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As Biafranigeria prepares for national elections in 2003, there is one thing all politicians have been saying and agreeing on: Like Alex "Oko" Ekwueme, he has vowed his government, if elected, would be spending a lot of money in infrastructure. Hear him, "infrastructure."
In his spare time, which is rare these days since the road to 2003 has begun to heat up, former vice president Ekwueme likes to relax with overnight tombo liquor singing the old gospel hymn:
No harm, no harm, no harm No harm, No harm, no harm No harm, no harm, no harm No devil can do me no harm
In the name of Jesus In the name of Jesus I am the victory In the name of Jesus In the name of Jesus In the almighty name of Jesus Christ I am the victory!
A devout protestant and a firm believer in one Nigeria, Alex "Oko" Ekwueme was Nigeria's vice president in the Second Republic; the most corrupt civilian administration in the nation's history. Here is what the sellout had to say:
T.B: Gooid evening Mr. Vice President and welcome to The Thompson Buraimoh Show.
Ekwueme: Thank you for having me in your show.
T.B.: I grew up as a political junkie from when Yakubu Gowon declared his genocidal campaign to eliminate the Igbo nation a "no vivtor, no vanquished" to the chain-smoking Shehu Shagari's election in the Second Republic which you were part of. My question here is, why was OIbasanjo's military administration not probed and prosecuted to the limit of the law for the atrocities committed from the demolition of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's Kalakuta Republic to the "Ali Must Go" saga?
Ekwueme: T.B., you see, the problem is that Fela's life, though interesting wasn't exactly edifying. He played the trumpet, smoked Indian hemp and slept with foolish women, and that's about the size of it. On probing Obasanjo's administration, we had a deal.
T.B.: Fela is my hero, and I do not think it's fair what you just said about the biggest Afro-Beat ensemble in this planet called Earth. After all, you patronized his shrine before. Ain't that true?
Ekwueme: Yes indeed, I patronized Fela's shrine in the early 70's during the Reconstruction Era. I was young and had the best of time, especially the popular "Yabbies Night."
T.B: Oh yeah, did you get to tell your own riddles and jokes?
Ekwueme: I only went there to get high.
T.B.: Let's talk about you administration. Without doubt, it was the most inept and corrupt regime in the nation's history. Before you guys came in, the nation's reserve was a whopping surplus to be downhill all the way when you were removed from power. How much was your own loot?
Ekwueme: Our removal from power on charges of corruption and reckless spending was part of a vast political conspiracy led by the late greedy Moshood Abiola. But I bear no grudges against Buhari-Idiagbon tandem. You see, time is a great healer and I bear no malice. On the loot, I was no part and parcel. It was the chain-smoking Shagari who held his Benson and Hedges cigarrette with his left hand and a Parker pen with his right hand signing away fabricated contracts to Umaru Dikko, Ali Baba, Augustus Akinloye, Isiaku Ibrahim, Maitama Sule and the rest.
T.B.: How about the contract to design National Theater at Iganmu?
Ekwueme No comment!
T.B.: "No comment" doesn't answer my question. You inflated the contracts, right?
Ekwueme: Right!
T.B.: The Second Republic looked more like a gang of thugs and looters: From Sidi Ali to Sabo Barkin Zuwo; from Augustus Akinloye to Umaru Dikko and from Jim Nwobodo to Ambrose Alli. How were these rascals and vagabonds groomed?
Ekwueme: T.B., what happened in the Second Republic was really beyond my imagination. The thing is, we were desperate to win the majority votes over 2/3 of the then nineteen states. We had to pour in excess money in order to achieve the objectives of our political party, NPN. Like you well know, excess money, though, in this view, purchases special privileges and corrupts the lower income brackets; and have nots.
T.B.: Your objective was corruption?
Ekwueme: I guess you can say that, T.B.
T.B.: When the ban on political parties was lifted in 1978, why didn't you rally to form an independent Igbo political party like Pa Awo and Aminu Kano did?
Ekwueme: I was only interested in joining a winning party in order to protect my business interests (Ekwueme & Associates). On the other hand, I knew I was going to send my extended family members overseas for further studies and other professional engagements. Furthermore, it was all about "you chop, I chop."
T.B.: Chop and clean mouth, huh?
Ekwueme: Well, it's not my fault.
T.B.: Regarding Obasanjo's administration, to what extent does the health of Nigeria's democracy rest on a prosperous middle class which is lacking?
Ekwueme: Nothing like that will exist for now. Nigeria is a country where it's either you are rich or you are poor. The survival-of-the-fittest attitudes which began when the brutes Buhari-Idiagbon wrestled power from us coupled with monied control of politics which further undercut the middle class, dramatically, were one of several reasons why we still have a long way to go. Machiavelli thought that getting to the top was what matters, and not how you got there. Babangida, I guess, was right, too, being a scholar of Machiavelli.
T.B. The presidency, obviously, should be merit-based, and knowing for the fact that in your era of economic and political power, you did practically nothing for the Igbos. Why should the Igbos and the South be listening to you now?
Ekwueme: A nationalist like myself wants what will be good for the entire country. I do not want a divide of the nation for the fact that we can accomplish a lot more together.
T.B: Mr. Vice President, we are running out of time. Next time you pop up in a cybercafe, please, come visit us.
Ekwueme: I will. Thank you T.B. I need a cigar!
Moral of the interview: Ekwueme is clueless, lacks tact, totally confused, has no political agenda for the Igbos and nobody will ever understand his political leaning.
Politically, Ekwueme is history. Maybe, Ekwueme and Okadigbo should compete for president of Anambra State, where we lesser Igbo of Imo, Abia, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Enugu, and Ebonyi states will not get in their way.
Did someone say "to your tents oh Igbo?" We shall meet them at the battle of Aso Rock.
Posts: 199 | From: Saratoga, CA. USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote: Did someone say "to your tents oh Igbo?" We shall meet them at the battle of Aso Rock
Egwuatu, I dis-aggre, there is no them, we are one people, our only battle remains agianst "onya akpanazu eni ozu" Okadigbo and his likes, they will never sucssed in their plans to futher distablise Igbo.
___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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As usual you left smiling from ear to ear. I can almost feel Ekwueme sweating by your line of questions. Interestingly enough, you mentioned Obasanjo's culpability in the killing of innocent striking Nigerian students during the "Ali Must Go" saga. Well, I have some news for you about that strike.
Do you know that our maximum commander Olusegun "no be Obasanjo born me" Obasanjo was hiding out in Uromi in the Ishan area of the then Bendel state during this period? You would have expected him to be in Lagos directing the ravanchists against the popular student protest. Instead, our "victorious" general was hiding in the Catering Rest House in Uromi.
I found out because I was in Uromi with a couple of friends visiting from Igueben where we were doing our A'Levels studies. Our past time was to go to the Catering Rest House every Saturday and hang out. The lady who ran the place was a friend of my family. Well, on this day in 1978 we drove to Uromi as we had always done. On getting to the Rest House we found soldiers everywhere on the hotel ground. They wouldn't even allow us or anyone entry. After a few minutes. the lady who managed the hotel came out and told me that Obasanjo was hiding in the hotel because he was a afraid of a coup against him.
I was young then and very much innocent too, but somehow, even then I felt something was wrong about the picture of our brave general who single handedly conquered zBiafra to be hiding in a dusty, rural town simply because he feared a coup. What about being in Lagos to foil such a coup if and when it does occur? Evidently, his battlefield strategy was to avoid direct combat and then regale us later in his books about his courage and bravery. Your reference to the "Alli Must Go" event simply took me back to memory lane. Thanks for the pleasure.
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Major Benbella I was not surprise to hear that Obasanjo was hiding, the man is a coward. Forget about that garagara about no be Obasanjo born me, that is the usual Yoruba fight of wait make I remove my agbada. when push come to sholve Obasanjo go even deny his last name to save his fat butt.
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Benbella: Sometimes, I wonder how that bigot and coward got where he is today. This was a man who refused to take over the affairs of state when his buddy, another war criminal, Murtala Muyhammed was murdered in cold blood.
Posts: 479 | From: The Universe | Registered: Jul 2001
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