Among Shrewdest Of Politicians
(N.Z.P.A. Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, January 16. Chief Samuel Akintola was rated by his friends one of the shewdest politicians in Africa.
A bustling personality with a bright smile, he was a fervent Nationalist who loved controversy.
Since he entered politics in 1951. his opponents had repeatedly accused him of political cheating.
He had been Prime Minister of Nigeria’s Western Region, except for a few disputed months, since the country became independent in 1960. Born in 1910, he was the son of a prominent trader. His 13-year-old son became the first African boy to go to Britain’s exclusive Eton College. Hereditary Ruler Alhaji Sir Amadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Prime Minister of Northern Nigeria, came from a long line of hereditary rulers. Born in 1910, he was brought up in the strict discipline of a Moslem household. He became a teacher at the age of 22 and at 25 was made district headman of the district of Rabah. He became the Prime Minister of the Northern Region in 1955.
A tall, dignified figure, the Sardauna was a family man with two daughters. First P.M.
Alhaja Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, a schoolmaster who became Nigeria’s first Federal Prime Minister, was born the son of a village butcher in 1912. Slim and of almost austere
appearance, he is an eloquent speaker. The Prime Minister is a strict Moslem but rejects religion in politics. His title, Alhaji, was earned by a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1957. Born in Bauchi, Northern Nigeria, he became a teacher in 1928. In 1946 he graduated from a year’s course at London University’s Institute of Education and the same year was elected to the Northern Region House of Assembly. He attended constitutional talks in London in 1957. the year he became Prime Minister.
Faced with the problems of forging unity among 250 tribes, he stands for coperation with Western nations.
He has always maintained close relations with the United States as well as Britain.
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Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 11
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330Among Shrewdest Of Politicians Press, Volume CV, Issue 30960, 17 January 1966, Page 11
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