13022018 - 2019 Guber: Okorocha endorses son-in-law

C
M
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18 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018
EVERYDAY there are scores of
protests all over the country. Most of
them are targeted at governments for
failure to fulfill expectations or
promises. Citizens stage them to draw
public attention and sympathy to their
plight. On Tuesday, February 6, 2018,
distraught pensioners of the defunct
Nigeria Airways, after a rally at the
Skypower field at the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport in
Lagos, blocked adjoining highways in
a protest to get the Federal Ministry of
Finance to release the N45 billion
approved by the Federal Executive
Council to offset part of their N78
billion pension. Their activity
precipitated traffic jams that took hours
to clear.
On the same day in Yenagoa and
Kolokuma-Opokuma, Bayelsa State,
protesters calling for the sack of the
Coordinator of the Presidential
Amnesty Programme (PAP), retired
Brigadier-General Paul Boroh, also
Protesters, please stop blocking the highways
blocked roads and grounded
commercial activities, thus creating
nightmares for travellers.
Protesters have made an unsavoury
habit of blocking public highways as a
means of drawing public attention and
support in all parts of the country. In
so doing, they subject fellow citizens
struggling to meet their daily needs to
untold and unnecessary hardship. As
many of these road blockages last for
hours, they end up disrupting the plans
of those travelling long distances for
scheduled appointments.
Road blockages are illegal,
unnecessary and totally undesirable.
When protesters block public
thoroughfares, their activities become
unlawful because in the pursuit of their
legitimate rights to public assembly and
association they disrupt other citizens’
right to free movement and freedom
from harassment. It also amounts to
the transfer of aggression to innocent
people who have no hand in the subject
matter that precipitated the protests.
Once this happens, the law enforcement
agents have a duty to crack down on
the protesters, bring them to justice and
reopen the highways.
We acknowledge the need for
protesters to make their grievances
public because public opinion helps in
forcing slumbering government
officials to sit up and do their work. It
can still be done without blocking the
highways. Placard-carriers can line up
on both sides of the roads and make
even a bigger impact because their
presence will not bring anyone
discomfort or pain.
We must be reminded that in pressing
for our rights we must not at the same
time trample on the rights of other
people. Protesters should do their
homework before hitting the roads.
They should consult their lawyers and
seek the technical advice of civil society
groups on the most effective ways of
conducting their protests without
harming other members of the public.
Above all, the Police must be notified
to provide security and ensure
orderliness for the good of the
protesters and other innocent
bystanders. Enough of these
disruptions.
ON December 12 1978, after
winning the Presidential
nomination of the NPN, Alhaji Shehu
Shagari did not name his running
mate. The rules of the party gave him
the prerogative to name his running
mate after consulting with the party
leaders.
As he locked himself up at Eko
Hotel, speculations remained high
on whom he would nominate as his
running mate. Several names were
mentioned. The name of Dr. Kinsley
Ozumba Mbadiwe topped the list.
Dr. Mbadiwe and Alhaji Shehu
Shagari were colleagues as
Ministers under the then Prime
Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa.
While Alhaji Shagari served as
Minister of Internal Affairs in April
1965, Dr. Mbadiwe served as
Minister of Trade. In fact, Dr.
Mbadiwe’s best friend, Dr. Kolawole
Balogun, Nigeria’s former
ambassador to Ghana, from Otan
Aiyegbaju in the present Osun state
told anyone who cared to listen that
Dr. Mbadiwe was the choice.
Another group wanted Dr. Josiah
Onyebuchi Johnson Okezie from
Umuahia-Ibeku in Imo state. Under
General Yakubu Gowon, Dr. Okezie
was Minister for health and later
Minister for Agriculture and Natural
Resources before becoming
Chairman Board of Directors,
African Continental Bank, ACB. In
the constituent assembly, he
represented Ikwuano/Umuahia/
Bende constituency. There was also
the youthful, Dr. Dike Nworah, a
historian and businessman from
Awka in Anambra state, who later
became the Owelle of Awka.
Being the National Secretary of
the party, Dr. Nwakama
Okoro(SAN) was also mentioned as
a possible choice. The profile of Dr.
Okoro was intimidating. He was
from Amuri, Arochukwu in Imo
state. He had earlier served as the
Secretary of the Enugu branch of the
How Shagari picked
Ekwueme as VP (2)
Nigerian Bar Association. Between
1976 and 1978, he was the President
of Nigerian Bar Association. In the
Constituent Assembly of 1977-198
he represented Ohafia/Arochukwu
constituency.
Other names mentioned were my
friend, Dr. Chuba Wilberforce
Okadigbo,the Oyi of Oyi, Chief
Christian Chukwuma Onoh, Dr. B.U.
Nzeribe, Chief Hilary Njoku, Mr.
M.N. Elechi and Mr. J.S. Asegua.
Dr. Okadigbo represented Onitsha/
Anambra constituency in the
constituent assembly while Chief
C.C. Onoh represented Enugu
constituency. Mr. Elechi represented
Abakaliki/ Ikwo constituency. Dr.
Mbadiwe represented Ideato/
Nkwerre/Isu constituency while
Chief Hilary Njoku represented
Owerri/Ikeduru constituency.
In the constituent assembly, Chief
Onoh was very vocal in championing
the creation of WAWA state now
Enugu state. He was a member of
Federal House of Representatives
representing Enugu Metropolitan
council between 1958-1959. He was
Chancellor of the Anglican Diocese
of Enugu in 1969 and Chairman
Market Authority (1971-1987) and
later Chairman Nigeria Mining
Corporation. He held the title of
Okaa Omee of Ngwo.
At that time, Dr. Azikiwe’s party,
the NPP was the dominant party in
East Central zone-thanks to Chief
Jim Nwobodo and Chief Sam
Mbakwe. The publicity Secretary of
the party at that time, Chief Mo
Obiekwe told me several times that
the people of Imo and Anambra
states would never vote NPN
insisting that the scars of the war
were still with them.
On Tuesday December 15, Alhaji
Shagari embarked on a National
campaign tour that took him to
Ibadan, Benin, Warri,Owerri, Port-
Why Alhaji Shagari
picked Dr. Ekwueme is
still a mystery and only
him can explain
Harcourt,Calabar and later ended
on December 30 in Enugu. In
Calabar at Metropolitan hotel at a
party hosted by the former
Commissioner for transport in the
old south eastern state, Dr. Joseph
Wayas, I teased Alhaji Shagari to
give me a Christmas present by
disclosing to me exclusively his
running mate. He smiled and
directed me to Alhaji Umaru Dikko
to tell me. For 42 days, Alhaji Shagari
did not name his running mate.
Finally on January 23, 1979, the
NPN called for a press conference at
the party headquarters at Jibowu
street, Yaba, Lagos and I saw an
unsmiling Dr. Okadigbo at the
ground floor complaining to me
“He’s not even in our party, can you
believe that”. He then directed me
to the first floor where Alhaji Shagari
was holding a press conference in
company of party leaders. It was at
the conference that Alhaji Shagari
first presented Dr. Alex Ifeanyi
Ekwueme as his running mate. I saw
a handsome gentle man who looked
urbane and polished whom I have
never heard of in National politics.
It was the introduction and later the
Presidential election that shot Chief
Ekwueme to National limelight and
made him a treasured National
asset. Since that day, he never came
down from being valued.
Why Alhaji Shagari picked Dr.
Ekwueme is still a mystery and only
him can explain. His name was
never speculated. Dr. Alex
Ifeanyichukwu was 46 at the time.
He was unknown in the political
arena. Except for his business profile
as an Architect and Town Planner
and that he once worked for Esso
West Africa, Lagos overseeing the
construction and maintenance
department of the company, little was
known about him in politics. The
media over troubled Alhaji Suleiman
Takuma, the spokesman of the NPN
at that time to give details about Dr.
Ekwueme, he was not forthcoming
only promising “later”.
After the press conference, the
media mocked Dr. Mbadiwe with a
headline the following day
SHAGARI PICKS EKWUEME
BUT “KO IS NOT OK”. The
selection of Dr. Ekwueme rattled a
lot of politicians in the East Central
zone and created party crisis within
the NPN. A case in point was in Imo
state where the leader of the party,
Chief Nnana Kalu suspended Dr.
Mbadiwe for alleged anti-party
activities. Dr. Mbadiwe had to
address the press later during which
he asked “WHO IS NNANA KALU,
FROM WHERE DID HE DERIVE
HIS POLITICAL AUTHORITY,
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD WHERE
A MESSENGER WILL SUSPEND
HIS BOSS, ENOUGH OF THIS
POLITICAL RASCALITY”.
The campaign was no doubt
hectic especially for Dr. Ekwueme.
For he could not mobilise enough
people for his party in the East
Central in spite of his gospel of
reconciliation. He worked hard
during the campaign. He spent a lot
of money too but unfortunately for
him in 1979, the east central zone
was the empire of Dr. Nnamdi
Azikiwe and in spite of the civil war
and fourteen years absence, the
emperor was still in command of his
empire.
In the July 7 1979 Senate election,
THE NPP won all the 10 seats in Imo
and Anambra states. In the July 14
1979 election to the House of
Representatives, THE NPN had one
seat in Anambra as against THE
NPP with 28 seats while in Imo states
THE NPN had two seats against
THE NPP with 28 seats. In the
gubernatorial election that followed
in Anambra state, Chief James
Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, (77) alias
Jim Nwobodo defeated Chief
Christian Chukwuma Onoh of the
NPN. In Imo state, Chief Samuel
Onunaka Mbakwe from Avutu of the
NPP defeated Dr. Nwakamma
Okoro of the NPN in the
gubernatorial election
In the Presidential election of
August 11 1979, Shehu Shagari of
the NPN scored 13.50% of the total
votes in Anambra state as against
82.88% of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s NPP.
In Imo state, Alhaji Shehu Shagari
scored 8.80% as against Dr.
Azikiwe’s 84.69% for the NPP.