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He was with us when our leader dared the dreadful security details commander to shoot him. I have read books about the street uprisings that followed the Abiola botched presidential election and up till date, none of those accounts devoted enough space to that unforgettable spectacle. With enough corpses, chilling the bones on the Lagos street of burning tyres, why must Gani tempt this “KILL AND GO” security details further? If that pistol went off to our leader’s skull, none of us, his platoon of unarmed lieutenants would leave the scene alive. As usual, whether in the streets or cornered inside his office, Gani had again called their bluff and the man did not shoot. In a jiffy, we had moved to join the chaos that was Ikorodu stretching to Yaba Bus Stop. Agbakoba the G.O.C. of the Street Brigade was up there, standing on an improvised rostrum mobilising and addressing a mammoth crowd of angry market women, students, Abiola sympathisers, area boys and their underworld fraternity. Armed with more burning tyres, broken bottles, and wee-wee ganja, they preferred instant engagement with the police and the armored unit also approaching the restive crowd. Suddenly, there was bedlam! Tear gas! A burning tyre flew into the air and lacerated most of the skin covering the left side of my femur. Three Unilag girls were on the ground but I did not stop running until I saw Louis Obi then the Editor of the African Guardian, somewhere in Ikeja. That was the last time I saw the wordsmith, until we met again in Washington DC, years later.
Last week, Minister Ngige’s residence was attacked by marauders. They had the audacity to barricade the Minister’s home at a time when good people were sleeping. The workers’ president claimed that his action was legal and he was picketing.
Mr. President, that dawn attack at the residence of Minister Ngige could have gone worse than the reports indicated. Minister Ngige, if you remember, wormed his way to you after the great Owelle introduced him to you. Until his death, Owelle regretted his political rehabilitation as Ngige abandoned your campaign and worked for Kwankwaso.
A bundle of extraordinary intellect, the late scion of the African avatar wanted action on three major issues. Azikiwe had over the years prepared a 35-page memo on the power solution for Nigeria. He had all those years visited Cameroon, sent me to the Congo, the Caribbean, and in his conclusion stated that Nigeria would return as a middle power when, like the Cameroons, we tap power from the Congo, the deepest river in the continent. His next passion was agriculture and he was committed to redirecting the scientific and technological successes of the former Biafran scientists to prosper Nigeria’s agriculture. He acquired large farmlands in Lagos and Anambra State and until his death, his best friends were the Achukwu brothers. Achukwu’s agric model, which can transform our agriculture to the world’s best, is presently under the custody of Willy Achukwu’s daughter Elsie. Willy was Biafra’s greatest scientist.
Finally, the late Owelle was intrigued by the disappointing antics of the then President Goodluck Azikiwe Jonathan. Azikiwe Jonathan never for one day paid any visit but was keen on using the Azikiwe name during elections. Moreover, the Owelle despised the politics of Minority/Minority and predicated the victory of President Buhari who since the later constructed the NNPC-sponsored Onitsha-Enugu road, had made the Onosi Onira Mausoleum his second home. According to an upcoming earthquake book commissioned by the leading Zikist disciple of the late Owelle, Hon. Gozie Agbakoba, President Buhari, contrary to the propaganda of his detractors, respects the Azikiwes’ incomparable services to Africa and Nigeria; his love for the Igbo had from day one sought out Bamidele, and Buhari wanted him as his running mate.
Sagacious Owelle knew his kinsmen did not have the votes because of the “Minority/Minority” accord with Jonathan. He was the silent planner that brought the Majority/Majority accord and that is the untold story of “How Azikiwe Delivered the Buhari Presidency.”
Mr. President, remember Owelle, his heritage and, for the sake of Owelle’s work and legacies, it is time to offload the non-performer, Zikist pretender Ngige for the new Zikist leader, Gozie Agbakoba. That is the last wish of the Owelle.
Olisa Agbakoba is the Freedom Fighter but a member of the Green Party. But Gozie Agbakoba avowed Zikist is the man everybody saw on the ground during the last elections. Gozie Agbakoba is the living heir of the rich promises of the Bamidele Azikiwe legacies.
Anioma welcomes Ned Nwoko to the Senate
To qualify to serve as a senator, the candidate must be endowed with the ability
i) To INVESTGATE the Executive.
ii) Educated eclectically to prepare him to DEBATE issues on the floor.
iii) Like Caesar’s wife, a senator must approach issues as an INDEPENDENT.
iv) Possess a rich mind of ASSESSMENT.
v) To enable him DELIBERATE.
vi) Carry out his OVERSIGHT function.
vii) Performing exponentially in these cardinal areas, a relevant senator is a thinker, does not come to sit, to sleep in the Red Chamber! Surrounded by the best available hands serving as his legislative aides, the senator on the floor holding on to his files is now ready and at the solemn drop of the Senate President’s hammer stands up to read his prepared Bill … to make laws to change his society, impact on civilisation, his generation and the times.
– See Emma Okocha; The Early Roman Senators: From Cassius, Cicero to Senator Abubakar Magagi, Suleja 1985
Last week, Ned Nwoko was given the certificate of return by the INEC as the new senator representing the Anioma nation. Dennis Osadebay was the first from this area and he was so qualified that he ended up being the President of the Senate. After him, the Anioma nation have lacked quality and responsible representations. There was Senator Osakwe, the pool-maker who denied his Igbo heritage, and many others who never had a single relevant Bill in their name came after him. There was the case of another Rep who was not a Senator. Bearing an Urhobo last name she had the nerve to represent Anioma in Abuja and left in shame. She had slapped a prison officer boss on the Abuja highway. That was her only achievement. That is why it has been party-time since Ned Nwoko got into the Senate. His opponents refer to him as a Muslim but it is better to be a Muslim and an educated Senator as opposed to a passage sleeping all day in the Red Chambers.
