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By Luke Mgboh
“What time of night it is, I do not know except like a fish bobbed out of water, I have bobbed up belly-wise from stream of sleep – great water drops started dribbling, falling like orange and mango fruits showered forth in the wind.” This is from Night Rain, by J P Clark.
It was indeed a night rain, drumming hard on my roof, and everywhere in and around Enugu where I was as at the time. The usual pleasure and sweet smell of water, which made first rain of the year memorable was so strong, as I drifted into deep thoughts of a man who has served this nation in different capacities; a good governance advocate, who has used several quarters to profess on policy challenges, confronting our great nation. A man, who has also proffered various policy options through books and public lectures, to help reposition the country. The thoughts of what God could use such a man to achieve for our great country overwhelmed me, so much that I lost “the beat of the drumming all over the land like my friend, J.P Clark will say in his “Night Rain”.
You can call him a nationalist, a politician or a philanthropist. Born on May 12, 1962 in Mpu, Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, Senator Ike Ekweremadu holds a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Law from the University of Abuja in addition to leadership certificates from Harvard and Oxford universities.
Presently, he is the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and Emeritus Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. Quite early in his political sojourn, he had stated that his vision is “to restore people’s faith in the concept of representative democracy as symbolised by the legislature, and more particularly within the context of federal representation whereby the federal legislator must not only be seen as a real mouthpiece and knight for his people – initiating/influencing favourable legislations and mobilising development resources – and not a distant sojourner in the seat of government, far removed from the realities, the needs and aspirations of his people.”
True to this vision, Ekweremadu joined the Senate determined to bring his humility and experiences to bear; having been a former town union president, local government chairman, chief of staff to Enugu State government and secretary to Enugu State government, and had sponsored several bills and motions.
He also chaired many important committees of the Senate. As the then Speaker of the Regional Parliament, he mobilised members to adopt and submit to the ECOWAS Commission for adoption by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, a draft legislation on the enhancement of the Powers of the Parliament. History will forever remember him as one of the most dynamic Speakers of the Parliament, who brought the activities of the institution nearer to the people, they represented.
Ekweremadu equally elevated the concept of representation to an enviable level by attracting federal developmental projects and resources to Enugu West, Enugu State and the South East in general with a view to positively changing the fortunes of the people. The list is countless. They include roads and bridges, classroom blocks, library centers, ICT centres, dam projects, electricity projects, health centres and so on. The legislator also powered so many philanthropic activities, through his non-governmental organisation, “Ikeoha Foundation”. Through the instrumentality of this organisation, he empowered so many people in the areas of adult literacy, quiz competition in secondary schools, scholarships to indigent students, micro credits to farmers, women co-operative societies, widows, as well as sports competitions, sponsoring health challenged people to hospitals both within and abroad and opening his doors to people in other to entertain their problems and challenges, etc.
Evidently, Ekwermadu has promoted Public Sector reform debates by presenting over 26 public lectures and papers both locally and internationally. In a lecture, entitled “Strengthening the Foundations of the Rule of Law in Nigeria” (2016), in honour of Prof. G.O.S. Amadi, organised by the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, the senator argued that the rule of law is indispensable in any society that craves for justice, equity and fairness.
Furthermore, in another lecture entitled “National Dialogue and the future of Nigeria” (2013), being a paper he delivered at the Pilot Newspapers Annual Lecture and Awards, Ekweremadu posited that despite several constitutional amendments in the country, the Constitution still contained some defects, which demand review. He made a case for people’s constitution where “ethnic groups must be persuaded to understand that all ethnic groups have a lot to gain from cooperation and much to lose from antagonising one another.”
Similarly, in 2015, while delivering another, lecture, entitled, “The Politics of Constitutional Review in a Multi- Ethnic Society”, organised by the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the senator canvassed, that our problem as a nation was not all embedded in frequent constitutional reviews, but also in the political will to implement what we already have in the constitution.
He frowned at the lopsided appointments without due recognition of the Federal Character; noting that some people have argued that Section 14 of the Constitution does not apply to appointment of service chiefs and other key staff in the Presidency.
“I firmly believe from the depth of my heart and conscience that you do not need a soothsayer or compulsion of the constitution to know that you must necessarily carry every part of the country along. It is an inescapable imperative,” he had said while maintaining that obviously carrying everybody along in a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria will significantly contribute to nation- building.
Indeed, many commentators on Nigeria has squarely attributed her problems to leadership, which Chinua Achebe had in his book, “There was a country”, said: “In a sense, Nigerian independence came with a British Governor General in command, and one might say, popular faith in genuine democracy was compromised from birth. Within six years of this tragic colonial manipulation, Nigeria was a cesspool of corruption and misrule”. Achebe was not alone in arguing that Nigeria, possessed indices of a “failed state”, but the question is how can we reposition the country?
On this burning issue, Ekweremadu may have come to the rescue in his book: “Who Will Love My Country, Ideas for Building the Country of our Dreams” (2016). According to Ibrahim Gambari in the foreword of the book: “The lawmaker admitted upfront that for personal, professional reasons, he loves Nigeria and will forever love it.”
The book, according to Gambari, “sets high standards of behaviour on the part of leadership, elite and citizens of this country, which demand concrete actions on the part of stakeholders”. The 14-chapter book x -rayed almost all issues that have to do with governance and politics of Nigeria from changing the culture of government to cooperation between leaders and citizens. In the book, Ekwermadu said: “My impression is that many Nigerians know in their innermost hearts the right things to do to create a better future for our country. Sadly, many people are paranoid and preoccupied with how each step to be taken might affect their individual, ethnic, religious, sectional, economic and other parochial interests rather than how Nigeria stands to benefit. Such selfishness and inherent fears have impeded many laudable policies and constitutional reforms. But we can only build the Nigeria of our dreams by making bold to love her above our individual selves and narrow interests.”
Ekweremadu has made contributions in various fora, both locally and internationally; making robust arguments on how to positively influence foreign partners on African democracies. His arguments have always centred on bettering the fortunes of the common man, especially in Nigeria. At the 4th Public Service Lecture of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, with the theme: “Federalism and the Legal Framework for Combating Corruption in Nigeria,” the Deputy President of the Senate made a case for the Nigerian workers whose salaries are no longer able to take them to the next bus-stop but are at the same time expected to be corruption-free. To justify this position, the events of May 1st, 2017, where workers in Abuja expressed their anger by insisting that the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, would not deliver his address is a reflection of the mindset of the average Nigerian worker.
Aside from his political thoughts, the Deputy President of the Senate has shown leadership both at the Senate and in the state. A three-time Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate and a stabilising factor in the Senate, he is a leader par excellence, who has co-operated with his state governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to engineer enduring peace and friendship in Enugu State, unlike what we witness in other states where acrimony holds sway because you have a top ranking legislator and a governor, and the two; like cows with horns, cannot drink water from one bucket at the same time. Undoubtedly, Ekweremadu has also exhibited steadfastness of a party man, who is not a bread and butter politician that moves from one party to another because bread seems to be buttered in the other party. He is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has remained there. That’s the mark of a politician with ideology.
Evidently, his work-load does not affect his family life, as he is married with four lovely children.
Finally, having shown great evidence of quality and effective representation, astute leadership skills, great political thoughts and humane approach to service, Ekweremadu has upheld the lessons of service to humanity, love for country and fairness to all.
I, therefore, make bold to say, “Happy birthday, my mentor.”
. Mgboh is a Public Affairs analyst based in Enugu
