Thread by @OnigegeWura

The parable of Palm Tree as told to Obafemi Awolowo
 
“Among the groups that visited me on 6th June were AG [Action Group] members from Owode in Egba Division – Owode was the Constituency of Chief [Ayo] Rosiji. They came in four lorries, about one hundred of them – men and women.

They were led by Chief Lajiga (of blessed memory). He was an elderly man of well over eighty years of age, and the AG Chairman for Owode area. He made a moving speech, in the course of which he gave two parables which I considered most fitting to the prevailing circumstances,

and which I still vividly remember. Said he (I translate):
 
‘Firstly, I liken the AG to the palm tree. Happily, the palm tree is the symbol of the AG. In order for the palm tree to give maximum yield of palm fruits, it must be periodically trimmed and cleaned.

This means that all the dead and dying palm leaves, and other plants which are likely to obstruct the healthy growth of the palm fruits must be cut and thrown away. The bush immediately surrounding and growing under the palm tree must be cut very low.

Besides, all parasitic growths wherever they may be found on the body of the palm tree must be removed. That is what is happening now. Since its foundation eleven years ago, the AG has not undergone any cleaning. Some of the palm leaves which are dead are now falling off...

... by themselves. We must now go all out to cut off all the dead, dying, and obstructing palm leaves. All the undergrowths and parasites must be removed....

...After these operations, the AG will be rejuvenated, and it will, thereafter, yield bumper fruits, and do much better than ever before…”
 
Obafemi Awolowo, The Travails of Democracy and the Rule of Law, Evans Brothers (Nigerian Publishers) Limited, Ibadan, 1987 [page 214]