Mazi Mbonu Ojike (1912-1959) was an outspoken and fearless Nigerian
nationalist, great pan-Africanist, an African cultural crusader, an an
author and an activist for social justice and racial equality. He coined
the now famous phrase “Boycott the Boycottables”, which earned him the
title the “Boycott King.” His greatest impact was psychological and
intellectual. He gave back to the Nigerian pride in himself as a human
being, in his culture as a living functional whole.
Mazi Mbonu Ojike, Nationalist, Pan-Africanist, Cultural Crusader and the "Boycott King" of Nigeria.
He was an Igbo man whose political stature comes third after fellow
ndi-Igbos Dr Nnamdi "Zik" Azikiwe and Dr Kingsley Ozuomba Mbadiwe. Ojike
was also a renowned student organizer and leader, a newspaper columnist
(journalist) and a fire-brand politician was in the class of giant
Nigerian political heavyweights like Chief H.O. Davies, Dr. Michael
Okpara, Chief Ladoke Akintola, Chief Bode Thomas, Chief Remi
Fani-Kayode, Alhaji Mohammadu Ribadu and Alhaji Zana Rima Dipcharima.
As a pan-Africanist, Mazi Ojike practiced what he preached by adopting
native names, clothes, food, and ways of life. Ironically, he toured the
towns and villages with his message of cultural nationalism in cars
imported from abroad. He wore traditional dress to office and served
palm wine, instead of whisky, champagne or beer at his official
receptions and parties. He replaced his suit with agbada or jumper and
encouraged civil servants to appear in office in native attire.
Mazi Ojike was a staunch critic of imperialism and lose no opportunity
to attack colonialism and its effect on Africans. In the recent 2013
book entitled "The Igbo Intellectual Tradition: Creative Conflict in
African and African Diasporic Thought," edited by Gloria Chuku, the
author averred that "Ojike’s uncompromising rejection of alien culture,
particularly European civilization and colonial domination, and his
anti-European imperialist movement earned him the title of “The King of
Boycottables.” Yet Ojike was a beneficiary of European civilization and
even campaigned for the retention of some aspects of that civilization
in Africa. This type of contradictions, as well as controversies and
“scandals” surrounding Ojike’s scholarship, political career and
activism are also examined."
US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, sponsor and Guest of Honor of the
African Dance Festival, held Monday evening, December 14, 1943 at the
Carnegie Hall with Mazi Mbonu Ojike (standing on the right side wearing
African dress with a cap) who came from the University of Chicago
representin the African students. Image: Bettmann Collection
Mazi Ojike was one of the seven brilliant young men who were inspired
and encouraged by Dr Nnamdi "Zik" Azikiwe to sail to United States "in
search of the Golden Fleece" in December 1938. The group includes Dr K.
O. Mbadiwe aka Man of Timber and Calibre, Otuka Okala, Dr Nnodu Okongwu,
Engr. Nwanko Chukwuemeka, Dr Okechukwu Ikejiani, Dr. Abyssinia Akweke
Nwafor Orizu and George Igbodebe Mbadiwe. Dr Mbadiwe always referred to
this group as "Seven Argonauts." It is said that as soon as Ojike
landed in US, he joined student politics and it did not take him much
time to win election as the President of the African Students Union of
Lincoln University. He also became the General Secretary of the African
Academy of Arts and Research founded by Kingsley Ozuomba Mbadiwe (K.O.)
On April 25, 1945, when delegates of fifty nations met in San Francisco
for the conference known officially as the United Nations Conference on
International Organization, Ojike was there as a student observer
representing the Academy. As a leader of the African students movement
Ojike embarked on extensive lecture tours of the United States educating
the Americans on the honour and dignity of their roots. Ojike’s
activism in the United States was not confined to associations,
conferences and rallies.
In his short sojourn of three years and in his capacity as a prolific
author he published three books: Portrait of a Boy in Africa (1945), My
Africa (1946) and I have Two Countries (1947). In the first two books
he vividly portrayed for his foreign audience the identity and integrity
of African culture. His penetrating analysis was further pointed in
his third book when in recording his American experience Ojike probed
beneath the glitter of the American dream to draw illuminating
comparisons with life in Africa. But his conclusion was neither
parochial, nor romantic nor complacent. The message was to both his
countries and to all humanity: “I am not proud of what our world has
been nor of what it is; I am proud to join men and women of goodwill to
make our civilization what it ought to be”
Ojike, actually became famous during the struggle for independence
through his weekly newspaper column, ‘Weekend Catechism’ in the West
African Pilot. Through that popular platform, he appealed to Nigerians
to perceive independence from the cultural perspective. His idea was
that the attachment of the young educated elements to British culture
was another form of enslavement. Thus, the great nationalist taught
Nigerians to reject or avoid “foreign things” or “imported things”,
contending that, in the process of identifying with or embracing the
culture of the colonial masters, the pride of the colonised community is
further injured. Ojike was the General manager of the West African
pilot.
He “plunged into the mainstream of militant nationalism” rising in very
short order to a position of high prominence in National Council of
Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC) circles, from which he was to hold many
major appointments including: an adviser to the NCNC Delegation at the
1949 constitutional conference, Deputy Mayor of Lagos, National Vice
president of the NCNC,
Member of Eastern House of Assembly, Eastern Regional Minister of Works and Eastern Regional Minister of Finance.
Mazi Ojike was both a fan and foe of the former Premier of Eastern
Region, Dr. Nnamidi Azikiwe. As Finance Minister under Zik, he fell out
with his leader.
Ojike died at the age of 44 in an auto crash. Many Nigerians believed that he left without realising his full potentials.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, sponsor and Guest of Honor of the African
Dance Festival, held Monday evening, December 14, 1943 at the Carnegie
Hall. Shown here with her are Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe (center), head of
the Academy of African Arts and Research, which is presenting the
festival, and Mazi Mbonu Ojike who came from the University of Chicago
representin the African students. Image: Bettmann Collection
Mbonu Ojike was born into the polygynous family of Ojike and Mgbeke
Emeanulu around 1912 in Ndiakeme village of Arondizuogu in eastern
Nigeria at a period when Igbo culture and society came under intense
European imperial assault.
Ojike’s childhood saw conditions of great devastation, insecurity,
uncertainty and anxiety occasioned by the confluence of events, that
included British subjugation of the Igbo, the outbreak of WWI and the
influenza epidemic of 1918–1919. These occurrences helped to shape his
life. As one of the 19 sons of his parent, Mbonu demonstrated early in
his life an independent mind and force of character.
By his own account he decided to go to school in spite of his father, a
prosperous Aro trader who would have preferred his sons to serve their
apprenticeship on the road with him. Leaving primary school at an
unusually early age Ojike became a pupil teacher who ‘taught elementary
subjects by day and studied secondary lessons by night’. "When he
graduated from elementary school, he broke with local tradition by
refusing to marry. he persisted in his studies, winning a scholarship to
the famous Teacher Training College at Awka., from which he earned his
Higher Elementary teachers certificate."
He went on to teach there after graduation. While teaching he continued
his private studies, obtaining the Cambridge School Certificate and a
University of London Diploma. The first signs of his political
awareness appeared at this time when he led his fellow younger teachers
on a strike to end discriminatory treatment. With the advent of Nnamdi
Azikiwe (Zik) on the Nationalist scene, Ojike promptly enlisted in the
struggle by joining the Zik’s group of Newspapers.
Still searching for knowledge Ojike became one of the groups of
Nigerian; ‘Argonauts’ who, inspired by Zik left for the United States of
America where he enrolled as a student of the Lincoln University. He
later studied at Ohio and Chicago universities, obtaining B.A. and M.A.
from Chicago University.
Not unexpectedly, Ojike joined student politics as soon as he landed in
the United States. It did not take him much time to win election as the
President of the African Students Union of Lincoln University. He also
became the General Secretary of the African Academy of Arts and Research
founded by Kingsley Ozuomba Mbadiwe (K.O.) On April 25, 1945, when
delegates of fifty nations met in San Francisco for the conference known
officially as the United Nations Conference on International
Organization, Ojike was there as a student observer representing the
Academy. As a leader of the African students movement Ojike embarked on
extensive lecture tours of the United States educating the Americans on
the honour and dignity of their roots.
Ojike’s activism in the United States was not confined to associations,
conferences and rallies. In his short sojourn of three years he
published three books: Portrait of a Boy in Africa (1945), My Africa
(1946) and I have Two Countries (1947). In the first two books he
vividly portrayed for his foreign audience the identity and integrity of
African culture. His penetrating analysis was further pointed in his
third book when in recording his American experience Ojike probed
beneath the glitter of the American dream to draw illuminating
comparisons with life in Africa. But his conclusion was neither
parochial, nor romantic nor complacent. The message was to both his
countries and to all humanity: “I am not proud of what our world has
been nor of what it is; I am proud to join men and women of goodwill to
make our civilization what it ought to be”
Mazi Mbonu Ojike returned to Nigeria in 1947 and “plunged into the
mainstream of militant nationalism” rising in very short order to a
position of high prominence in NCNC circles, from which he was to hold
many major appointments including:
Adviser to the NCNC Delegation at the 1949 constitutional conference
Deputy Mayor of Lagos,
National Vice president of the NCNC
Member, Eastern House of Assembly
Eastern Regional Minister of Works
Eastern Regional Minister of Finance.
Mazi Mbonu Ojike
Professionally Ojike entered journalism, becoming the General manager of
the West African pilot where he established and wrote the influential
weekly column ‘Week End Catechism’. He also ventured into large-scale
business enterprise before going into full-time politics towards the end
of his life.
Mazi Mbonu Ojike died in 1959. In eight brief years of public life he
did more than any other Nigerian, before or since, to raise public
consciousness of our identity and pride as Africans or Nigerians, to
counteract the rampant culture of disparagement, to assert and point the
way to practical self-confident, self-reliance; self reliance in ideas,
in behaviour and in action.
In his spare and incisive prose Ojike cut open and examined the cant,
sophistry and pretensions of the colonial state and church.
His greatest impact was psychological and intellectual. He gave back to
the Nigerian pride in himself as a human being, in his culture as a
living functional whole.
He coined the now famous phrase “Boycott the Boycottables”, which earned
him the title the “Boycott King”. He led by example, consistently
wearing traditional dress to office and serving palm wine instead of
whisky, champagne or beer at his official receptions and parties. Under
the withering scorn of Ojike’s pen the southern politician abandoned his
three-piece suit for the Agbada or jumper. The civil service itself
capitulated, conceding the right of its staff to come to work in
appropriate ‘native’ attire.
In his West African Pilot Saturday column, “Week End Catechism” Ojike
interacted weekly with the many inquiring, soul-searching Nigerians
exploring the problems and dilemmas of a society in the twilight of
colonialism. His vision was always clear and consistent, his advice
robust and practical.
As a political activist Ojike brought his vision, flair and common sense
into the politics of independence. One of Nnamdi Azikiwe’s most
influential lieutenants, he worked hard behind the scenes, defining and
refining concepts, preparing position papers, manifestoes, slogans. A
supreme publicist, he galvanized political rallies with his slogans and
songs, earning the sobriquet of “Freedom Choirmaster”.
The sharpness of Ojike’s political vision is illustrated by one of the
few overt acts of open disagreement with his party position. This was
the subscription (with Professor Eyo Ita) to a Minority Report on the
constitutional conference objecting not to the principle of a federal
structure but to the creation of a federal system based on three
regions, a solution which they foresaw would lead to destabilizing
ethnic hegemonic and separatist action and reaction. (Coleman, 1956;
Okafor 1981) Eighteen years later (in 1967) the three regional
structures collapsed. Ojike also stood firm against the ideas of a
house of chiefs and an Electoral College system, both of which have
since been discarded.
Another celebrated facet of Ojike’s contributions to public life was his
originality, courage, hard work and dedication as a Minister. Two
significant instances of political courage may be cited: his
contribution to a viable solution of the struggle between Onitsha
indigenes and non-indigenes for the political control of the Onitsha
Urban Council, and his bold introduction of the PAYE system of taxation.
Both initiatives were at obvious and considerable risk to Ojike’s
political career.
Ojike was a Minister with a difference. Thus, to cite but one instance,
it is on record that as Minister of works on tour of projects he often
assigned his luxurious official car to his officials to help with basic
transportation needs while he visited locations on foot or push bike. A
member of the Eastern House of Assembly paid him this tribute as
published in the official Proceedings. “He went to the villages,
educating and mingling with the poor natives. In fact in … Division he
is not known as the “Boycott King” as he is usually known; he is known
as the Minister of Water … in fact he is a work man … he is more of
workman than a Minister.” As Minister of Works Ojike initiated the
construction of major link roads in the East the results of which we are
still enjoying today.
The presentation of Ojike’s first budget as Minister of Finance earned
him this unstinting praise from the Leader of the Opposition, Professor
Eyo Ita: “I think we ought to be proud to see that an African minister,
just come to office, is able to take the whole span of the Region’s
economic field, and deal with it in the way the Minister of Finance has
done. What he has achieved has been compared with the achievement of
his predecessors of another race. Although that also makes us feel
proud. I want us to remember that we should not only compare ourselves
with people of other races but we should compare ourselves with
ourselves – in other words, what we can achieve.” Another eminent
opposition member, Dr. Okoi Arikpo, had this to say “ I was very
impressed by the touch of realism which runs through his entire address”
that tribute was significant.
One of his most significant contributions was the introduction of the
“Pay As You Earn”(PAYE) system of personal taxation into the country.
He also saw to the smooth and effective take-off of the African
Continental Bank the first indigenous bank in Nigeria, and was largely
instrumental to the successful take-off of the Easter Nigeria
Development Corporation (ENDC)
His Message
Mazi Mbonu Ojike.s greatest contribution to national development was in
his insistence on national mental emancipation, in his propagation of
national self-awareness and pride, and in his assiduous promotion of a
self-reliant strategy of national development. He encapsulated his
message in the famous slogan: “Boycott all Boycottables”, which earned
him the title of “The Boycott King”.
As Professor Frank Ndili, former Vice-Chancellor of this great
university stated in his preface to the first book in honour of Ojike
published by the Institute for Development Studies, the Boycott
philosophy “epitomizes belief in one’s own abilities. Nigeria today
imports ready made goods, “psychological foods”, even models, patterns
of organizations and institutions from the developed countries, thereby
subjecting the national economy and society to all manner of
international upheavals that our present level of socio-economic
development cannot sustain., Nigeria can do without a number of these
imported goods and values and shift efforts towards the optimal
utilization of her inert capabilities.” That statement was made 26
years ago. Today there is a lot of talk, a lot of theorizing, a lot of
evangelism about globalization. And Nigeria has publicly bought into
the agenda. But the fact remains that unless we know ourselves, take
good cognizance of our resources and strengths, and contribute them
confidently and productively to the global partnership, whether it be
in the sphere of ideas or in the sphere of materials, we shall remain,
as now, the underdogs in the global struggle, incurring more than our
fair share of the costs and earning less than our fair share of the
benefits..
The second aspect of Ojike’s message which I would like to highlight
today is reflected in his thoughts on education. Student, activist,
politician or businessman, Mbonu Ojike was a teacher all his life,
retaining an abiding interest in education. This Hall of Residence
memorialises that interest. In an earlier effort we at the Institute
for Development Studies organized in his honour a series of lecture on
the theme: Education for Self Reliance. The published version included
excerpts on Education from his Week End Catechism. I have taken the
liberty of reproducing the excerpts for this presentation. You will
observe how many of our present day concerns were anticipated and dealt
with by Mbonu Ojike fifty-five or more years ago.
Thus in 1949 he argued the case for free, compulsory, with government
building its own schools and encouraging all others interested in
educational ventures. On content, he urged that “the entire education
code be revised and recast to give our youth real and dynamic education
for production And creativity. He was for rejecting foreign
certificates in secondary education – Cmbridge School Certificate and
London Matriculation and all that, in favour of developing our own
standardised certificates based on relevant education of a quality
worthy of honour at home and abroad..
On higher education, he argued: We do not learn for the sake of
learning, but to do some service with it to ourselves and country. For
him, “the duty which a university owes to a state is three-fold:
to discover and train a large number of intellectual elites, drawn from a wide circle of the nation without discrimination.
to maintain for the communityits own God-given standard or culture, that is, a canon of taste of beauty, of truth and juastice
to advance science and philosophy by promoting research, originality, rationality and inventiveness.
He also argues that a University without nationalism is a mere waste of time.
On the theme of culture, religion and civilization, he had this to say
(again this was in 1949); Africa and Europe existed before the birth
of Christ. Yet in that world epoch Europe did not rule Africa, neither
was Europe moiré industrialized than Africa. The stream of civilization
in its philosophical and material aspects did once flow from Africa to
Europe even as it did flow from Europe to America two hundred years ago”
And he added, prophetically, “Today Europe is declining, America is
ascending, even as Europe was before and Africa was before Europe. Asia
is rising though without the menacing factors of imperialism. Africa
is coming back to its former glory. It will in due course take over.
Sadly’ Africa has so far failed to fulfill its destiny. We need to
focus on it. There is no need for self denigration or despair, much
need for vision and effort. As he said: “Change is an imperative law
of nature. Its source is attitude to life in all its ramifications and
not geography. th pride and morality the leadership of rthe world.”.
Ojike had a vision for our country: “When I see in our country, shops,
factories, banks, universities, societies and clubs maintaining proud
comparison with what they are in other countries, then if I am asked to
take a bow for contributing my tiny bit towards that reality of economic
stability and national identity, I shall not hesitate to do so with
humility and gratitude.” Tragically, he did not live to take that bow.
But his message lives, and I hope that you, his spiritual children of
Mbonu Ojike Hall, and indeed all of us, will live and work to take it
for him.
Today the statue of Mbonu Ojike stands as a visual reminder of his
legacy and message. Look to it and remember. To encapsulate his
message: there is work to be done, the work of building a prosperous,
confident and self-reliant nation, and no man or woman should rest from
their labours.
