An haifi ɗan gwagwarmaya Herbert Macauley a birnin Legas, Najeriya, a ranar 14 ga Nuwamba, 1864. Mahaifinsa shi ne ya kafa kuma ya shugabanci makarantar Grammar Church Missionary Society a Legas, kuma mahaifiyarsa ‘ya ce ga Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther. Macaulay jikan Bishop Ajayi Crowther ne, bishop na Anglican na farko na Afirka. Ya taso ne a gidan addini da ilimi, wanda hakan ya sa ya kasance mai ra’ayin farko game da rayuwa.
Karatunsa da aikinsa
Macaulay ya fara makarantar firamare a shekarar 1869 ya kuma ya yi karatu har ila yau a Makarantar Breadfruit St Paul, Legas da kuma CMS Faji School, Legas, a shekarar 1877. Daga 1877 zuwa Oktoba 1880, ya halarci Makarantar Grammar CMS, a Legas ɗin don karatun sakandare. Ya kasance dalibi a makarantar lokacin da mahaifinsa ya rasu a shekara ta 1878. A shekara ta 1880, ya shiga sana’ar kawunsa na wajen mahaifiyarsa, inda suka balaguro tare don yin fatauci da wa’azi a Yankin kogin Neja inda ya ziyarci Bonny, Lokoja, Gbebe da Brass.
Bayan ya tafi makarantar mishan ta Kirista, ya yi aiki a matsayin mataimakin limamin cocin makarantar a Legas. Bayan haka, ya samu goyon bayan gwamnatin mulkin mallaka, inda ya bar Legas a ranar 1 ga Yuli 1890 don ci gaba da samun horo a Ingila. Daga 1891 zuwa 1894 ya karanta fannin aikin injiniyanci a Plymouth, Ingila. A cikin 1893, ya kammala karatun digiri a Royal Institute of British Architects, London. Macaulay ƙwararren mawaƙi ne wanda ya sami takardar shedar kiɗa da waƙa daga Kwalejin Trinity da ke Landan da takardar shaidar yin wasan violin daga Kwalejin Music International ta London.
Bayan ya dawo Legas a watan Satumba na 1893, ya koma aiki tare da gwamnatin mulkin mallaka a matsayin mai binciken filayen masarauta. Ya bar aikin a shekarar 1898 saboda rashin jin daɗin mulkin Turawan Birtaniya.
A cikin shekarar 1920, wani lokaci a tarihin Najeriya da ke da alaƙa da farkon tashin hankalin siyasa na neman yancin kai, Macauley ya zama jigo a ƙarnin farko na kishin ƙasa Najeriya. A cikin shekarar 1921, Macauley ya jagoranci zanga-zanga a Legas kan farashin ruwa, al’amuran filaye, da kuma karkatar da kuɗaɗen layin dogo. A shekarar 1922, ya taimaki wani basaraken Legas a yakin da gwamnatin mulkin mallaka ta karɓe masa wasu filayensa da karfi don ayyukan gwamnati. Kotun koli a Ingila ta saurari karar kuma ta mayar wa sarki filayen. Wannan nasara ta zaburar da Macauley ya kafa jam’iyyar siyasa ta farko a Najeriya a shekarar 1923, jam’iyyar National Democratic Party wacce mambobinta ne suka fara zama a majalisar dokoki.
Herbert Macaulay ya yi fice saboda gashin baki mai ban dariya da shahararren hotonsa a kan takardar Naira ɗaya. Ga wasu kuma, sunansa na kara kararrawa a wasu titunan Abuja da Legas a Najeriya. Ga mutane da yawa, Herbert Macaulay na wakiltar ɗaya daga cikin jaruman da suka kalubalanci gwamnatin mulkin mallaka tare da zana tsarin samar da ‘yantacciyar Najeriya. Ya dauki tsarin kishin kasa domin dunkulewar Nijeriya bayan kokarin da ya yi a Legas ya yi nasara.
Yaƙi da ƙabilar Aborigines
Macaulay ya shiga siyasa a ƙarshen 1900s. Ya shiga cikin al’ummar masu fafutukar yaki da bauta, wadda ake ganin ita ce kungiyar kare hakkin bil’adama mafi tsufa a duniya. Herbert ya yi adawa da gwamnatin mulkin mallaka a lokuta da dama. Misali, a shekarar 1908, ya fallasa cin hanci da rashawa a tsarin gudanar da layin dogo. A 1915, Macaulay ya yi magana game da biyan kuɗin ruwa. Har ila yau, a matsayinsa na shugaban ’yan kabilar da ke yaƙi da bauta a Legas, ya yi adawa da tsarin mallakar filaye a Legas da kuma fadin kasar Yarbawa. Sai dai abin takaicin shi ne, ‘yan kabilar Aboringes sun daƙile cigaban da aka samu saboda wani rikici da ya ɓarke tsakanin ɓangaren Legas da na kungiyar a London.
Wakilin Eleko a Biritaniya
A cikin 1921, Eleko (Sarkin Legas) ya aika Herbert Macaulay ya wakilce shi a Biritaniya game da batun mallakar ƙasa a Apapa. Macaulay ya yi magana game da yadda tsarin mallakar filaye ya shafi Eleko, wanda aka fi sani da Sarkin Legas. Har ila yau, ya zargi Birtaniya da kin amincewa da babban basaraken ƙasarsa. Shaharar Sir Herbert ta tashi a cikin mutanensa da ayyukansa. Wannan al’amari dai ya bai wa Ingila kunya matuƙa. Sai suka mayar da shari’ar filaye don goyon bayan Eleko. Ƙwarewarsa a Ingilishi da fahimtar al’adun Birtaniya da Yarbawa ya taimaka masa ya zama mai ba da shawara ga mutanensa. Tasirinsa ya sa ya zama abin farauta ga masu mulkin mallaka, wanda manufarsa ta ƙare saboda yawancin nasarorin da ya samu.
Kafa jaridar Daily Nigerian
Ita ce jarida ta farko ta yau da kullun mallakin ɗan Najeriya. An hana Herbert Macaulay tsayawa takarar mukamin gwamnati saboda matsalolin shari’a daga tarihin aikata laifuka na baya. Sau biyu gwamnatin mulkin mallaka a Legas tana yanke masa hukunci. Sau ɗaya don zamba, wani lokacin kuma don fitina. Duk da haka, ya sami wani dama a aikin jarida. Ya kasance babban marubuci kuma ya ba da gudummawa sosai ga tarihin Najeriya. A cikin 1927, ya haɗu tare da abokinsa John Akilade don sayan jaridar Legas. Jaridar Legas Daily News ita ce jarida ta farko a Najeriya da aka kafa a 1925. Jaridar ta ba Herbert Macaulay wani dandalin yin magana kan gwamnati da abokan hamayyarsa na siyasa. Labaran Legas Daily sun taka rawar gani wajen ci gaban NNDP. Daga baya, wasu jaridu na yau da kullun suka fara tashi.
Kafa Jam’iyyar National Democratic Party ta Najeriya
Ita ce Jam’iyyar siyasar Najeriya ta farko. Kundin tsarin mulkin Hugh Clifford na 1922 ya gabatar da kujeru hudu ga ‘yan Najeriya a majalisar dokoki; Kujeru uku na Legas sai daya na Calabar. Gabatar da wannan kundin tsarin mulkin ya kai ga kafa jam’iyyun siyasa. Herbert Macaulay ya yi amfani da tasirinsa da fafutukarsa na siyasa wajen kafa jam’iyyar National Democratic Party (NNDP). Saboda yadda doka ta tanada, bai iya tsayawa takara ba sai ya zama shugaban jam’iyyar.
Jam’iyyar NNDP, wacce ake yi wa kallon jam’iyyar siyasa ta farko a Najeriya, ta yi aiki da farko wajen sanya ‘yan takara a majalisar dokoki. Babban maƙasudin kafa ta shi ne inganta dimokuradiyya da kuma ƙara shigar da ‘yan Najeriya a fannin cigaban zamantakewa, tattalin arziki da ilimi a Najeriya. Jam’iyyar NNDP ta mamaye majalisar dokokin Legas a shekarun 1923, 1928, da 1933 amma ta yi nasara a 1938. Kungiyar matasan Najeriya (NYM) ta zama zabin jama’a.
Kafa Majalisar Tarayyar Najeriya da Kamaru (NCNC)
A shekarar 1944, Herbert Macaulay ya hada kai da kungiyar matasa ta kasa domin kafa majalisar kasa ta Najeriya da Kamaru (NCNC). Kafuwar jam’iyyar NCNC ta kuma kasance karo na farko da Herbert Macaulay ya ɗauki akidun siyasarsa bayan Legas. Ya haɗa kai da mutane irin su Nnamdi Azikiwe daga yankin Gabas. Haka kuma, manufar jam’iyyar ta sha bamban. An damu matuka game da samun isar ƙasa da kuma samun ‘yancin kai a Najeriya. Macaulay shi ne shugaban jam’iyyar na farko, yayin da Nnamdi Azikiwe ya zama sakatare. Sai dai kuma bai yi tsawon ran ganin Nijeriya ta samu ‘yancin kai ba a 1960. A shekarar 1946 Herbert ya kamu da rashin lafiya a tafiyar yakin neman zabe da NCNC a Kano. Ya rasu bayan watanni 81 a Legas.
Gudunmawarsa ga cigaban ƙasa
Ɗaya daga cikin muhimman gudunmawowin Macaulay ita ce rawar da ya taka wajen shiryawa da jagorantar zanga-zangar adawa da manufofin mulkin mallaka masu cin-karo da adalci, kamar haraji da kuma mallakar filaye. Ya kuma taka rawar gani wajen kwato ‘yancin ‘yan Legas na kula da al’amuransu na ƙaramar hukuma, yakin da ya sanya ya zama gwarzo ga mutane da yawa.
Ta hanyar kokarinsa, ya kafa harsashin yunƙurin kishin ƙasa waɗanda daga baya suka kai ga samun ’yancin kan Nijeriya. Ayyukansa sun zaburar da shugabannin kamar Nnamdi Azikiwe da Obafemi Awolowo. Macaulay ya yi imani da mutunci da daidaiton kowane mutum, ba tare da la’akari da ƙabila ko matsayi ba. Ya kasance mai ba da shawara ga ilimi, wakilcin siyasa, da karfafa tattalin arziki ga ‘yan Najeriya.
Duk da cewa shekaru sun ja, Macaulay ya ci gaba da taka rawa a fagen siyasa. A cikin 1944, ya zama wanda ya kafa kuma ya shugabanci majalisar farko ta Tarayyar Najeriya da Kamaru (NCNC), tare da Nnamdi Azikiwe. Wannan ƙungiya daga baya ta taka muhimmiyar rawa a tafarkin Najeriya na samun ‘yancin kai.
Gudunmawar da Herbert Macaulay ya bayar ga farkarwar siyasar Najeriya ya ba shi matsayi a tarihi a matsayin daya daga cikin manyan masu fada da mulkin mallaka. Yana dawwama a kan kudin Najeriya, tsabar kudi ₦1, da kuma ta hanyar abubuwan tarihi da cibiyoyi masu yawa da aka sanya suna don girmama shi.
Mutuwarsa
Herbert Macaulay ya rasu ne a ranar 7 ga Mayu, 1946, yana da shekaru 81, amma abin da ya gada a matsayinsa na mai bin diddigin kishin kasa a Najeriya yana nan daram.
Manazarta
Encyclopedia (n.d). Herbert Macaulay | Encyclopedia
History Class with Cheta: (2014, June 1). Who is Herbert Macaulay. History Class with Cheta