Where are Our Heroes?
The irony is that our history is full of activists and leaders such as MKO Abiola, Ken Saro Wiwa and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. These individuals believed they could make a difference and sought out to do so with clear and evident action. What about the pres
The past few weeks have been horrendous for all citizens living in Nigeria. No petrol, no diesel not even aviation fuel for those who can afford to run away. The fallout from this petrochemical drought has been a series of major disasters. Many have died because they were unable to get to the hospital for treatment. Those who were lucky enough to get to the hospital were unable to get the appropriate treatment because hospitals could not start their generators. The only question to ask is where were our leaders? Where were our activists? In this period of time nothing sufficient has been done to alleviate the collective suffering. There certainly has been a lot of hashtag activism, social media has given people a voice but more needs to be done. Some believe that true activism is dead in Nigeria but this remains to be seen. The irony is that our history is full of activists and leaders such as MKO Abiola, Ken Saro Wiwa and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. These individuals believed they could make a difference and sought out to do so with clear and evident action. What about the present? There are but a handful of individuals taking up various causes. What makes an activist or hero? Someone who takes on the causes of others regardless of the large sacrifices that need to be made. It is not an easy journey but it is essential. This article will explore the past through the the work by Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. We will also take a look at present day activists such as Dr Odumakin and Minna Salami. This is by no means an exhaustive list but the beginning of a sub-series that will examine female icons that have made an impact on Nigerians.
Funmilayo Ransome Kuti
Though she has passed on she had such a large role in women’s advancement in Nigeria. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti (FRK) led several protests against British colonialists, she often rallied up to ten thousand women at a time. There was an incident where she and fitfty thousand women marched to the Alake of Egbaland’s palace because he was on the payroll of British colonialists and not serving the interests of his people. The Alake heard them coming from afar and he fled. In the times we live, it is rare to see political or governmrnt leaders afraid of their people.
FRK was a well educated woman who used her knowledge to help those in the grassroots. She started a Ladies Club in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode where women could learn skills and undertake civic projects. She taught market women to read and these market women were able to join her ladies club. The Abeokuta Ladies’ Club evolved to the Abeokuta Women’s Union (AWU). The name change was to mark a shift of focus to politics and social issues. The market women’s experiences of injustice and oppression at the hands of the Alake and other representatives of colonial hierarchy could not help influencing FRK’s political consciousness and ideology. The AWU sought to protest against colonialism but also establish women’s equality. Instead of the high tax burdens placed on women, the AWU proposed increasing taxes on expatriate companies, and increase of government investments in local industries. The women documented what they felt were, for example, the Alake’s abuses of power and his corruption. They also complained that sanitation, medical, and educational facilities were inadequate. FRK insisted that if women should be taxed then they should be formally represented in government, as far as she was concerned women had to have a say. FRK wrote articles in manstream newspapers and wrote to government administrators detailing her various causes regularly. FRK acknowledged that women were victims of their social environment, which led them to feel inferior to men. She believed that traditional customs, such as polygyny and ‘bride price’, worsened the situation for women. Although the bride price did not signal that the man actually ‘bought’ or ‘owned’ his wife, in practice, it often reinforced male superiority in the marriage. Bride price meant that men had custody of the children, it also meant that if a woman left her husband her family would have to refund the money. In addition to campaigning for women’s rights, she aimed to preserve Yoruba culture. She stopped wearing western clothing and would often wear iro and buba. She also gave all her speeches in Yoruba. Again this is not an exhaustive biography but a glimpse into what true activism.
Dr Joe Odumakin
She is one of the leading female activists in Nigeria today. Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin began her career in activism as the Secretary of Women in Nigeria (WIN) Kwara State from 19811996). The Babangida dictatorship made her one of the targets of the administration as she was arrested and detained seventeen times at different locations, the detentions ranged from one week to thirteen months. Not only had she been arrested but she has also suffered from physical assault on numerous occasions in the course of her work. Regardless, her spirit was not daunted and she continued her work. She was made the Executive Director of the Institute of Human Rights and Democratic Studies, the President of Women Arise for Change Initiative and many more Human Rights focused organisations. She has received numerous awards locally and internationally. In March 2010, the United Nations Nigeria awarded here as the “Hero of Democracy and Good Governance. Her consistency and unwavering determination for survival of democracy in Nigeria led Professor Wole Soyinka to describe her as follows: “I present to you a tireless fighter with inner strength and resilience, purpose; a veteran of affirmative marches, of crude arrests and detentions, baton charges and tear gas who has lent luster to the struggle for justice and human dignity, who remains an inspiration of men and women, old and young.” She has participated and spearheaded many
Minna Salami
She is by far the biggest inspiration for this column. Minna Salami is a Nigerian-Finnish writer, blogger and speaker and the founder of MsAfropolitan, a multiple award-winning pan-African feminist blog. On MsAf- ropolitan you’ll find analyses of topics that concern African heritage women, opinion pieces and personal stories about the African Diaspora, African feminism, Afropolitanism, popular culture in Africa, masculinities, race, politics and lifestyle. She writes freely and there is no topic she is afraid to address. She has written about everything from body confidence to rape. Traditionally women’s equality has not been documented or widely discussed in the African continent but Minna Salami bridges these two worlds. She is listed as one of Applause Africa’s “40 African Changemakers under 40 , one of Nokia’s “50 Remarkable Women Connected by Nokia” and listed by Eelan Media as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Black People on Digital/Social Media”. Her commentary has appeared in leading papers: The Observer, The Guardian, The Independent and The Huffington Post. I am a TEDx speaker. She is very much an advocate of African feminism and travels around the world to share and promote the cause. She has lectured and presented talks at a number of universities in Britain and Europe including Warwick, Westminster, Berlin and London.
Some will see this as a history lesson or a lecture but these women have set the example that no matter the administration or structures of oppression that exist it is always possible to make a stand. Perhaps if we look to others and see the wrk that has been done, this may spark some active change.