VOICE OF COURAGE: Selected speeches of Obafemi Awolowo (Vol 2)

A most courageous articulation of the nationwide feeling of disgust for the Sir Adetokunbo Ademola’s alarming Provisional Census figure of 1973 to which the Supreme Military Council of General Yakubu Gowon gave a loud acceptance and open protective support. It is the filial part of the historic University of Ife Convocation Speech by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, on Saturday, 6th July, 1974.

Continued from last week

ON 18th May, 1974, the days after the provisional ‘figures were announced, the New Nigerian carried the following report about H.E. Usman Faruk, Military Governor of North-Western State:

“Military Governor of the North Western State, Assistant Police Commissioner Usman Faruk, has described the 1973 national census as “THE MOST REALISTIC AND THOROUGH POPULATION HEAD COUNT EVER CONDUCTED IN THIS COUNTRY”.

“Speaking on the weekly RKTV programme, ‘Meeting Point’ in Kaduna last Thursday night, the governor, maintained that there was nothing to compare with the exercise.

“He confirmed that the procedures devised and put forward by the census board were meticulously implemented in the field during the head count exercise.”

According to the Daily Express of 9th May, 1974, nine days before Governor Faruk spoke, and presumably, on the same day as the provisional figures were announced, our Head of State, H.E.’ General Yakubu Gowen, said this about the census figures:

‘THE FIGURES ARE VERY PROVISIONAL BUT I CAN SAY THAT THE 1973 COUNT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST THOROUGH HEAD-COUNT HUMAN, BEINGS BY HUMAN BEING ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

The near-identity of these two statements strongly suggests that the two leaders have reflected the views of the Supreme Military Council.

IT CLEAR FROM WHAT I HAVE SAID AND FROM THE EULOGIES BY THEIR EXCELLENCIES THAT THE FINAL FIGURES JUST CANNOT BE ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE PROVISIONAL FIGURES.

• VOICE OF COURAGE Selected speeches of Obafemi Awolowo (Vol 2)

This being so, as sensible people we should make up our minds NOW to cut our loss and minimise our national pains and pangs by appealing to our Head of State and the Supreme Military Council to reject the provisional figures NOW.

The civilian Government did a similar thing in 1962.

But, instead of embarking on another head count as the civilians did in 1963, we should go back and stick to the 1963 figures; not because they are accurate – of course they are not; but because:

1) they represent a mutual compromise among the entire people of this country at the time they were produced or’ concocted;

2) they had stood us in good stead in the past; and can with necessary expert adjustments to take account of differing rates of growth in our States, and of the phenomenal population growth rate in the City of Lagos, continue to avail us in the future; and

3) they are, as I have pointed out the LEAST BAD, the LEAST UGLY, and, therefore, the MOST ACCEPTABLE of all our BAD, UGLY and DISPUTABLE CENSUS RESULTS FROM 1931 TO 1973.

For two decades—that is during 1931 to 1951—we did no head count in Nigeria. By the same token we could afford to postpone another head count till say twenty years from now. By that time, egalitarianism would nave ‘been crystalised among our entire people; inter-ethnic fears and suspicions would have largely disappeared; and practically all Nigerian children and youths would be in various levels of educational institutions. Because of all these, the inducement to demographic malpractices and pillage would have almost fallen to zero; and, ‘even where such malpractices are attempted, it would be easy to detect them by using school population as a check.

It is at that time in the distant future that we should seek to improve on the 1963 figures. This is my fervent plea to our Head of State and the Supreme Military Council; and I believe this is the ardent plea of all right-thinking Nigerians in all parts of our fatherland, as well.

To be continued