Jaja Wachuku: 6 Facts About Nigeria’s 1st Ambassador Who Protested Racism at UN by ‘Pretending to Sleep’
Nigeria has had great political leaders in the past whose influence did not only solve issues in their country but saved many in other nations.
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Jaja Wachuku, the former Nigerian representative to the United Nations (UN), is such a person. In this report, Legit.ng will be presenting six things you should know about the efficient statesman.
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1. He fought for Nelson Mandela’s life
In 1963 when the South African leader and 12 others were about to be sentenced to death, Face2FaceAfrica gathers that the man used his influence to argue in their favour.
Though they were later sentenced, it was to life imprisonment and not what everybody thought would be their fates.
2. He came from royalty
Born on January 1, 1918, the late Nigerian statesman’s parents are King Josiah Ndubuisi Wachuku and Queen Rebecca of Ngwa land.
The activism must have been in his blood as his mother was also a female fighter against injustices during her time.
3. The first in many things
Jaja in 1959 achieved what no other Nigerian had been able to get as he became the first house of representatives speaker.
As if that was not enough, he was also the first ambassador and permanent representative of the country at the UN. An unconfirmed report said that he once pretend to be asleep as a protest against a racist comment during a meeting
4. His love for family and his people
His wife’s name is Rhoda Idu Oona Onumonu and he married her in 1951. Their marriage was blessed with five kids.
During the civil war, he also fought for his people. In the second republic, he maintained a close relationship with the Nigerian Senate.
5. An intelligent man to the core
As a college student, the man won many scholarships and prizes also followed. His rich background helped in getting a quality education.
6. Exploit in the university
The resourceful man, among his many feats as a student, represented the University of Dublin during the 1943 Inter-University Debate that was held at the University of Durham, Wikipedia reports.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a Nigerian man, Babatunde Olatunji, was a professional drummer who stood firmly against racial segregation in the United States of America.
He was one of the many Africans whose roles were really important in the fight for justice for blacks. Babatunde was born in 1927 in Lagos.
In 1950, he was awarded a scholarship to Morehouse College in Atlanta. Later in life, he became a successful drummer with 17 studio albums under his belt.
Source: Legit.ng
