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By Brown Chimezie
A lawyer and business man, Olive Udeh, who was among the NADECO Movement foot soldiers on the streets of Lagos in the 90s in this interview, spoke on various issues. He said the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25, presidential election was a reward for NADECO, June 12 struggles.Udeh who was, on many occasions brutalized by the military while protesting against the military junta, said that a nation or society that fails to appreciate individual sacrifices will never progress.
As a NADECO foot soldier in the 90’s, how do you see the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election?
Well, what happened in the February 25, presidential election was nothing but a reward for courage. It was a reward for steadfastness. It was a reward for not giving up. It was a reward for perseverance. Even the late sage, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe said that it is only a mad man who can challenge somebody with a gun but Tinubu courageously did that for the sake of democracy. I was shocked to discover that history subject is no longer being taught in the secondary schools in the country, so people under the age of 40 don’t really know the sacrifices, even supreme sacrifices that a lot of people paid for this democracy to come into being.
A lot of people lost their lives when they were fighting for the present democracy. Notable among them include Pa Rewane, Kudirat Abiola, to mention just a few. As a NADECO foot soldier then, on many occasions, I was brutalized. On my skull now I have two scars, which were a result of military gun butt. As young men, then, we were burning tyres on the road while protesting, and soldiers rounded us up, shot some of us. What saved me was because the soldier that came to me first hit the butt of his gun on my head and blood began to flow like water so others thought that I was already shot and would be dead soon. That was how I escaped death on that day. Therefore, I see the victory of Bola Tinubu, who was one of our leaders, then as a reward for the struggle. Tinubu was then in Nigeria fighting, and the military was looking for him everywhere to kill him. When the heat became too much, he escaped to the United Kingdom and there, he joined Kayode Fayemi and others to open NADECO radio which later became Kudirat radio and with that continued to create awareness for the struggle. Apart from that, he was also helping to source for those who were in the struggle in Nigeria. So, what we saw in February 25,2023, was the reward for the struggle.
I know that when the struggle was on, Tinubu was hailed as a hero, but what has changed now? Why so much hatred for him by some people?
Thank you very much for the question. When Tinubu was fighting for democracy in the 90s, Nigerians were hailing him as a hero. Nobody questioned his academic records. His age, who his parents were, or his birth place. Nobody said, “Let us see your credentials to know whether you are qualified to be part of the struggle for democracy. It is like the story of a hunter and his dog. A hunter led his dog to go into the forest for hunting. He saw an antelope and sent the dog after it. The dog chased the antelope and, after a very long while, was able to catch it. The dog killed it and brought it to his master the hunter who was resting at the base of a tree. They went home happily. But after they had cooked the antelope and it was ready for eating, the hunter began to question the credentials of the dog to know whether it was qualified to partake in the eating of the meat. This is the wickedness in Nigeria. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela was acknowledged for the pivotal role he played for freedom, fairness, and equality in South Africa.
It doesn’t really mean that Mandela did not have his own demons but he was and continued to be respected, even worshipped for the price he paid for a new South Africa to emerge. Martin Luther King was a legend because he gave his all for the struggle for equality in America. He equally has some negative aspects of him in his lifetime. Then why is it that Nigerians don’t want to give Bola Tinubu his due?
Was it the reason why before the election, Tinubu boldly declared that it was his turn to lead Nigeria?
Exactly! There is a saying that a closed mouth is a closed destiny. Again, an adage has it that if a snake fails to act like one, children will take it as a rope and use it to tie firewood. If he did not declare that, what happened to the dog would have happened to him. He fought for democracy and in the fight, he staked his all, his life and everything. If he was killed like the others, Oluremi his wife would have been a forgotten widow. His children would have become fatherless at that very young age and those who did not participate in the struggle would be enjoying the fruit of his labour. Look, as a young teenager living in Orile Igammu area of Lagos State, I was part of NADECO struggle burning Tyres on the streets of Lagos and inhaling teargas from the ruthless military juntas and police. Many young men and women died in the struggle but they have been forgotten completely. So, it is important that we teach our children history in schools so that posterity would not forget the different roles that we played. It is obvious that any man or woman that is 40 years or younger today didn’t know much about NADECO following the annulment of June 12, 1993 elections which is 30yrs ago and the struggles for democracy that eventually gave rise to May 29th which today is a public holiday for the commemoration of Democracy Day in Nigeria. I was astonished when I was sharing my experiences regarding the wounds and brutality l suffered in the hands of the police in Ikeja part of Lagos and a man of 32 years of age was casting serious doubts regarding my ordeals in the hands of the ruthless policemen and military boys who were shooting at innocent young men and women. I went as far as showing to him the two scars on my head to buttress the reality. A lot of the youths also don’t know that it was the NADECO struggle for democracy which was led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu that led to the release of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from Yola prison and ensured that he became a civilian president in 1999. Such ignorance is painful and heart breaking. It is just like denying the reality of EndSARS brutality before the victims of that unfortunate incident at the Lekki Tollgate.
You said that those who were against democracy are the ones now reaping the reward of democracy, can you mention some of them?
Yes. They are all over the place. They are even the ones educating us now what democracy should be and what it should not be. People are even now seeing them as the heroes of democracy. People like Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Bode George, just to mention a few. They were among the famous Babangida and Sani Abacha boys and the reason for that name is because they were in the forefront of fighting those agitating for end to military rule and return to democracy. It was when Buba Marwa was the military administrator of Lagos State that Kudirat Abiola was murdered. Atiku Abubakar was in the Customs under a military regime. But today, they are the ones educating us about democracy. All of them are today politicians and have held political offices as Vice President, governors, board appointments and so on, even though the Bible said that one should not benefit from what he despised. But a good number of those who laid down their lives for the struggle have been forgotten and are wallowing in poverty.
What are your last words?
As president, Bola Tinubu famously declared emilokan. It is his turn. I am also declaring that it is our turn. I am happy that the recognition and reward have begun from the top with president Bola Tinubu. I am also saying that it should trickle down and go round. Those who fought for democracy should enjoy the reward of their struggle. They must not be like the hunter and his dog.
