Bode Thomas
Encyclopedia
Bode Thomas was a Nigeria
n politician, statesman and traditional aristocrat. A Yoruba
tribesman, Thomas served with distinction as both a colonial minister of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria and a nobleman and privy counsellor of the historic Oyo
clan of Yorubaland at a time when his native country was just beginning the journey to its independence in the 1960s. He was born to a wealthy trader in Lagos and attended C.M.S. Grammar School
, a missionary school founded by Samuel Ajayi Crowther
. After completing his studies, he started work at the Nigerian Railway Corporation
. In 1939, he went to London
to study law and returned later establish what became a successful practice in Lagos. He set up the first indigenous Nigerian Law Firm in 1948 with Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams
and Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode
. The law firm was called "Thomas, Williams and Kayode".
He was one of the founding members of the Action Group
and before his death, was the deputy leader of the political organization. Prior to his membership of the Action Group, he was a successful Lagos
lawyer
and was a member of the Nigerian Youth Movement
. He is credited as the first prominent Nigerian political elite during the colonial
era to make strong expositions for regional based political parties
, the parties, he believed would be equipped with the necessary knowledge to develop their regions while forming a coalition at the center. He was also a leading advocate for the bringing of tribal chief
s and king
s into the expanding fold of the Action Group. To this policy, he undoubtedly gave much of his own experience as the Balogun of Oyo - a title he received in 1949.The strategy later proved to be a potent framework for mass mobilization in some towns. Interestingly, the Oloyes Thomas and Awolowo sometimes had rival political thoughts, many of which were never settled before his death. Most of his ideas on regional parties which ended up becoming approximated with the early self government political structure were never fully reconciled with Awolowo' ideas, which were based on federalism
.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n politician, statesman and traditional aristocrat. A Yoruba
Yoruba people
The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...
tribesman, Thomas served with distinction as both a colonial minister of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria and a nobleman and privy counsellor of the historic Oyo
Oyo
- Places :In Nigeria* The Oyo Empire or Kingdom, a former West-African empire that covered parts of modern-day Nigeria and Benin* Oyo State, a present-day state of Nigeria named after the Oyo Empire...
clan of Yorubaland at a time when his native country was just beginning the journey to its independence in the 1960s. He was born to a wealthy trader in Lagos and attended C.M.S. Grammar School
CMS Grammar School, Lagos
The CMS Grammar School in the Bariga district of Lagos is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria, founded on 6 June 1859 by the Church Missionary Society...
, a missionary school founded by Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther was a linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Born in Osogun , Rev. Dr...
. After completing his studies, he started work at the Nigerian Railway Corporation
Nigerian Railway Corporation
Nigerian Railway Corporation is the government body operating railways in Nigeria.- Infrastructure and operations :Nigerian Railway Corporation operates a network of of single track lines, all have gauge....
. In 1939, he went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to study law and returned later establish what became a successful practice in Lagos. He set up the first indigenous Nigerian Law Firm in 1948 with Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams
Frederick Rotimi Williams
Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams, QC, SAN was a prominent Nigerian lawyer who was the first Nigerian to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. In the 1950s, he was a member of the Action Group and subsequently became the minister for local government and Justice...
and Chief Remilekun Fani-Kayode
Remi Fani-Kayode
Victor Babaremilekun Adetokunboh Fani-Kayode , Q.C., S.A.N, C.O.N was a leading Nigerian politician, aristocrat, nationalist, statesman and lawyer. He was elected Deputy Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria in 1963 and he played a major role in Nigeria's legal history and politics from the...
. The law firm was called "Thomas, Williams and Kayode".
He was one of the founding members of the Action Group
Action group
In sociology and anthropology, an action group or task group is a group of people joined temporarily to accomplish some task or take part in some organized collective action....
and before his death, was the deputy leader of the political organization. Prior to his membership of the Action Group, he was a successful Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and was a member of the Nigerian Youth Movement
Nigerian Youth Movement
The Nigerian Youth Movement was Nigeria's first genuine nationalist organization, founded in Lagos in 1933 with the name of Lagos Youth Movement and renamed the Nigerian Youth Movement in 1936.-Early years:Founding members included Dr...
. He is credited as the first prominent Nigerian political elite during the colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
era to make strong expositions for regional based political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
, the parties, he believed would be equipped with the necessary knowledge to develop their regions while forming a coalition at the center. He was also a leading advocate for the bringing of tribal chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
s and king
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
s into the expanding fold of the Action Group. To this policy, he undoubtedly gave much of his own experience as the Balogun of Oyo - a title he received in 1949.The strategy later proved to be a potent framework for mass mobilization in some towns. Interestingly, the Oloyes Thomas and Awolowo sometimes had rival political thoughts, many of which were never settled before his death. Most of his ideas on regional parties which ended up becoming approximated with the early self government political structure were never fully reconciled with Awolowo' ideas, which were based on federalism
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
.