Remembering Ojike, ‘the boycott king’

Former National Vice President of National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) and Finance Minister in the defunct Eastern Region Mazi Mbonu Ojike died in 1956 at the age of 44 years. EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on the life and time of the colourful politician and cultural nationalist who died without realising his full potentials. 

He was born 100 years ago. He died almost 59 years ago.

Had Nigeria embraced his socio-cultural preaching, the country, probably, would recorded a leap in its drive for self-sufficiency. But only those who have a deep sense of history now remember the prominent Igbo politician and Nigerian nationalist, Mazi Nbonu Ojike.

The renowned freedom fighter was in the class of Dr. Kingsley Mbadiwe, Chief H.O. Davies, Dr. Michael Okpara, Chief Ladoke Akintola, Chief Bode Thomas, Chief Remi Fani-Kayode, Alhaji Mohammadu Ribadu and Alhaji Zana Rima Dipcharima. He was both a fan and foe of the former Premier of Eastern Region, Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe. As Finance Minister under Zik, he fell out with his leader. Ojike died at the age of 44 in an auto crash. Many Nigerians believed that he left without realising his full potentials.

On the podium, he was at his best when attacking the colonial masters and their anti-African policies. He was an orator and wordsmith. He was a man of intellect and understanding. He canvassed passive resistance, which was made popular by the great Indian leader, Mahatma Ghandi. He traversed the length and breath of the colonised territory, urging the people to “boycott the boycottables”. He practiced what he preached by adopting native names, clothes, food, and ways of life. Ironically, he toured the towns and villages with his message of cultural nationalism in cars imported from abroad. He wore traditional dress to office and served palm wine, instead of whisky, champagne or beer at his official receptions and parties. He replaced his suit with agbada or jumper and encouraged civil servants to appear in office in native attire.

Ojike became famous during the struggle for independence through his weekly column, ‘Weekend Catechism’ in the West African Pilot. Through that popular platform, he appealed to Nigerians to perceive independence from the cultural perspective. His idea was that the attachment of the young educated elements to British culture was another form of enslavement. Thus, the great nationalist taught Nigerians to reject or avoid “foreign things” or “imported things”, contending that, in the process of identifying with or embracing the culture of the colonial masters, the pride of the colonised community is further injured.

A university don, Prof. Ukwu I. Ukwu, who paid tribute to him, said he was a hero to Igboland and Nigeria. “He taught us and kept teaching us, the beauty, dignity and functionality of our traditions”, added the don, who teaches Economists at Ebonyi State University. “His greatest impact was psychological and intellectual. He gave birth to every Nigerians pride in his culture as a living functional whole”, he added

From adolescence, Ojike had shown the promise of an electrifying character. He was charming, gregarious and fork-tongued. Historians point out that 1931 marked a turning point in his life. As a final year student of CMS Tranning College, Awka, he emerged as the best student. The prize was a book titled: “Aggrey of Africa. The book changed his world view because he was exposed to the dilemma of the oppressed African people. At the age of 19, he resolved to join the nationalist vanguard.

In 1936, he started proving his point. Ojike led an agitation for more pay for junior teachers at Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Awka. He accused the authorities of partiality and discrimination, stressing that the salaries of junior teachers ought to have been increased when salaries of their senior colleagues were jerked up. In fact, he resigned as a teacher in 1938. He had come in contact with Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe, who encouraged him to go for further studies. The young nationalist later attended Zik’s alma mater, Lincoln Univeristy, United States. His colleagues were Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who later became President of Ghana and other pioneer members of the African Students Association of America and Canada. The group became a veritable platform for nationalist activities.

Following his return to Nigeria, he turned to Zik for political mentoring. Ojike became an automatic member of the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC). He became a thorn in the flesh of the British interlopers. As a critic of the colonial administration, he was marked down for liquidation. When he poured venom on the British government over the behaviour of security forces during the Iva Valley massacre in 1949, he was charged with sedition and fined 40 pounds.

Judging by his father’s status as a prosperous trader, Ojike, one of the 19 sons of a polygamous home, could be said to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But his father had no plan to send him to school. He went to primary school by force, emerging as a teacher of elementary subjects in a primary school, At the same time, he read secondary school books at night. His efforts were not in vain as he won scholarship to study at the teacher training college, where he also taught after graduation. As he taught, he intensified his private studies and obtained the Cambridge School Certificate and University of London Diploma. Apart from Lincoln University, Ojike also studied at Ohio and Chicago universities, obtaining B.A and M.A degrees. As a student-activist, he was President of African Students Union of Lincoln University, Secretary-General of African Academy of Arts and Research founded by Mbadiwe and observer at the historic United Nations Conference on International Organisations held in San Francisco in 1945. He write three books to sensitise Nigerians to the imperative of cultural pride; ‘Portrait of a boy in Africa’ (1945), ‘My Africa’ (1946) and ‘I have two countries’ (1947).

Prof. Ukwu recalled that Ojike plunged into “the mainstream of militant nationalism”, adding that he rose quickly to positions of prominence in the NCNC and regional government. He was adviser to the NCNC delegation to the 1949 constitutional conference, deputy mayor of Lagos, NCNC National Vice President, member of Eastern House of Assembly, and Eastern Regional Minister of Works and later, Finance. In journalism, he was the General Manager of West African Pilot . He was also a successful businessman.

Ojike was also a publicist, if not a propagandist. He often electrified political rallies with his wisecracks and songs, which earned him the sobriquet of “freedom choirmaster”. But he also canvassed positions which brought him in collision with his political leaders. For example, he objected, not to federalism, but a federal structure based on the three regions. He also objected to the creation of the House of Chiefs. Yet, as a conciliator, he brokered peace between warring indigenes and non-indigenes fighting over the control of Onitsha Urban Council. In the East, he introduced the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system of taxation. He canvassed free education for production and creativity. He also said that Nigeria should develop its certification process, instead of being carried away by Cambridge School,Certificate and London Matriculation.

Ojike was an appostle of self reliance. He had prayed to live to that period when Nigerian shops, factories, banks, universities, societies and clubs would be like the ones in advanced countries. Up to now, it is an elusive goal. Nigerians have continue to boycott home goods in preference for imported commodities. Students are boycotting lecture rooms and teachers are boycotting duty posts. Labour is boycotting work and government is boycotting good governance.

Former Vice Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, Prof. Frank Ndili, urged Nigerians to embrace the “boycott philosophy” in memory of Ojike and in national interest. “The philosophy epitomises belief in one’s own abilities. Nigeria today imports ready made goods, foods, even models, patterns of organisations and institutions from the developed countries, thereby subjecting the national economy and society to all manners of international upheavals that our present level of socio-economic development cannot sustain. Nigeria can do without a number of these imported goods and values and shift efforts towards the optimal utilisation of her inert capabilities”, he said.