts all over the world, especially our
great country, Nigeria. They include Executive Committee Member of Mambili
Party, Accra (1935-37); General Secretary of National Council of Nigerian and
the Cameroons (1944-45); President of the NCNC (1946-60); Vice-President of the
Nigerian National Democratic Party (1947-60); Member for Lagos in the
Legislative Council of Nigeria (1947-51); Member for Lagos and Leader of the
Opposition in the Western House of Assembly (1952-53) Member for Onitsha in the
Eastern House of Assembly (1954-60); Minister of Internal Affairs (Jan.-Sept.
1954); Minister of Internal Affairs, Eastern Region (1954); Member of His
Excellency Privy Council, Eastern Nigeria (1954-59); Primer of Eastern Nigeria
(1954-59); President of the Senate of the Federation (Jan.-Nov. 1960);
Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria (1960-63); President of the
Republic of the Republic of Nigeria (1963-1966); and Chairman and Presidential
candidate of the Nigeria People’s Party (1978-83). Professional World – He also
made a name for himself in the professional world. He was a Third-class Clerk,
Treasury Department, Lagos (1921-1924); Recruit, Gold Coast Police Force
(Jul.-Sept. 1924); Solicitor Clerk to the late Mr. Justice Graham Paul at
Calabar (Jan.-Aug.1925); Instructor in Political Science, Lincoln University
(1931-34); University Correspondent for the Baltimore Afro-American (1928-34);
General and Sports Correspondent for the Philadelphia Tribune (1928-34);
Editor-in Chief of the West African Pilot (1937-45); Correspondent for the
Associated Negro Press (1944-47); Correspondent for Reuters (1944-46); Managing
Director of Zik’s Press Limited (printers and publishers of the West African
Pilot (Lagos), Eastern Guardian (Port Harcourt), Nigerian Spokesman (Onitsha),
Southern Nigeria Defender (Ibadan), Daily Comet (Kano), and Eastern Sentinel
(Enugu); Managing Director of Comet Press Limited (1945-53); Chairman of West
African Pilot Limited and the Associated Newspapers of Nigeria Limited and six
other limited liability companies (1952-53); Chairman, Nigerian Real Estate Corporation Limited (1952-53); etc.
SOCIETIES AND
ORGANIZATIONS - He was a member of many organizations or societies, including
Anti-Slavery Society for the protection of Human Rights; Phi Beta Sigma
Fraternity (Alpha Chapter and Mu Chapter); West African Students Union; Onitsha
Improvement Union; Zik’s Athletic Club; Ekine Sekiapu Society of Buguma,
Kalabari; St. John’s Lodge of England; Royal Economic Society; Royal
Anthropological Institute; British Association for the Advancement of Science;
American Society of International Law; American Anthropological Association;
American Political Science Society; American Ethnological Society; Iwarefa,
Reformed Ogboni Fraternity; Amateur Athletic Association of Nigeria; Nigerian
Swimming Association, Nigerian Boxing Board of Control; Nigerian Cricket
Association; Ibo State Union; and Nigerian Table Tennis Association; Nigeria
Olympic Committee and British Empire and Commonwealth Games Association.
LITERARY WORKS - In
his lifetime, he wrote a lot of books, poetry, and articles. His celebrated
publications include Liberia in World Politics: Renascent Africa (1934);
Political Blueprint for Nigeria (1943); Economic Reconstruction of Nigeria
(1943); Zik: A Selection of the Speeches of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (1961);
Assassination Story: True or False? (1946); “Essentials for Nigeria’s
Survival.” (1965); “Before Us Lies The Open Grave” (1947); “The Future of
Pan-Africanism” (1961); “The Realities of African Unity” (1965); “Origins of
the Nigerian Civil War” (1969); I Believe in a One Nigeria (1969); Peace
Proposals for Ending the Nigerian Civil War (1969); My Odyssey: An
Autobiography (1970); Dialogue on a New Capital for Nigeria (1974); “Creation
of More States in Nigeria, A Political Analysis” (1974); Democracy with
Military Vigilance (1974); “Reorientation of Nigerian Ideologies: lecture on
9th December 1976, on eve of the launching of the UNN Endowment Fund” (1976);
Our Struggle for Freedom; Onitsha Market Crisis (1976); Let Us Forgive Our
Children, An appeal to the leaders and people of Onitsha during the market
crisis (1976); A Collection of Poems (1977); Civil War Soliloquies: More
Collection of Poems (1977); “Themes in African Social and Political Thought”
(1978); Restoration of Nigerian Democracy (1978); Matchless Past Performance:
My Reply to Chief Awolowo’s Challenge (1979); A Matter of Conscience (1979);
Ideology for Nigeria: Capitalism, Socialism or Welfarism? (1980); “Breach of
Trust by the NPN” (1983); and History Will Vindicate The Just (1983).
Culled from Reformed
Ogboni Franternity
