f there is any one city in Nigeria that arguably blocks out ethnocentric bias in the way and manner she relates to non-indigenes or non-natives in general, that city is Akure without any question. Akure like the great city of Philadelphia in the United States is one that can be described as "the city of brotherly or sisterly love" because of this unique profile of her people and her longest-serving traditional ruler in Deji Afunbiowo the First.

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I have had the rare privilege of living for some years in few other cities in Nigeria like Ondo, Ibadan, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Benin City, Enugu and Port Harcourt to mention a few. I can therefore compare and contrast my experiences in each of those localities across the country. Akure decidedly has something going for her that marks her out as special, based on my own subjective perspective as an Akure-born, and based on my interviews of Nigerians from other parts of Nigeria who have lived or worked in Akure for some time.

I urge any of you reading this to feel free to check it out, if you don't believe me. I will definitely welcome a rebuttal from any of you who may have a contrary view because I am still researching why this observation is what it is compared to findings from our neighboring towns like Ondo or Owo to mention a few.

I do know that Kaduna was specially built from the scratch as a no man's land as the regional capital and administrative Headquarters of the defunct Northern Nigeria as conceived by the great Sardauna Bello and the power brokers in the North including Lord Lugard and the first batch of British imperialists in Northern Nigeria. Other cities like Lagos and Kano are gateways in their own right and Nigerians and foreigners naturally flock to them as commercial or financial centers from the "get go" Even though the two cities are often described as a no man's land for that reason, those who are familiar with their history know that their characterization or description as such is not completely true. They are just so described because unlike most other cities, their size and population make them the most diversified by way of the cultures, languages and dialects spoken by Nigerians from all walks life living in them. Akure town does not boast of such a cacophony of cultures but the city has a special attraction for non-indigenes and non-natives who often do very well and frequently better than Akure natives for some strange reasons.

I can remember some of them that readily come to mind. There was one Adeleke from, a Local Government Police man from Ise Emure in Ekiti.There was one Inspector Ogunshakin of the Local Government Constabulary. They all did very well following their posting to Akure. There was one Suprintendent of the Nigerian Police, one Mr. Egbuson, and Mr. Okorodudu an Itsekiri bureaucrat from Warri, and one Local Education Inspector or Suprintendent, Prince Odukunle who was later crowned Kabiyesi the Oluoke of Okegbo. There was one Archdeacons Langley Lennon and Dalimore not to talk Archdeacon and later Bishop S.O Odutola, Archdeacon later Bishop Awosika, Archdeacon later Bishop Okusanya and Archdeacon and later Bishop Falope not to talk of our pioneer Bishop of the Akure Anglican Diocese in Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi and the current one Bishop Ipinmoye. These gentlemen all worked as partners in progress with Deji every Deji to make Akure the shining city she has become, but they all did very well for themselves including traders and business men like the late Chie Toyin Fanimi of the Toyin Bookshop fame in Akure from Ikogosi, Chief Titilayo of Titilayo Chemist from Erin Oke, Ijesha and Chief Omotosho of Onward Electronics Industry, Akure from Ikerre Ekiti to mention just a few. They all came to Akure as petty traders but became multi million aires at Akure living in multi million palaces of their own while contributing to the economic development of Akure.

Because I was born and raised in Akure, I grew up in a conglomeration of cultures other the one I was born into. I grew up believing that the Ndigbo boys and girls, the Ebira boys girls, the Hausa boys and girls and the Urhobo and the Agatu or Idoma boys and girls with whom I went to school, were no less inferior to me as an Akure boy and a prince for that matter. I viewed and treated them as my own brothers and sisters even though I often joined others in poking funs at them like we used to do.

I recall calling some of my Urhobo friends and play mates as "Urhobo Wayo" "Obi We do rin, we do rin gaga" or "Vre Momi" "Do,wa do omo mi" and such foolishness without knowing the true ramifications of what I was saying. " Ota mi de, ada mi da" in Ebira meaning "my dad come meet my friend" in Ebira or "Ebira, we sanwo aja" Those were some of the words I used to taunt my Ebira friends with. Same thing applies to so many of my Ndigbo friends. I derive a lot of pleasure asking them to pronounce the word "Toro" meaning three pennies at the time. For some reason my Igbo friends had a lot of difficulty pronouncing "Toro" They always pronounced it "Tolo" If you want to know if any Nigerian was either Igbo or Agatu ask them to pronounce "Toro". They too refer to me as an "Ngbati ngbati" boy because the word "nigbati" always feature very prominently in Yoruba verbiage, and the word sounds so funny to all my Ndigbos friends till tomorrow for some reason.

These observations were so funny to all of us at the time but if you discount all of that, we all regarded ourselves as Nigerians, first and foremost, and we love ourselves to death. Some of my best friends till now are Ndigbo. My first son is married to an Ndigbo girl from Umuagwu in Orlu Division of Imo State. I myself narrowly missed marrying an Igbo girl my College sweetheart "Eberechukwu" who did not marry me in 1967 only because she had to leave with her parents as the Igbos fearing for their lives and properties were fleeing from Lagos and other Hausa/Fulani cities to return back to the East before the Biafran War broke out. There was nothing I didn't do to stop Ebere from leaving. I even suggested to her to let us seek refuge in Akure which was safe and secure for the embattled Igbos in Nigeria at the time. Ebere had to listen more to her parents than myself. She fled with them to Ifite Oraifite much to my regret.

Looking back in time I now know the story I am narrating here was probably the best part of my life having grown up in Akure, a town with the lowest tolerance level for tribalism or racial bigotry in Nigeria till now. I recently wrote an honest article extolling the virtues of Awolowo as I knew him. I did not write the article to criticize or insult the Igbos or the Hausas talk less of Nnamdi Azikiwe or Odumegwu Ojukwu or Sardauna Bello of all people, but it was interpreted as such by some readers. I was expressing a view point from my vantage position as a retired top Federal civil servant at one point in my career, and someone who had the rare privilege of serving under Awolowo for a short time, and getting to know the icon arguably better than many of his armchair critics looking at him from a distance.

I was therefore labeled an Igbo hater by some of the bloggers reacting to that article although a good many of them acknowledged the civility and objectivity of the same article. I fully understand that we all cannot see things the same way and I wear those criticisms like a badge of honor. I spoke my mind and I owe no apologies to anyone for so doing because I am an Akure man to the core. I have no problems with any of my Igbo brothers and sisters. My primary physician is an Ndigbo doctor whom I love and respect like a brother and I believe he holds the same views of me. I have no spot in my heart for any hatred for my fellow human being be it Hausa, Fulani , Igbo, Efik, Ibibio, Ogoni Ijaw, Angar or Gwari, Urhobo or Itsekiri. I relate to individuals not based on their ethnicity or color of their skin, but the content of their character. That was the way I was raised.

Akure has a cognomen "Omo amuda s'ile m'ogun erun pa ni" meaning that Akure's tongue is more lethal than the sword. It is a correct description of Akure, but the same cognomen can also apply "mutatis mutandi" to Nigeria as well. Why? Because Nigerians have a penchant for blackmailing or talking ill about ourselves and our leaders across the board. It is in our DNA to do that. The last time I checked, there were no less than 150 blogs on Sahara Report website on my latest article on Awolowo. It is as if the Internet face book and blogs were tailor- made for Nigerians who use the Internet as a medium to ventilate their feelings and say anything they like whether it makes sense or not. I therefore will not pull punches or take offense about any criticisms of me in those blogs for speaking the truth as I knew it. If I cannot take the heat, I have no business staying in the kitchen. I fully understand that and I am not concerned about what critics say about me. I define myself and could care less about what bloggers write about me.

I see Akure as the best example of the ideal Nigeria we all want to see on issues relating to ethnicity and tribalism. I recall Akure and Ilesha as being strong holds of the NCNC in the late 50s and early 60s before the first military coup of January 15, 1966. The NCNC used to defeat the Action Group in Akure Metropolis, arms down, in every election, but the Action Group always made up for their losses when the votes from the suburbs namely Ifedore, made up of Igbaraoke, Ijare, Ilara, and other towns like Iju and Itaigbolu and other places were added to the tally, because Akure could care less about the tribal origin of Nnamdi Azikiwe. We loved him for his education, his charisma, handsome personality and track record as a fire eater of a journalist. When Azikiwe narrowly lost to Awolowo and the Action Group in 1954 due to the Mobolaje Grand Alliance cross carpet episode, many Akure people including myself were shedding tears for Zik and heaping abuses on Awo and Akinloye for snatching victory from the NCNC because we thought the great Zik was one of us.

Most of the top Akure elites like the late J. B. Arifalo-Adedipe, the father of current Elemo Bolanle Adedipe, late Pa Adegbola, late Pa Faleye Igun (O sari mo sa Oogun) were all distinguished members of the NCNC and they all preferred Azikiwe's leadership to Obafemi Awolowo just like many distinguished sons of the West like Pa Odeleye Fadahunsi of Ilesha, late Adeniran Ogunsanya, late Theophillus Sobowale Benson and late Adegoke Adelabu Penkelemess of Ibadan including Richard Osuolale Akinjide and the present Olubadan, Oba Odulana, were all staunch members of the NCNC. They all wanted Azikiwe to defeat Awo in the spirit of one Nigeria. You can count many distinguished Yoruba leaders, men and women, who could die for Zik and the NCNC.

On the contrary, there were very few Igbo men like Samuel Goomsu Ikoku, Philip Umeadi and Ajaluchukwu who extended the same commitment to Awo and the Action Group at the time. Could the Action Group under Awolowo ever have won in the Eastern Region as many seats as the NCNC had won in the old West? It is a million Dollar question. The resounding answer, however, is "Never". I have read somewhere of a Fulani man becoming the Mayor of Enugu. I have never heard of it. That may have been more fiction than fact. I will have to really check that out before I can believe it. Tribalism and politics of ethnicity were even far worse in the North where Sardauna Bello blatantly named his own party the Northern Peoples' Congress (NPC) meaning that only northerners were welcomed in the Party. So when we are talking about who is more tribalistic among our political leaders, we must never forget that.

Akure, my place of birth has always been a shining city on the hill and a bastion against tribalism in Nigerian politics for many years. I recall Awolowo's helicopter being stoned and nearly brought down in some parts of the East during the 1979 election campaigns. Let anybody tell me how many times Azikiwe's motorcade was ever stoned like that in any part of the West. Not once as I recall. Any time Azikiwe came to town, it was celebrations galore as shouts of "Zeeeeeek, Eyin mba Eyin" echoed for miles on end.

Akure was among the very few towns in the old West where the Igbos were assured of safety of their lives and properties and they were physically begged not to leave Akure during the 3 year Biafran War. Not one of them lost their lives or any of their properties in Akure for the 3 years the war was waged. The few who had left and came back, had their properties waiting for them. If you compared that with abandoned properties left behind by the Igbos fleeing from Port Harcourt, you will get a pretty good idea of what I am talking about.

I can tell you that one of such Igbo sons in my Igbatoro Constituency in Akure Local Government once contested election to the Ondo State House of Assembly under late Governor Adebayo Adefarati. He not only won the election, he was later appointed the Speaker of the House, as the number 3 man in the State in order of ranking for 4 years. His name is Kenneth Olawale. Don't be deceived that his last name was Olawale.

Olawale was one of the names given to him by the Yoruba neighbors of his Igbo parents who attended his naming ceremony. Akure people hardly ever give the name "Kenneth" as a baptismal name to their children as a rule.

Kenneth is still living in Akure till tomorrow because he was born and raised at Akure. His private house is only three houses from my new private residence built at Ugbo Eti area along Ijoka Road on the way to Davog Palm Oil Manufacturing Industry after Oluwatuyi Quarters in Akure. Kenneth is as much an Akure man like I am, in his character and behavior, and he is in Akure to stay because that is the only home he knows from childhood. I am sure he will be receiving his pensions there as a retired Speaker for the rest of his life.

I can remember many of my friends and classmates like Chukwuemeka, Proprietor of OK Stores at Akure, famous Akure photographers like Ofei Day Spring in Akure and thousands of Igbo sons and daughters in Akure who have taken wives or husbands in Akure. I once predicted the possibility of an Okechukwu or an Orji Uzor Kalu or Ogbonna Anyaoku becoming the Deji of Akure in our life time. That day would come from all I can see. Few of my Igbo friends and brothers I can still remember include Engineer Agwunobi a very successful automobile Production Engineer and consultant in Detroit, Michigan. My good friend, Rudolf Okonkwo a powerful and gifted journalist is a proud alumnus of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. He is now resident in New York and we still maintain contact.

No town in Nigeria welcomes non- natives to her territory as much as Akure does. The development all started under my grandfather Deji Afunbiowo the First who reigned from 1897 to 1957 and whose direct children had reigned for another 48 years and whose great grandchild Kabiyesi Afunbiowo the Second was recently crowned the new Deji on August 10, 2010. All these Deji have pretty much followed our grandfather's shining policy and example by throwing the Olive branch to all foreigners and non-natives coming to Akure to make a living or seek asylum.

The current Osolo of Isolo Quarters in Akure and the current Iralepo of Isinkan who were recently upgraded to crowned Obas in Akure Metropolis by the Ondo State Government were all beneficiaries of Akure's generous hospitality The economy of Akure today is largely controlled by the Igbo traders in our town. We do not begrudge them for it, because they are part and parcel of us. Akure believes in "live and let live" No city in Nigeria does that better than Akure. I can tell you that.

Akure for many of you, who may not know, used to be part and parcel of Ekiti till 1946. Akure under the able leadership of Deji Afunbiowo the First saw a compelling reason to seek autonomy from Ekiti in 1946 and we did it without bloodshed. The breakaway was so peaceful that Akure was later made the provincial headquarter of Ondo province in 1948 under Deji Afunbiowo the First without Ekiti or Ondo, Akoko or Ilaje/Okitipupa Divisions lifting a finger of resistance.

That was what laid the foundation for Akure becoming the State capital in 1976 with unanimous support from all but one of the 9 Divisions in Ondo Province at the time. The elevation of Akure to State capital had occurred under the tenure of Deji Otutubiosun Adelegan Adesida the III who reigned from 1975 to 1991. The elevation of Akure to one of the 8 Millennium Centers for Development in Africa occurred in 2004 under the tenure of the Regent of Akure, Princess Adeyinka Adesida who was Regent of Akure for 6 years from 1999 to 26 November 2005.

Akure under Deji Afunbiowo Adesida the First always provided refuge and shelters for neighboring traditional rulers facing any rebellion or crisis in their different domains at one point or the other. I recall with pride my grandfather offering temporary asylum to the first educated Ewi of Ado Ekiti, His Royal Highness late Oba Daniel Anirare Aladesanmi when he faced an insurrection in Ado Ekiti. Deji Afunbiowo not only helped to reconcile the Ewi with his people, he had paved the way for him to regain his throne as I hinted in my book, "the Lion King and the Cubs" a special tribute to Deji Afunbiowo as the pioneering architect of the golden century of Akure History from 1897 to 1997 and Beyond. Kabiyesi Afunbiowo the First had offered the same asylum to exiled Ogoga of Ikere, late Oba Adewumi. He also rendered similar help to the exiled Alaiye of Efon, Oba Adeniran who was exiled for being implicated in a murder case involving a little boy who was kidnapped and sacrificed under mysterious circumstances.

Deji Afunbiowo the First opened up Akure to the incoming missionaries and colonial administrators and he offered them plots of land, free of charge, to build their houses and churches because he had been forewarned by his Ifa oracle that he must welcome the new visitors with open arms and he did. Akure got a lot of mileage and dividends from the vision and wisdom all of which had worked in favor of Akure when it was time to pick the provincial Headquarters for Ondo Province.

The missionaries brought education and churches to Akure and the British administrators opened up their offices and built the first Maternity Hospital in Akure. I was born in the same Hospital. The Government Reservation area and the first Secretariat at Oke Eda, Akure were built by the colonial administrators. Because the Government infrastructures were already in Akure, that explains why Akure was elevated to the Provincial Headquarters and the State Capital in 1976.

Deji Afunbiowo not only welcomed the Christian missionaries alone, he also made overtures to the Muslims and got them to build the first Mosque in Akure more than 80 years ago. By the same token, he welcomed Ndigbos, Hausa and Fulani Cattlerearers Agatu farm laborers, Ebiras looking for lands to do farming thereby promoting and sustaining the economic stability of Akure. He, Deji Afunbiowo, did not see the four walls of a school talk less of a University, and he was never baptized but he has remained the greatest champion of Education and Christianity in Akure till tomorrow.

He was the first Deji of Akure to ever initiate the idea of creating honorary titles for Heads of the various tribal or ethnic communities in Akure as a medium for working in partnership with such groups to promote the peace, harmony and economic development of Akure. He did that for 60 good years without a break.

The main of occupation of most Akure sons and daughters living at home today is playing Politics which is very sad. Most of them have all abandoned the farms and petty trading for Politics. The middle class which has existed way back from the mid. 60s under Awolowo's leadership in Akure and the old West has all but disappeared. You only talk in Akure today about the filthy rich and the very poor and the beggars or the "Almajeris" who cannot afford three square meals a day but go around leading their blind parents with their canes, begging for alms and singing "Sadaka Sabo da Allah". It is a pathetic reality that none of the Nigerian leaders are willing to confront or address as the nation sinks deeper and deeper into hopelessness.

I therefore submit that if Nigeria has imbibed most of the remarkable attributes of Akure City under her greatest Deji of all times and her successors in Akure, the commonwealth or the geographical expression called Nigeria would never have remained stagnant or wasted her first 50 years of independence as a sovereign state. The country would have been a lot more united and prosperous than she is today. Need I say more?.

I rest my case.