The Executive Director, Awo Foundation and Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Ambassador Olatokunbo Dosumu, has disclosed that Awo’s concept is that of an institution that has the capacity to uplift the lives of the people.
She said this on Tuesday during the public presentation of a book titled, “Awoism: Exemplary, Integrity & Welfarism.”
The event held at the Civic Center, Idi-Ape, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Dosumu, who was represented by the Editor of the Saturday Tribune, Dr Lasisi Olagunju, stressed that the ideology of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is about government caring for the people’s welfare.
He said, “This anthropological perspective of government can be found in his (Awolowo’s) belief that government must have a welfare-state leaning and must thus intervene actively in critical areas of the people’s existence. Indeed, he said government must exist for the physical, mental and spiritual development of man.
“While it may not be realistic to have a government that satisfies the wishes and yearnings of the entirety of the people, Papa believed that the utilitarianism of Jeremy Bentham should be the goal of every government.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Occasion, Oluyemisi Akinyemiju, noted that since the demise of the late sage, the region had not been blessed with a visionary leader like him.
Also speaking, the author, Dr Layo Adeniyi, took a swipe at Yoruba politicians who claimed to be Awoists, saying many of them have derailed from Awolowo’s principles and ideology.
He said, “You remember the UPN. The UPN was the continuation of Action Group, and when they came into government, they continued with the AG programme. They established universities and ensured the continuation of free education and health care.
“But when the Alliance for Democracy came, they used Awolowo’s name, and they even started increasing school fees at universities established by Awolowo for the purpose of giving free education to the masses. They have deviated from the principles completely.”
