By Austine Uche Ejeke
The news of the demise of Second Republic Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme came to many Nigerians as a rude shock. Shock in the sense that the personality of Alex Ekwueme cannot just die like that considering the quantum loss of such death to the Nigerian nation.
Not that somebody like Ekwueme is clothed in immortality, but somebody with his sterling qualities should not just die so soon! Most of us have long ago discovered the deteriorating health conditions of the elder statesman.
On many occasions I have watched him talk in public fora and was not in any way pleased with his composition and strength. This position is collaborated by the observation made by Engineer Clem Nze, National Project Coordinator and Director (Engineering Hydrology) Nigeria Hydrology Services Agencies and National President of Old Boys Association of Boys High School Ihube-Okigwe when he submitted in a national call I made for prayers for the ailing former Vice-President, “Alex Ekwueme looked quite frail when I saw him in his country home in Oko on Friday, 22nd September, 2017. He came in from the UK about two days earlier for the burial that took place on the 22nd September. The Igwe of Oko, Prof Laz Ekwueme, was at the 5-7pm Service of Songs that held a day earlier, while H.E. attended the Church service before the interment. May God heal and strengthen him in his old age.”
Alex Ekwueme was a man of honour and many feats. A rare feat of a human being acquiring 15 degrees in various disciplines and about four of the degrees at doctorate level when some of our crop of leaders can hardly boast of school certificate!
Politically, Ekwueme has been playing matured politics and stabilising roles in making sure that Nigeria stands as one indivisible entity. No wonder president Buhari has cried out that he will miss Ekwueme’s stabilising advice on seemingly rancorous national issues!
Together with 34 other eminent Nigerians, Ekwueme formed the famed G34 that confronted the draconian and dreaded Abacha regime. With the extinction of Abacha, Ekwueme and his group formed the now People’s Democratic Party (PDP). On two occasions he tried to be the president of the country and on those two occasions he was denied the ambition! And that was in 1999 and 2003!
Painful as it may look many Nigerians particularly those of the South-east extraction may not be in a hurry to forgive Obasanjo when against public advise for Obasanjo to appropriate one term and allow Ekwueme to rule for just one term. Perhaps if Obasanjo had heeded to that advice, the current cry of marginalisation of the Igbos and the South-east geo-political zone would have been assuaged as Ekwueme presidency could have sorted that out! Instead Obasanjo appropriated the two terms and even gunned for a third term!
As a party man Ekwueme was loyal to the PDP till his last breath. At such times many PDP stalwarts were decamping from the party to other parties. Unlike Obasanjo that belittled PDP that offered him the platform to become president on two terms Ekwueme never for one day engaged in anti-party activities and sabotaging the fortunes of the party!
Ekwueme was humility personified and this was attested on a personal encounter with him. That was in May 2005 en route London. At the Murtala Mohammed International Airport departure hall that fateful day, passengers were checking in their luggage at the British Airways lounge. Looking back, I saw the white bearded Ekwueme with a small luggage carrying it all by himself with no aide.
Supposedly, he was to pass through the VIP section as his ticket was first class, but he chose to pass where the ordinary Nigerians were checking in. I went and shook hands with him and exchanged pleasantries. In the same flight was Osita Iheme and his twin brother of the Aki and PawPaw fame. And it was a pleasant experience to have interacted with such man of great honour.
When the aircraft landed in London I still saw Ekwueme come to the general section where passengers were picking their luggage. He just stood one place and was just observing Nigerians picking their luggage! Two weeks later, on our return trip I still saw him at the same general section interacting with people as all of us were heading back to Nigeria! That was the sterner stuff Ekwueme was made of, very humble, unassuming and down to earth!
So, on receipt of the news of the death of the right honourable Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme it came to me as a personal loss as I relish the brief and unforgettable encounter with this great man of many parts!
As Nigerians mourn the passage of this great sage, I hope Nigerians, particularly politicians, will learn a lot from the selfless life that Ekwueme lived. This is a man that this same president Buhari as military head of state jailed for about 18 months because trumped up charges. On his release it was discovered that no single offence of corruption or self-enrichment was traced to him.
For Nigeria to be great, every Nigeria should strive to live the exemplary life that Ekwueme lived. Unlike many politicians and even these millennium politicians that have properties, exotic cars, private jets and posh boats, none can be traced to the revered Ekwueme.
It may not be out of place for the federal government to immortalise this great Nigerian. A befitting national monument should be named after him and if possible a national annual lecture on times and life of Alex Ekwueme may not be too much to this great man of Africa!
Adieu Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme. Rest in perfect peace!
“Austine Uche Ejeke, publisher and editor-in-chief AGENDA community newspaper and public Affairs Analyst wrote vide eaustineuche@yahoo.com
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