What I am celebrating is not my birthday but my transition to the world beyond. The fact that I am celebrating it must mean that the world beyond is a good place to be.
The man who stole the precious rings, if he doesn’t drop it voluntarily, it will soon be taken from him. A time will come when the misery of the [ Yoruba ] People will become unbearable, they will then rise by themselves to demand a redirection of their destinies.
The yearning of independence is a natural instinct embedded in the breast of man by Nature. (Page 199)
If the Eastern Region is allowed by acts of omission or commission to secede from or opt out of Nigeria, then the Western Region and Lagos must also stay out of the Federation.
Any government that does not enjoy the goodwill of the people should resign: it must not utilise the people’s money for both their enslavement and starvation. (Page 310)
I owe my success in life to three factors: the Grace of God, Spartan self-discipline, and a good wife. (Page 111)
Indeed, an educated and healthy individual is, in my opinion, the strongest single factor in the economic and social advancement of any nation. (Page 271)
We must never lose sight of the fact the attainment of independence is not an end in itself. It is a noble means to a great end. (Page 200)
After rain comes sunshine and after darkness comes the glorious dawn. There is no sorrow without its alloy of joy, there is no joy without its admixture of sorrow. Behind the ugly terrible mask of misfortune lies the beautiful soothing countenance of prosperity, so tear the mask.
We must read history books, and do more than merely read them: we must learn, mark and inwardly digest what we have read. (Page 306)
I solemnly vow to the God of my Heart that wherever the fight is thickest and fiercest in the cause of truth, principle, justice and right, there I will always be. (Page 154)
It is the readiness and the yearnings and aspirations of the people that will determine the calibre and character of the people that will determine the calibre of those who rule them
There can be no alternative to a democratic way of life if the aim of the government is the physical, mental and spiritual welfare of the people. (Page 273)
It is therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope and with faith in my unalterable destiny that I go from this twilight into the darkness, unshakeable in my trust in the providence of God that a glorious dawn will come on the morrow.