Mahatma Gandhi and Bola Ige
By
Augustine A. Togonu – Bickersteth,Augustine308@yahoo.com Essex England Tel:07903025304
,
There appears to be strange developments between India
and Nigeria, particularly as it concerns Mahatma
Gandhi,Hindu Nationalist, regarded as the father of
India, and Bola Ige, Yoruba Nationalist and somehow a
father of the fourth republic, for he had helped to
draft the constitutions of the original three
political parties – the PDP, APP and the AD.
Gandhi and Ige both studied law at the University
college, London, they were both imprisoned for their
struggles on the democracy front, they were both known
to have caustic tongues, and both of them were
assassinated in their 70’s. Gandhi at the age of
78 in
New Delhi, the political capital of India and Ige at
the age of 71, in Ibadan the political capital of the
Yoruba nation.They were both shot in the heart.
Gandhi had as his right hand man, Jawaharlal Nehru, a
geoscientist and a lawyer, who was to become first
prime minister of India. Nehru being 20 years younger
than Gandhi.
Ige had Olu Agunloye, a geoscientist who kept the
company of lawyers as special assistant to Bola Ige,
then attorney- general and minister of Justice.
Agunloye, 18 years younger than Ige was to become
minister of state for defence, and consequently,
minister of power and steel.He is currently, the
chairman Akoko Leadership forum, an umbrella
organisation of all Akoko men and women at home and in
the Diaspora. There has been the Gandhian movement an
organisation devoted to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi,
similarly there is the Bola Ige movement of which Agunloye is secretary.
Bola Ige is particularly interesting for the
passion he has exhibited for the likes of Gandhi and
Nehru. This could be observed in his autobiography,
Kaduna Boy. In pg 276, he reveals” It was about
1946
that I began to take great interest in Mahatma Gandhi
and Jawaharlal Nehru. Fortunately for me I came across
the address of an Indian publisher that was selling
examination notes and model essays in English to
Nigerian students. I wrote to ask if they had books
on Gandhi and Nehru. I was glad when they sent me much
material about those two immortals. From then on till
this day. I have read anything that has come my way
about them. I have read almost everything they ever
wrote, including Gandhi’s articles in the
HARIJAN and
Nehru’s letters to Indira. It was as if
providence
knew what it was preparing me for: The first country I
ever spent some time visiting outside Nigeria was
India. I spent six weeks in December 1952 and January
1953 travelling more than six thousand miles. And I
was glad I saw Nehru in the flesh addressing hundreds
of thousands of Indians in Bombay. When Nehru became
prime minister in 1947 I was as happy as if I was an
Indian......... when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated
in 1948, I had three days of excruciating mental agony
and moodiness”. Alas Bola Ige died like Mahatma
Gandhi.
History seems to be repeating itself. Like kasmir in India, Nigeria has the disputed territory,Bakassi. Like India,
Nigeria has made her mark in the film industry. for
she now leads the world in the home video industry.
now referred to as Nollywood, as compared with
Hollywood in the United states, and Bollywood in
India. Can Nigeria re-create other miracles of India
as it concerns small scale industries, pharmaceutical
science, textile technology, Nuclear technology, Space
technology and information technology. Is this the
challenge for Olu Agunloye? Olu Agunloye is Currently the Director General and Vice-Chairman of the National e-government strategy which cuts through all the Ministries and parastatals in Nigeria .

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