Chukwudi Enekwechi
It was on November 20, 2017 that Nigerians woke up to the sad news of the demise the night before, of Nigeria’s former Vice President, pioneer Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party and Father of our modern democracy, Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme. He gave up the ghost after a short illness. Nigerians fondly remember him for the important roles he played at various times in restoring democracy to our country. He would have been 87 this week, on October 21, 2019.
Dr. Alex Ekwueme along with other compatriots, spearheaded the struggle to restore democracy to Nigeria by organizing the political class under the umbrella of G34, and this would later metamorphose into the People’s Democratic Party which held power for sixteen unbroken years before the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari.
As the Father of Nigeria’s modern democracy, he built bridges across regions, tribes and religions in order to ensure the return of the military to the barracks. Nigerians also remember his stabilizing role when he was the Vice President of Nigeria. During the period, he ensured that he did not rock the boat by supporting his principal, former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari, to the extent that the overthrow of the government was attributed in some quarters to the “overbearing influence of the Vice President”. It was however later revealed that Dr. Alex Ekwueme was merely loyal to his principal with only one motive – to make Nigeria great again.
His foray into the murky waters of Nigerian politics would land him in detention at the Kirikiri prison, but he was finally vindicated by the Justice Uwaifo tribunal set up to try the second republic political office holders, as they discovered that he actually left office poorer than he came in, and stated that to ask any more of him would have been to ask for a Saint. Lest we forget, Dr Alex Ekwueme was a successful Architect and Businessman before he joined politics in 1978. Indeed he was already a multimillionaire and helped in funding his then party, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He also acquired several other academic laurels besides his doctoral degree in Architecture, in Law, Sociology, History, Philosophy, Urban and Regional Planning and can be acclaimed as the leading light and advocate of mass housing in Nigeria.
In our quest for National development he advocated for equity, justice and fairness for all Nigerians, and this was encapsulated in his call for the restructuring of Nigeria. Due to his integrity, sense of accommodation and love for his fellow men and women, he earned the respect of most political leaders, and Nigerians cheered him as “Ide” wherever he went.
Former Vice President Alex Ekwueme made two attempts to become the President of Nigeria, in 1999 and 2003, but despite the mammoth support of most Nigerians, the powers that be blocked his aspiration at the PDP conventions. Definitely, if he had been given a chance to emerge, Nigeria would have been positively different today.
Dr Alex Ekwueme can be described as a leader of leaders and a distinguished patriot who wanted the best for his country, but he was ahead of his time, as his ideas were often superior to those who dared to oppose him. As a man of legendary memory he usually advanced his arguments with superior logic, facts, figures and empirical evidence. Today as we remember him for the altruistic services he rendered to the country it is important that emerging leaders emulate his sterling qualities and shining examples. We can only develop as a people when leaders and citizens put their country first rather than using any given opportunity to line their pockets with public funds and enrich themselves.
In the area of education and philanthropy Dr. Alex Ekwueme was outstanding as he set up the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra state with his own resources before inviting the state and federal governments to take over. Today the institution is serving Nigerians from different walks of life. He also set up the Ekwueme Memorial Trust and later the Alex Ekwueme Foundation, both of which awarded scholarships to hundreds, (some say thousands), of Nigerians to study in higher institutions of learning at home and abroad.
Personages like Dr. Alex Ekwueme are indeed difficult to forget and the government of the day ought to honour him by naming a national monument in Abuja like the International Conference Centre in his honour as a way of imbibing his legacies in the upcoming generations.
Igbos are also ever grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari for giving “IDE’’ a state burial in recognition of his numerous contributions to our national development, but the government ought to go a step further by naming the International Conference Centre at Abuja after him as a lasting legacy to his contributions to the National Discourse, “Nigeria as a Nation’’ and to future generations who would always learn and be encouraged by the shining examples of such past leaders. He was indeed a statesman of inestimable value and recognition.
As a politician in the mould of late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Alex Ekwueme came into politics with a patriotic zeal and altruistic disposition to help mankind with his wealth of knowledge and wisdom but unfortunately he met with some political leaders whose intention in politics was to say the least questionable. He was a promoter of Peace and Unity, and an advocate of the utilization of conflict resolution methodologies in nation building, and his attributes along these lines were legendary.
Today we all remember him with nostalgia and regret that we missed a golden opportunity to benefit from his leadership. Regrettably we cannot have Ekwueme with us again but his legacies are there for us to emulate and to ensure that his sacrifices for Nigeria were not in vain.
Enekwechi writes from Abuja via [email protected]