An haifi Cif Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo a ranar 6 ga Maris 1909, garin Ikenné da ke jihar Ogun, Najeriya. Ya fito ne daga zuri’a mai ƙarancin wadata, an ce shi ne mutum na farko da ya fara zuwa makaranta har matakin jami’a a zuri’arsu. Awolowo ya kasance mai kishin addinin Kiristanci kuma mai ra’ayin gurguzu na dimokuradiyya. Mahaifinsa ya rasu tun yana ƙarami. Ya yi aiki a lokuta daban-daban kamar aikin gona, furodusa, malamin makaranta, mai buga rubutu (typist), kilak da kuma aikin jarida.
Karatunsa
Awolowo, ya yi karatunsa na farko a makarantun Mishan ta Ikenné, Abeokuta, da Ibadan da wasu makarantu daban-daban a jihar Ogun, Najeriya. Haka nan kuma ya halarci Kwalejin Wesley da ke Ibadan a Najeriya, ya kuma yi digirin digirgir a Jami’ar Landan, kuma ya ziyarci call to English Bar a ranar 19 ga Nuwamba 1946.
Ayyuka da gwagwarmayar rayuwa
Bayan kammala karatunsa na digiri a shekarar 1949, Awolowo ya dawo Najeriya inda ya zama shugaban kungiyar Action Group kuma firimiya a yankin yammacin Najeriya wanda a lokacin yake ƙarƙashin mulkin mallakar Turawan Burtaniya.
A cikin shekarun 1950, wato lokacin gwagwarmayar neman ‘yancin kai daga Turawan mulkin mallaka na Burtaniya, Awolowo ya yi amfani da matsayinsa na jagoran ‘yan adawa wajen kalubalantar gwamnatin Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, wanda ya jagoranci jam’iyyar mutanen Arewa, jam’iyyar siyasa mafi girma a lokacin mulkin mallaka.
A shekarar 1957, Turawan mulkin mallaka na Ingila suka naɗa Balewa Fira-Minista shekaru uku kafin Najeriya ta samu ‘yancin kai don neman samun ‘yancin cin gashin kai na siyasa a Najeriya da kuma ‘yancin kan ƙasa. Duk da cewa da farko Awolowo ya fuskanci adawa mai yawa a cikin jam’iyyarsa ta Action Group, amma a karshe ya nemi goyon bayansa don kawo karshen rarrabuwar kawuna a jam’iyyar da ya ke ganin ya haifar da tashin hankali ya kuma bar Biritaniya ta ci gaba da mulkin ƙasar.
A matsayinsa na ɗan kishin ƙasa, Awolowo ya yi yaƙin neman ‘yancin kai ba wai kawai Najeriya ta samu ’yancin kai ba har ma da bunƙasar tattalin arziki da zamantakewa. Don haka ya ƙaddamar da ilimin firamare kyauta da kuma tsarin kula da lafiya kyauta a yankin Yammacin Najeriya tare da gina filin wasa na farko a Najeriya, wato filin wasa na Liberty da ke Ibadan, jihar Oyo Najeriya.
A lokacin da yake aikin jarida a shekarun 1930, ya kafa kungiyoyin siyasa da tattalin arziki da dama kamar su Trade Unions Congress of Nigeria, the Nigerian Producers Association, Nigerian Motor Transport Union, da Egbe Omo Oduduwa, kungiyar siyasa da al’adun Yarbawa, domin haɗa kan ƙabilar Yarbawan Najeriya. A shekarar 1947, a lokacin da yake ƙasar Ingila yana karantar shari’a a Makarantar Koyon Tattalin Arziki ta Landan, ya kafa kungiyar siyasa mai suna The Action Group, wadda galibi ta kasance a tsakanin kabilar Yarbawa a yankin Kudu maso yammacin Najeriya.
A shekarar 1978, Awolowo ya kafa jam’iyyar Unity Party of Nigeria ‘UPN’ bisa irin akida ta kungiyar Action Group, ya kuma sake yin takara biyu na neman shugabancin kasa a 1979 da 1983 kafin ya yi ritaya daga siyasa.
Marubuci ne, ya rubuta littafai da dama. A lokacin da yake zamansa a Landan, Awolowo ya yi fice wajen fafutukar kwato ‘yancin Najeriya. A cikin 1945 ya rubuta littafinsa na farko, ‘Path to Nigerian Freedom’ wanda a cikinsa ya yi matukar suka ga manufofin Biritaniya na gudanar da mulki kai tsaye tare da yin kira da a gaggauta kawar da mulkin mallaka da kuma naɗa mukaman mulki ga’yan Najeriya. Ya kuma bayyana imaninsa cewa tsarin tarayya shi ne tsarin gwamnati da ya fi dacewa da al’ummar Najeriya daban-daban.
Awolowo ya rubuta littafinsa na biyu, ‘Voice of Hikima da Jamhuriyar Jama’a’ inda ya yi kira ga ‘yan Najeriya da su yi amfani da albarkatun ƙasa wajen inganta ilimi da ci gaban ababen more rayuwa.
Zamansa a kurkuku
A shekarar 1963 aka samu Awolowo da laifin hada baki wajen hambarar da gwamnatin Najeriya kuma aka yanke masa hukuncin daurin shekaru goma a gidan yari. Sai dai a shekarar 1966, wani yunkurin juyin mulki ya kai ga dakatar da kundin tsarin mulkin tarayyar Najeriya tare da baiwa gwamnatin mulkin soja da ta yi alkawarin samar da sabon kundin tsarin mulki ragamar shugabancin.
A waccan shekarar, yayin da yake gidan yari, Awolowo ya rubuta ‘Thoughs on the Nigerian constitution’, inda ya yi jayayya a kan ci gaba da mulkin gwamnatin tarayya mai ƙunshe da jihohi 18. Daga baya, a cikin 1966, aka sake shi daga kurkuku kuma a shekara ta gaba aka gayyace shi don shiga gwamnatin soja ta tarayya a matsayin kwamishinan kudi na tarayya kuma a matsayin mataimakin shugaban majalisar zartarwa ta tarayya.
Karramawa da nasarori
- A shekarar 1982, ya samu lambar yabo mafi girma da shugaban kasa Shehu Shagari ya ba shi Babban Kwamandan Tarayyar Najeriya ‘GCFR’ bisa la’akari da nasarori da gudunmawar da ya bayar ga tarayya.
- Nairar Najeriya da ta maye gurbin Fam a shekarar 1973 Awolowo ne ya kirkiro ta kuma yana cikin takardar kuɗin Naira dari da Babban Bankin Najeriya ya fitar a shekarar 1999.
- A cikin 1949, ya kuma kafa jaridar Nigerian Tribune, wacce ta taka muhimmiyar rawa a harkar kishin ƙasa kuma a yau, ita ce jarida mafi tsufa a Najeriya mai zaman kanta.
- Ya gina gidan talabijin na farko a Afirka, Gidan Talabijin na Yammacin Najeriya, ‘W.N.T.V,’ a shekarar 1959;
- Samar da filin wasa na Obafemi Awolowo, wanda asalinsa filin wasa ne na Liberty, a shekarar 1960,
- Ya kuma aza harsashin ginin Cocoa House, wanda ya kasance babban gini na farko a Najeriya da Afrika ta Yamma, 1965.
Rubuce-rubucensa
Ɗan gwagwarmayar ya rubuce-rubuce da da dama a lokacin rayuwarsa da suka haɗa da:
- Path to Nigerian Freedom
- The Strategy & Tactics of the People’s Republic of Nigeria
- The Problems of Africa – The Need for Ideological Appraisal
- Awo on the Nigerian Civil War
- Path to Nigerian Greatness
- Voice of Reason
- Voice of Courage
- Voice of Wisdom
- Awo – Autobiography of Chief Obafemi Awolowo
- My Early Life
- Thoughts on the Nigerian Constitution
- The People’s Republic
- Adventures in Power – Book 1 – My March Through Prison
- Adventures in Power – Book 2 – Travails of Democracy from Awo
- The Path to Economic Freedom in Developing Country
- Blueprint for Post-War Reconstruction
- Anglo-Nigerian Military Pact Agreement
- My march through prison
- Socialism in the service of New Nigeria
- Selected speeches of Chief Obafemi Awolowo
- Philosophy of Independent Nigeria
Mutuwarsa
Cif Obafemi Awolowo ya rasu a ranar 9 ga watan Mayu, 1987. Ya rasu a garin Ikenné, Ogun Najeriya, yana da shekaru 78.
Manazarta
Daily, P. (2024, January 20). Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo (6 March 1909 – 9 May 1987) – Peoples Daily Newspaper. Peoples Daily Newspaper.
Inner Temple. (2021, November 30). Obafemi Awolowo | Inner Temple.
Macauley, S. (2010, October 25). Obafemi Awolowo (1909-1985). BlackPast.org.
Wikipedia contributors. (2024b, October 14). Obafemi Awolowo. Wikipedia.