THE HEROES BY ABEEB ADEBIMPE

A line in the Nigerian national anthem says “the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.” This can only be achieved if the heroes do not go into extinction in the hearts of Nigerians who sing/sang the anthem every morning at the assemble ground.
Nigeria has had a couple of patriotic citizens who made significant impacts in the development of the country, and it will only be fair if they are honored even in their absence. Below is a list of five Nigerians whose name can not be erased from the sand of Nigerian history.

1. SIR AHMADU BELLO

   
   June 1910 – January 1966
   
   Sir Ahmadu Bello, KBE was born in Rabbah Sokoto and is one of the most prominent early leaders in Nigeria. He was the Sardauna of Sokoto and a leader of the Northern People’s Congress where he dominated Nigerian politics throughout the First Nigerian Republic. Sir Ahmadu Bello fought actively in the independent struggle of Nigeria, and on his return from a trip to Britain, he was nominated to represent the province of Sokoto in the regional House of Assembly.
   He made sure his voice was well heard in the assembly and also consulted other representatives of the northern emirates to arrive at an agreed conclusion. KBE was assassinated on 15 January 1966 in a coup which toppled Nigeria’s post-independence government. Although he is no more alive, his legacy lives on. His face graces the ₦200 note, and The Ahmadu Bello University of Zaria was named after him. Aside that, Bello’s greatest legacy was the modernization and unification of the diverse people of Northern Nigeria.

2. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe

   
   November 1904 – May 1996
   
   Chief Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism. He was the first president of Nigeria , from 1 October 1963 to 16 January 1966. He also served as the second and last Governor-General from 1960 to 1963. He attended Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar and Methodist Boys High School
   Lagos before attending Howard University, Washington DC and Lincoln University, Pennsylvania.
   Fondly referred to as Zik, Nnamdi promoted pro-African nationalist agenda while he worked as an editor for African Morning Post. He became the first Nigerian to be named to the privy council of the United State.
   Following the declaration of Nigeria as a republic, Dr Nnamdi fought relentlessly for an independent but unified Nigeria. His unforgettable hard work has led to several places being named after him.
   They include the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja , the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, Nnamdi Azikiwe Press Centre, Dodan Barracks, Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos and Azikiwe Avenue in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His legacy also lives on as long as Nigeria’s ₦500 note exists – his portrait is on it.

3. FUNMILAYO RANSOME KUTI

   
   October 1900 – April 1978
   

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was a teacher, political campaigner, women’s rights activist and traditional aristocrat. She was the mother of famous afro-beat artist, Femi Kuti and also the first woman in Nigeria to drive a car. Due to Ransome’s political activism she was described as the doyen of female rights in Nigeria, as well as “The Mother of Africa.”
She was elected at the native house of Chiefs and served as an Oloye of the Yoruba people. Her activism rubbed off on her three sons and even in her old age they had faced several oppositions from the Nigerian military juntas.
Fumilayo died from injuries sustained after she was thrown down from the third-floor window in Kalakuta Republic. Her legacy is seen in children and grandchildren as they still preach the word through their music . In 2012, there was a debate between the federal government and the Kuti family, as the family insisted that the federal government should apologise for the death of their mother before they think of immortalising her on the proposed ₦5,000 note.

4.

CHIEF ANTHONY ENAHORO

July 1923 – December 2010

Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro was Nigeria’s foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activists. At 21, he became the editor of Nnamdi Azikiwe’s newspaper, Southern Nigerian Defender , making him the youngest editor in Nigeria. Enahoro was the first to move the motion for Nigeria’s independence and was usually referred to as the “Father of the Nigerian State”. He was an academician and fought for the good cause of the nation until his death in late 2010.

5.

KUDIRAT ABIOLA

1951 – June 1996

Kudirat was the wife of MKO Abiola and a first lady in the making who was ripped off before her time. At 21, she married Chief Moshood Abiola and they had seven children together. Kudirat adopted many social causes and was to become a prime supporter of the educational programs of the Ansar-Ur-Deen movement in Nigeria.
She was also a successful businesswoman who built a pharmaceutical company. She was an activist and was very much involved in the oil workers 12-week strike against the military.
The strike was the longest recorded in African history of oil workers and it really got to the government. She was also part of the march for freedom that took place in 1995 and won woman of the year in the same year and the previous one.
Unfortunately, Kudirat was assassinated with a P 90 rifle by unknown men on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. That event brought an end to her brilliant and bold life but she is still remembered often, especially whenever the Kudirat Abiola Way at Ojota/Oregun is mentioned or passed through.