By Emmanuel Onasanya
Pastor of Livingspring Chapel int’l Pastor Femi Emmanuel has observed that the Late Chief Obafemi Owolowo’s belief that education could change the orientation of the people of northern Nigeria was a mistake
He made the observation in a video message sighted online by our correspondent.
According to the cleric, the late sage was so passionate about education to the point that he thought he could change the northerners through that instrument.
He added however that his expectation was dashed.
He said, ‘Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was very passionate about education. He believed education could liberate the North. Even as great as he was that was one of his mistakes’.
He said Nigeria would not have gotten into the mess it finds itself if the likes of Awolowo had allowed the North go before 1957 when it said it was not ready for independence
“Nigeria would not have gotten into this nonsense. The North did not want to have anything to do with Nigeria. They said they don’t want Western education. We were begging them and we waited for three years for the North to say they were ready for independence. This delayed Nigeria’s independence till 1960”.
While noting that nothing liberates like education, he said the North practices oligarchy whereby few people have it but others are repressed. He said, ‘They deliberately do not allow their people access to education so they can keep repressing them’.
Late Chief Obafemi believed he would rule Nigeria and that he could replicate what he did in the West nationally to liberate everyone. He thought If he gave the North education they would liberate themselves.
Awolowo, Education, and soul winning
Pastor Emmanuel said the way Awolowo was passionate about education is the same way he is passionate about soul-winning.
‘If Awolowo was invited for a housewarming, ceremony he would thank God for the house but end up talking about education. If he was invited for a naming ceremony, he would thank God for the baby but end up talking about education
“That is the same way I am passionate about soul-winning. No matter the topic you give me to preach on, I make sure it ends in soul-winning.’
He then counseled Christians to be passionate about Christ rather than the things they can get from Christ.
While urging believers to make soul-winning their passion, he said “Don’t beg God, serve Him and he will bless you himself”.