AWOLOWO'S RECENT BURIAL: A SHAM?
Charles O Ochie
On Wed, 27 Nov 1996, Charles Ochie wrote:
Vincent, thanks for your comments on Chief Awo's late burial. I raised
this issue late week, and I don't have any facts to confirm or deny it.
It was one of those hay passing stories that people tell you while
drinking "kill me quick"- "ogogoro". I didn't even know that some
credible individuals have looked at or inquired about it.
Well, whatever be that case, may their souls rest in perfect peace.
Peace and unity
Charles
On Wed, 27 Nov 1996, Vincent O Okany wrote:
> Fellow netters,
>
> I was with some of my Nigerian friends ysterday having our usual Tuesday
> evening pepper soup session. Naturally, the topic of discussion was on
> Nigerian events, past and present. In the course of our discussion, an
> interesting dimension was introduced by Yinka, one of the guys around. It
> involved Awolowo's recent burial (after the death of Zik). I do not
> remember exactly what brought about the issue, but Yinka was very
> surprised when I told him that Awolowo was buried a few months ago.
> I noticed the sudden change in his countenance, and when I questioned him
> further, he told me that Awolowo has since been buried. Then he set about
> trying to convince me (or rather, us). As a journalist working in Nigeria
> at the time of Awolowo's death, he claimed to have investigated the
> supposed preservation of Awolowo's corpse. According to him, he was working
> for Today's Choice (does it ring a bell?) sometime around 1994 when he
> had an encounter with the private secretary to H.I.D, Awolowo's wife. The
> Private Secretary intimated him that Awolowo had actually been buried,
> but because the Yorubas wanted to monumentalize (is there such a word?),
> they refused to reveal the fact that Awolowo had actually been buried. He
> however admitted that there was an attempt to preserve the corpse for as
> long as possible, but at a stage, the corpse began to decay, a reason for
> the hasty burial. Mind you, Yinka claimed that the Private secretary to
> Awo's wife gave him these details. In his effort to pursue the case
> further, he got in touch with Oluwole Awolowo, Awo's first son. Olu's
> response to the enquiry was something like: "Come on, man. Why don't you
> pursue another line of investigation? Are you not Yoruba?" And things
> like that. In other words, Oluwole tried to kill the inquiry. This guy,
> Yinka sounded so sure of himself. He could not quote the exact date of
> the magazine, but he said that the facts are there in Nigeria. One thing
> he was so sure about was that the magazine was published in Nigeria
> in 1994. He actually offered to get more information about the magazine
> when next he calls Nigeria. I am putting this story to the general net
> (with Yinka's full consent, of course) in order to clarify if anyoe has
> heard about this before. If there are things anyone might like to know, I
> could refer the person to Yinka who, unfotunately, is not on the net.
>
> Cheers.
>
> Ogu
>
Victor Aina
>
> Victor,
>
> First I'll like to make some minor cosmetic editorial changes on your
> reply - you meant "truth" not "thruth" and "unnecessary" not "unecessary".
>
My dear John,
If I had given you a document--manuscript, disertation, etc--
something official to proof-read, I would have gladly thanked
you. In this instance, *NO* thanks! Why? well, if I did, I will
be aiding and abetting someone who has wrongly and perhaps,
recklessly too, arrogated to him/herself the illusory position
of a cyberspace editor. And by so doing, encourage a much
frowned upon behaviour--breaking one of the rules of conduct.
I strongly suspect that you a juvenile as far as this cyberjungle
is concerned; otherwise, you would have known that there exists
a document, a user's manual, so to speak that guides the conduct
of cyber-surfers. They call it *NETIQUETTE*. Among other things,
it forbids people like you from "editing" other peoples thought,
grammar, spelling, construction, be it in English, Spanish, Frrench,
or any of the other languages in common use.
Of even more relevance to this corner of cyberspace is that there
has *NEVER* been an election to the post of *naijanet* editor.
Yes. Since naijanet's inception; gazillion years ago.
Rather than go into a huff with you, here is a few things to note.
Before you get flamed, note that in an unofficial medium like this,
it is generally acknowledged that people more or less react rather
spontaneously to what cathes their interest. Stated differently,
people do not spend time proofreading what they have written. Secondly,
there are different terminals (keyboards, if you like) with different
degrees of misbeaviour (stickyness, hyper-arctivity etc). This perjaps
partly explains the portion of netiquette that I have alluded to.
For future purposes, let me suggest to you that, you follow the matured
peoples lead. Essentially, they mentally do whatever corrections they
deem fit.
> Secondly, If the story is half truth can you or somebody else throw
> more light into it to enable us see the remaining hidden half truth.
My brother, ok, here goes...The largest town hall on the planet was
built. The capacity? 30 million (give or take) people. As the gentleman
put it the Yorubas were there. I was there too. I do not recall the
decision to *NOT* bury the great one, Obafemi Awolowo, because we want
to immortalize (or is monumentalize) him.
Second point: Oluwole Awolowo is *NOT* Awo's first son. There was Segun.
> The light you've just thrown below is not illuminating enough so I
> guess you have to change your torch batteries for more power and more light.
>
> Cheers.
>
> John.
Good morning.
Gbenga Aina.
==========================================================================
> | Comments: To: ok...@CC.HELSINKI.FI
> |
> | -------
> | > Private Secretary intimated him that Awolowo had actually been buried,
> | > but because the Yorubas wanted to monumentalize (is there such a word?),
> | ~~~~~~~~~~~
> | > they refused to reveal the fact that Awolowo had actually been buried. He
> |
> | What a reckless generalization. The name Yinka sounds/reads Yoruba.
> | Could it be that Yinka was absent when the *over* 20 million Yorubas
> | held the meeting to "monumentalize" the late Awo?
> |
> | > however admitted that there was an attempt to preserve the corpse for as
> | > long as possible, but at a stage, the corpse began to decay, a reason for
> | > the hasty burial. Mind you, Yinka claimed that the Private secretary to
> | > Awo's wife gave him these details. In his effort to pursue the case
> | > further, he got in touch with Oluwole Awolowo, Awo's first son. Olu's
> | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> |
> | Get your facts straight. Keep this square free from half thruths
> | and unecessary innuendoes.
> |
> |
> | |----------------------------------------------------------|
> | | victor aina | e-mail: ai...@sfu.ca | fax:(604) 291-5944 |
> | |----------------------------------------------------------|
> |
>
|----------------------------------------------------------|
| victor aina | e-mail: ai...@sfu.ca | fax:(604) 291-5944 |
|----------------------------------------------------------|
Akin Kumoluyi
On Thursday 28 Nov 1996, Alex Ike wrote:
Hi,
I think nobody will rest in perfect peace unless you lived a good live.
There is no repentance in the grave. If they lived a good but not perfect
then they will all rest in peace. If not there will be no peace for
unpeaceful soul.
Alex Ike
I write:
The "rest in perfect peace" concept does not exist, it is a farce.
In the here-after, we reap exactly what we sow, no nepotism.
Planes above this (the earth) are just similar but with varying
densities, you work equally as hard, the lazy ones definitely suffer.
Okay, the "rest in perfect peace" can be interpreted as just having
less burdens - thus less evils to redeem.
Akin Kumoluyi.
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