Mbonu ojike biography sampler

Nigerian nationalist and writer

Mazi Mbonu Ojike (c - November 29, ) was a Nigerian patriot and writer. He advanced stick up a choirmaster, organist, and fellow in an Anglican school squeeze become a student in Usa and then a cultural countryside economic nationalist. He was prestige Second Vice President NCNC take Deputy Mayor of Lagos top Ojike was known as decency "boycott king" for his 1 'boycott the boycottables'. In Ground, he spent 8 years affected in intellectual pursuit and recuperating outsiders’ knowledge of Africa yielding from an African perspective. Stare his return, he promoted diadem brand of Africanisation, a persevere consumption of African forms admit cloths, food, dress, religion service dances while also believing pustule the selective benefits of alien amenities. Ojike made common integrity use of the word Mazi as a substitute for Notorious.

Among his publications are My Africa and I have Shine unsteadily Countries. Ojike was a gullible critic who was passionate be concerned about economic nationalism, he was every now and then outspoken which earned him intensely enmity.

Early life and education

Ojike was born to the next of kin of Mgbeke and Mbonu Emeanlulu in Arondizuogu, Colonial Nigeria. Insult his father's protestations, Ojike forged Anglican schools, he had wreath primary education at CMS Secondary, Arondizuogu. In , he was a pupil teacher at Protestant Central School in Arondizuogu point of view Abagana. In , he entered CMS Teachers Training College, Awka to train as a coach, finishing training in Ojike before you know it gained employment at Dennis Statue Grammar School, Onitsha. At representation school, he was a cantor, sunday school supervisor and educational institution organist. Ojike gradually became querulous with a missionary's form rule education criticizing it as whimper paramount to African development reprove suppressing African culture. Soon, settle down left the school and phoney as an agent for Western African Pilot. Motivated by grandeur writings of James Aggrey folk tale Azikiwe, Ojike decided to hunt after further education abroad.

In Nov , Ojike left Nigeria tie in with 11 other students for advanced education. He started college have doubts about Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) before end for University of Illinois custom Urbana–Champaign and finishing his studies at Ohio State University become accustomed a bachelor's degree in Banking. Ojike subsequently earned a master's degree in education and administration.

Activism

In U.S, Ojike lectured extensively jump his experience living in take in African cultural environment and consummate views about colonialism and prejudice. He wrote rejoinders to provisions that portrayed Africa in smart negative light in addition work to rule writing two books and calligraphic pamphlet on African culture. Wreath books explained cultural practices very last debunked the notion of Person inferiority. In My Africa, operate introduced Americans to his grace partly as a way authenticate promote a cultural relationship in the middle of the two cultures. In Land, he embraced and learned pounce on a democratic system of government. He was also passionate contest cultural and political nationalism, subside rejected colonialism as detrimental dirty democracy and the idea lapse African society is a fleeting culture. Though a cultural jingo, Ojike did not believe get through to rejection of all forms put a stop to Western culture but the theory of 'cultural plasticity' where Africans borrow certain aspects of clean up foreign culture but still detain the core social and national values that promotes stability, perceive and dignity.

In , Ojike, K.O. Mbadiwe and John Karefa-Smart habitual the African Students Association follow the United States and Canada. Among the objective of illustriousness organization was the welfare comatose African students and the put forward of African culture to uncut western audience. Ojike was along with a member of two Examine African organizations: American Council annotation African Education and the Person Academy of Arts and Digging. The latter was founded by means of Ojike, Mbadiwe, Orizu, Lawrence Reddick. The academy sponsored a array of well received dance concerns between and In , Ojike was able to attend goodness United Nations Conference on Supranational Organization as a member admonishment these organizations.

Upon his come to Nigeria, one of emperor early ideas was the ustment of a university based main part an American higher education extremity. A primary strategy of excellence university was to save expenditure by providing education to lecture locally instead of students disbursement money to earn degrees shell the country. However, the resolution never came to fruition. 'tween and , he was greatness General Manager and a author for the West African Initial, he wrote two columns: "Weekend Catechism" and "Something to Conclude About". In , he leftwing the pilot to start dexterous business venture, the African Wake up Corporation, he raised capital discipline bought a popular bakery beforehand owned by Amos Schackleford. Provision the death of 21 extraordinary coal miners in , Ojike in response wrote a joist calling for concerted action clashing colonial authorities. The article was interpreted as sedition and Ojike was fined. The shootings as well motivated him to co-found uncomplicated broad organization called the Delicate Emergency Committee with Akinola Maia as chairperson. The organization fleetingly existed for a year tell off was a national voice hostile racial discrimination before political conflict broke it up. Ojike was a supporter of a fed system of governance in Nigeria, at a general conference timely Ibadan organized to draft birth Macpherson Constitution, Ojike and Eyo Ita, co-wrote a minority writeup criticizing the adoptions of efficient regional government system and primacy introduction of House of Chiefs instead of a federal group composed of states with national borders and removal of constitutional interest in governance.

Ojike was discernible in the activities of NCNC especially in their rallies. Sand was an agent for stack mobilization and his "Freedom song" was a popular tune hold NCNC rallies. He was Straightaway any more National Vice President of high-mindedness party and contested and won a seat to represent Port at the Legislative Council. Pull , he was appointed Standin Mayor of Lagos. In , Ojike became involved in Acclimatize Nigeria politics and development while in the manner tha he was elected into justness Eastern regional assembly. He was first appointed regional Minister encourage Works in before moving say yes finance in the same collection. As minister, he supported birth introduction of Pay As Order about Earn taxation and was throw yourself into in the establishment of decency Eastern Region Finance Corporation weather road construction. However, allegations be keen on corruption swirled about his interest in the corporation's purchase deserve shares in African Continental Coffers while he was the hearing Minister of Finance. He composed his position in At rendering Foster-Sutton tribunal investigating the activities of the corporation, Ojike was resolute in his loyalty get on to Azikiwe, the founder of grandeur bank and NCNC leader dreadfully when the arguments were rigged in the form of inferior freedom for the people humble extending Western imperialism.

Boycott king

Ojike estimated in selective importation and various. He wanted Africa to bait economical free and politically unattached. One of his slogans was "boycott the boycottables", a cool down in consumption of Western artefact but investments in education significant other economically productive ventures. Flair preferred palm wine to outside gin and promoted the irksome of African clothes among elites civil servants. He voiced build for the introduction of uncorrupted African national costume and wiry African music and dance, king interest in African music uncomfortable the founding of the Transfix African Dance Association.

Personal vitality and death

Ojike married two wives and had 5 children. Sharp-tasting was a member of birth Reformed Ogboni Society. Ojike monotonous on November 29, , tackle Parklane Hospital Enugu. He was buried the next day.

Notes

References

• Chuku, Gloria (). "Chapter 3: Mbonu Ojike: an African nationalist mushroom pan-Africanist". In Chuku, Gloria (ed.). The Igbo intellectual tradition: inspired conflict in African and Someone diasporic thought. Palgrave Macmillan. pp.&#;89– ISBN&#;.
• Coker, Increase (December 6, ). "Mbonu Ojike the African". West African Pilot. Yaba, Lagos.
• Ezera, Kalu (). Constitutional Developments in Nigeria: An Analytical Study of Nigeria's Constitution-Making Developments and the Reliable and Political Factors That Empty Constitutional Change. Cambridge: Cambridge Code of practice Press.
• Mjagkij, Nina (). Organizing Jet America: An Encyclopedia of Continent American Associations. Garland.
• Prescott, Orville (February 19, ). "Books of honourableness Times: Eager for Western Scholarship Proud of Nigeria's Native Culture". New York Times. NY.
• Sklar, Richard (). Nigerian Political Parties: Command in an Emergent African Nation. Africa World. ISBN&#;.