Late Sage,Awolowo Legacy Lives On...All Roads Lead For March 6th Awo Prize For Leadership Lecture

By Mike Cerutti Osagie

youngchief@yahoo.com

It is simply amazing!
Long after the death of the late sage,Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the late 80's his memories has continued to linger on endlessly

No politician in his category currently enjoys the posthumous glitz and pageantry Awo enjoys today- this is highly commendable


And  come Monday, March 6,  a  historical lecture to commemorate the annual Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership award will be held in his memorial

This was disclosed to us  by the Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu,- a pillar of the late sage foundation

Amb Dosunmu  who is also a co-chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc said that the third edition of the award would not come up as scheduled based on the recommendation of the selection committee.
Awolowo Dosumu noted that two eminent citizens of the world, Professor Wole Soyinka, and former President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki,

had won the previous editions of the award.
She explained that all the nominees whose entries were submitted for the 2016 award were eminently accomplished individuals in their various fields of human endeavours.
Awolowo Dosumu said, “Those who were nominated are highly accomplished individuals but fortunately or unfortunately, the bar that have been set by Chief Obafemi Awolowo is too high and the criteria are so many and if you distinguished yourself in one area, but not necessarily the other areas then it doesn’t work, that’s why, they are highly distinguished individuals.

“They are just distinguished in their chosen fields. For example, if you are academic and you have never had a chance to formulate or actualise the people’s centred programmes then that kind of stand against you in a way. It doesn’t mean you are not a good person or that you are not an excellent person, it just means that you don’t have the chance to be in the arena where you can apply people based principle, that’s an example so we are going to try again this year, hopefully by the Board.”
She added that the lecture titled ‘The Awolowo Legacy and its Message for Nigerian Youths’ would refresh the memory of the people about the outstanding legacy in the sphere of leadership.As All Roads Leads To March 6
The lecture, according to her, would be chaired by the former military Head of State and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, General Yakubu Gowon and slated to hold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos by 11am.