However to have a great dream remains one thing and the second, being to have the right technique to bring such dream or vision to reality. Borrowing Olusegun Obasanjo’s clause “victim of his dream”, many end up being victims of their dreams simply because a wrong path was taken to actualize their great dreams.

In this write-up, an attempt is made to compare between two heroes of the past, two uncommon men, men that had incredible dreams, men that had no fear for death, men that made history, men that shaped the history of different countries, men that spent their lives thinking of the interest of others other than themselves, yet both men died in their prime, both of different background but died in a similar way…….. Through a bullet!

Many years later about 38 and 40 years respectively after their death, both are remembered in almost totally different ways. Had they not fought for a similar cause, but why so much separation after their death, was it because both men existed at places separated by thousands of kilometers across the Mediterranean Sea? Perhaps, it must have been the path taken to actualize their dreams as they operated on two different philosophies, though with great and selfless dreams one used violence to actualize his while the other believed in non-violence. Perhaps this was their singular difference. Yes indeed! So much difference after their death for just a single difference while they lived!

Martin Luther King Jnr was born on January 15th, 1929 at Atlanta, Georgia, USA while Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was born on February 26th, 1937 in the Northern region’s capital, kaduna, Nigeria.

Martin Luther King Jnr. was born during the period of oppression and segregation on African Americans by their “so called” slave masters. In 1955, he received a Ph.D. in Systematic theology from Boston University while he was just 26 years old. That same year on December 1, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to comply with the “Jim Crow law” that required her to give up her seat to a white man. The Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by King, soon followed. It lasted for 382 days, the situation becoming so tense that King's house was bombed. King was arrested during this campaign, which ended with a United States Supreme Court decision outlawing racial segregation on intrastate buses and all public transport.

This was a great breakthrough since it meant negroes and whites would ride on buses as equals. After this, Martin Luther King emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank at the young age of 27 While Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu was born during the period of the colonilization of Africa. By then except for Ethiopia which was not colonized only two countries had obtained their independence namely Liberia and Egypt. Before the gaining of Nigeria’s independence on October, 1960, Major Nzeogwu was fully enlistested in the Royal Nigeria Army. He precisely joined the Army in March񫹥. The forerunner of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps (NAIC) was the Field Security Section (FSS) of the Royal Nigerian Army. Major Nzeogwu was the first Nigerian officer to hold that appointment from November 1962-1964. That was not a mean achievement at the young age of 25.

Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu would years later shock Africa’s most populous nation and the entire world by executing the first military Coup d’etat on January 15, 1966 in Nigeria exactly on the celebration of the 37th birthday of Martin Luther King Jnr. The coup though a partial success took the life of the then prime minister and top politicians as well as senior military officers. According to wikipedia a free online encyclopedia, the person of Nzeogwu was best described as “ His charisma was such that even his detractors were prepared to admit that he was “an incorruptible idealist without ambitions of power”. This was fully confirmed by the speech he would make on January 15th, 1966 after the execution of the coup

“………Our enemies are the political profiteers, the swindlers, the men in high and low places that seek bribes and demand 10 percent those that seek to keep the country divided permanently so that they can remain in office as ministers or VIPs at least, the tribalists, the nepotists……. Those that have corrupted our society and put the Nigerian political calendar back by their words and deeds…...We promise that you will no more be ashamed to say that you are a Nigerian”.

His close friend and confidant, Obasanjo would years later say “Chukwuma was well regarded………… by most people who understood his motive born out of National interest.” No wonder many years later Nzeogwu’s coup has been described as “the only coup with a political philosophy”. Nevertheless, the effect of this path taken to actualize this dream led to several uncontrollable chain reactions of bloodshed, hatred and violence. Whereas Dr. King continued with his non-violent revolution in America, in 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. According to the Nobel Prize organization, in the biography of Dr. king, “In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action”. Even though he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times he never gave up on his principle of non-violence.

The repercussions of Nzeogwu’s actions were grave, much beyond what he imagined. It led to hatred between the North and East even though his plans were misunderstood due to sabotage by his associates. This chain reactions led to the death of millions of people including over one million children from the dreaded kwashiorkor during the Civil war. Obasanjo wrote “ Chukwuma had a dream of a great Nigeria…..” So much for a great dream actualized wrongly! Meanwhile, the effect of Martin Luther King’s peaceful approach started yielding credence. On, August 28, 1963 King organized a massive march on Washington, DC with a crowd of 250ꯠ where he read his legendary “I have a dream” speech. President J.F kennedy indeed commended King for the revolutionary speech even when the President was supposed to be the leader of the ‘opposition’. So much is the power in peace and non violence! This speech prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year on October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to end racial prejudice in the United States which was to go with a prize money of $54걛 which he promptly donated to the Civil Rights movement. Previously, he was awarded five honorary degrees was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963 and had become not only the symbolic leader of the African Americans, but also a world figure.

Both Dr. King and Major Nzeogwu had for their dreams regarded their lives of little importance. In Obasanjo’s book titled ‘Nzeogwu’, he says “…… when she (Nzeogwu’s mother) heard rumours of war, after the war had infact started, she went to Chukwuma in Enugu to enquire if they were true. Chukwuma dismissed the enquiry lightly and told his mother not to worry but to bear in mind that a soldier’s concern in war was more for the projection of his beliefs and the achievement of his aims, than for the safety of his mother.”………… ironically this turned out to be his last words to his mother while Dr. King on 3rd of April, 1968 unknown to him the day before his assassination was to be, in his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech said “It really doesn't matter what happens now.... some began to... talk about the threats that were out -- what would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers.... Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place, but I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain! And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And so I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of the Lord!” King was assassinated at 6:01 p.m. April 4, 1968 -the next day.

After Dr. King and Major Nzeogwu lives were ended prematurely by gun shots at the ages of 39 and 30 on April 4, 1968 and 29th July, 1967 respectively, both men have been remembered quite differently. To many who understand Major Nzeogwu, he remains a man of great vision that took a wrong path to actualize his dream for his people Nigerians, but certainly to those whose loved ones lives were cut short in the bloody coup d’etat, he could pass for a mere mutineer and murderer. During the counter coup of July, 1966 in Nigeria led by Murtala Mohammed, According to Max Siollun “after his (Murtala) troops had killed hundreds of innocent civilians, Murtala personally saw to it that the mother of Major Nzeogwu was protected and not harmed” ……….perhaps he understood Nzeogwu’s dream. Also, even after Nzeogwu was reported to have died fighting on the Biafran side, on the instruction of Gowon the then Head of State, he was still honored by being given a burial with full military honors. As in the case of Nzeogwu where there are mixed feelings trailing memories of him, Martin Luther King’s case is indeed a sharp contrast. After his death, at the White House Rose Garden on November 2, 1983, U.S. President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King. This is the only federal holiday dedicated to an individual American. Amongst several awards, King was elected the third Greatest American of all time by the American public in a contest conducted by the Discovery Channel and AOL, King was voted 6th in the Person of the Century poll by TIME,King is the second most admired person in the 20th century, according to a Gallup poll. Also, King will be the first African American honored with his own memorial in the National Mall area and the second non-President to be commemorated in such a way.

In studying the lives of these two personalities, a key secret was discovered. The secret of both men became conspicuous than ever as the old saying continued ringing “Better to underestimate the strength of a lion than the power of influence”. Yes! The question is who were this men fond of? Who were their mentors? Who did they want to be like?

As was later reported, Nzeogwu had been influenced by people such as Võ Nguyên Giáp, Mustapha Kemal- the Attaturk etc. He was said to have seen himself in the mold of the latter. Both of them existed in different continents but had one thing in common- violence. They both used violence to actualize their dreams. Little wonder the part taken by Major Nzeogwu in actualizing his dream! Very interesting and filled with strong lessons is Martin Luther King’s mentor the Great Mahatma Ghandi who baffled his enemies and compelled their admiration with his rare combination of the readiness to resist wrong and the capacity to love his opponents. Describing Mahatma Ghandi, Ace scientist Albert Einstein wrote “Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this, ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth." Indeed there was and still is a whole lot to learn from the Britain trained lawyer Ghandi. The moral influence of his personality and of his gospel and technique of non-violence cannot be weighed in any material scale. Nor its value limited to any particular country or generation. It is his imperishable gift to humanity. This was the secret of Dr. King’s success! Other world leaders like Nelson Mandela had Ghandi as a mentor and Mandela’s non-violent way of fighting the apartheid in South Africa would be remembered forever.

A great lesson to be learn t here is that Dr. King who was also a Baptist Reverend chose a Hindu worshiper as his Mentor. This must be echoed to our dear nation Nigeria where there is poor religious tolerance, little trust and love for others from other religions different from ours.

In contemporary day Nigeria, the Niger Delta Militants must be made to realize that violence never solves a problem but rather begets a chain reaction of violence. It may take years but with non-violence any dream can be achieved as proved by some of the worlds’ all time Greats Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jnr., Nelson Mandela etc. Kidnapping, killing, bombing and threatening may have some immediate but short-lived effect. Non-violence as explained not just creates an effect that lasts for a life time but eventually generates an immortal effect. King who had been impressed by the teachings of Henry David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi on non-violent resistance wrote, "I came to feel that this was the only morally and practically sound method open to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom." Some advice to the Niger Delta indigence in their struggle for a better state of affairs in that region!

In Martin Luther’s celebrated “I Have a Dream” speech he said “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream”. The problem with our dear nation Nigeria is that most of us have dreams but this dreams are buried in the America dream, some in the Britain dream but not in the Nigeria Dream.

Today ladies and Gentlemen, I declare to you that I have a dream, brothers and sisters, a dream deeply rooted in the Nigerian dream.

The Martin Luther dream has come to pass, the black man is now free, oh yes! free from physical chains but there remains the mental chains. It is better to be in chains physically and be free mentally as was Nelson Mandela for 27 years. But today the black man is now free but a slave in his head, still in mental slavery, in slavery of poverty, in slavery of corruption, in slavery of violence, in slavery from both internal and international pressures.

Today I call for a liberation from this slavery, an actualization of my dream of a renewed Nigeria, a state free from poverty, free from violence, free from oppression of the poor, free from corruption and looting of public funds, free from inter-tribal and religious violence, free from wrong actualization of our dreams through violence, free from bribery, free from the scourge of 419, free from cultism, free from drug abuse, free from armed robbery, free from assassinations and free from having shame and embarrassment from being called a Nigerian abroad.

I have a dream where the Nigerian naira would regain its lost glory and compete favorably with the American dollar and the British pound, a dream when the early call for prayer by the Imam would not affect the sound of the megaphone by the christian Evangelist, a dream where a man is voted for political office on the basis of the “content of his character” and his ability to deliver rather than on basis of religious sentiments, tribal preference and self interest, a dream where an average man from the middle class can contest for any political office favorably without having to be a multi-billionaire or multi-millionaire, a dream where the concept of healthy mentorship would be introduced into politics rather than the perturbing trend of godfatherism and tyranny, a dream where the long margin between the rich and the poor would be reduced and there would be a balance between the haves and the have-nots, a dream where the social security system would be introduced in Nigeria where the old, poor and disabled in the society will be provided with the basic needs shelter, feeding and clothing, a dream where there would not be 100% dependence on oil but full exploiting of all Nigeria’s natural and human resources, a dream where the menace of “brain drain” in Nigeria would come to an end and the hope of “brain train” would be actualized, a dream where Nigeria would take her rightful place amongst other Nations of the World, indeed a realistic dream, a dream deeply rooted in the Nigeria dream.

Many lives have been lost trying to actualize this dream, today millions have lost hope in this so called “Nigerian dream.” Fathers and Mothers, Brothers and Sisters, Behold today I bring a dream, I propose the peaceful actualization of a revolution, a revolution through a dream, a Nigerian dream, an African dream, a dream deeply rooted in the Nigerian dream.

References

1. Obasanjo Olusegun (1987) Nzeogwu University Press Ltd.

2. Forsyth Frederick (1982) Emeka Spectrum Books Ltd.

3. Oetting D. (1999) Martin Luther King Jnr- I have a dream Quoted from Douglas Archives of American Public.

4. Nzeogwu Chukwuma (1966) Martial Law Declaration after 1966 Coup Quoted from Obasanjo Olusegun

5. Wikimedia http://www.en.wikipedia.org

5. The Nobel Foundation http://www.nobelprize.org

7. Mount Steve http://www.usconstitution.net

Eniola, Joshua Olamide

Tel: 08034622688

E-mail: generalcj4real@yahoo.com

joshuaeniola@yahoo.com

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