First Speech Of Obafemi Awolowo As The President Of The Action Group, 1951
Our enemies and detractors are already at work. They are seeking to dwarf our stature in order to delude the public that they are taller than we are. They are also seeking to divert us from our noble and constructive courses in to the barren land of petty strife and fruitless controversy.
I believe I am voicing your sentiments, when I say that we do not grudge other parties their professed popularity and excellence.
But it is mean and cowardly, and an evidence of weakness and utter demerit, for any group of people to attempt to commend themselves to the public by the negative process of belittling and condemning others. Strong, courageous, resourceful and self-confident people are never afraid of rivals or competitors.
It is not an easy matter to resist the temptation of being dragged down the drains of bitter recriminations and press war. But if we are to attain our objectives we must resolve to pursue our course unflinchingly without paying the slightest heed ‘to the envious, and the asses that bray.’
What our people want to know above all things else is not the defect or incapacity of this or that organization, but the plans and programmes which we have for improving their lots and the relative merits of such plans and programmes.
Such plans and programmes we have; and what is more they are plans and programmes which could be put into execution within a period of five years.
Our line of action is therefore clear. Whilst our enemies and detractors busy themselves with abusing and decrying us, we should direct all the machinery of our publicity towards the propagation of the excellence and the relative superiority of our programmes and the suitability of the men who will put forward to execute them.
In this way we would succeed in commending ourselves to the public by our sheer merits and our merits only. This in my view is a nobler attitude; and if we remain true to it, we are bound to succeed where our detractors fail.
Culled from “Voice of Reason: Selected Speeches of Chief Obafemi Awolowo” Vol. 1, Fagbamigbe Publishers (1981) Pages 195-200
Thanks for reading, oldnaija.com
Questions? Advert? Click here to mail us or click here to call us.
Thanks very mchforthis,Ope. Awo’s legacy lives on no matter the attempts to hokd back the West so that others can “catch up” or even surpass.
It’s just a shame that so-called AWOISTS are, for most, using the Awo name to curther their personal interests and greed; they are nothing but charlatans. Their pretence keeps on elevating the Awo name and legacy and the worrisome thought of when-next-will-Yorubas-produce-another-visionary- isionary-and-selfless-leader?
TOLA.