INTERVIEW: It Was Easy For Mum To Pocket Lots Of Money At NAFDAC But – Late Dora Akunyili's Daughter Chidiogo

BY GODFREY GEORGE

PUNCH INTERVIEW

Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr. Image via Ndini

Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr is a daughter of the late former Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Dora Akunyili. She speaks to GODFREY GEORGE about her mother’s personality and core values as well as the recent passing of her surgeon father, Dr Chike Akunyili

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your work.

My name is Chidiogo Blessing Akunyili-Parr. Akunyili means ‘my cup overflows’. Chidiogo means ‘God is gracious’. My middle name is Blessing. So, my name in full means: God is gracious with blessings and my cup overflows. I am one of the six children of the late Dora Akunyili, a former Director-General of NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) and Minister of Information, and the late Dr Chike Akunyili. I am an author, speaker, and consultant with a passion for human development and connection.

I attended Queens College, Yaba, Lagos. I left Nigeria after graduating in 2001 to study International Relations and French at the University of Pennsylvania, US. I studied in Paris at Sciences Po, where I majored in International Economics. I spent the years between undergrad and master’s working internationally in Germany, China and Italy. I got a master’s in International Development and Economics from SAIS John Hopkins. This was followed by working at the World Economic Forum managing the global shapers community across Africa and the Middle East. It was in this time that I received a master’s in Global Leadership with certificates from INSEAD, Columbia University, Wharton School, London Business School, China Europe International Business School and Cornell Tech.

Having lived and worked across five continents, I speak seven of the world’s languages – Chinese, English, French, German, Igbo, Italian and Spanish. I am a fellow at the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance, an Atlantic Dialogue Emerging Leader and an Associate Fellow of Nigerian Leadership Initiative.

I run an initiative, She ROARs, which supports women across the world, mostly women of colour, to connect to their intuition and purpose, and we do this via coaching sessions for women to get to know and trust themselves to delve more into their power. I am always drawn to supporting women with a trust in their potential to impact the world around them. I love to inspire women to be their best selves guided by the power of their own inner voices.

What was your experience growing up with your mother, the late Dora Akunyili?

Dora Akunyili was a mother to many more people than just us, her children. In many ways, who the country saw at the peak of her strength, starting with when she went to NAFDAC, was a woman we had experienced all through our lives as mummy. We had the privilege of so many wonderful years knowing her beauty, grace and mothering ability. At the same time, it was really beautiful to witness everybody getting to know her. She was very approachable; one who didn’t take any nonsense. She was very focused and clear on her values. She was clear on what she considered to be the right thing. She supported everyone around her to find the truth of this in themselves. I was and I’m still very proud of her achievements. Being her daughter was and continues to be a blessing. I hope that sharing her story creates ripples in the pond that will keep growing as others read and react to it. Her life and mission are being given renewed energy by its being told.

As a public office holder, it’s given that she would be quite busy. Did that, in any way, affect her role in the family?

She was busy. The work, including her dedication to NAFDAC, took all of her. I consider it lucky for us because we (her children) were a bit grown when she went into NAFDAC. This was especially as she dedicated so much of herself to it. I, for example, was in my last year of secondary school, so I was old enough to allow her to fly without feeling like I was losing her or feeling the strain of her absence.

It was good that she could have the time to focus on the work and this did not affect the relationship we had with her. It was a thing of pride and beauty to watch her blossom into the woman that she was, and to see how she stayed strong. At some point, she was even awarded ‘Man of the Year’.

She was loved because of the staunchness of her belief and her dedication to the work that was at hand; the belief that every life matters and that we have a responsibility to each other; and that supporting the well-being of one person is supporting the well-being of everyone. She lived her life by this, hence the title of her memoir: ‘I Am Because We Are’, capturing her belief and dedication to being her brothers’ and sisters’ keeper.

What lessons did you learn from her that has shaped you into the woman you have become?

This is a great question. Witnessing my mother’s life has been a lesson on knowing yourself and knowing what your beliefs are, and never compromising. She taught us to know and trust in the importance of the work we want to do, so we are not swayed by the wind. Even though the world may want you to compromise; even though they may have a different idea of how you should behave or who you should be, the list extends to bribery and corruption, it is important that you know yourself and know what matters. This is the truth of my mother’s lessons. She taught us to have deep trust in ourselves as God’s creation. She was very strong in knowing herself, and trusting the hand of God in her life and how God was guiding her in the work that she did. We have to trust that our work matters, no matter how small; and even if you think nobody will see the goodness or integrity of what we do. Think of the money she returned in London. It is important to do the right thing even if nobody sees it. It was very easy for her to have pocketed a lot of money at NAFDAC and nobody would ever know. They would still see her as a great woman who did a good job. But she would always say to us: “Even if no one saw it, God sees!” She was not interested in doing anything that went against who she was or against her God, which would, in turn, negatively impact the work that she did.

During the course of her career, she confronted some powerful forces, whose interests conflicted with her own mandate. Were you at any point scared for her life?

Truly, we all were. It is a lot to have your mother shot at by armed men. We were behind her in the convoy that day when she was shot. It was a very scary day for us. But while everybody else was scared for her, she was not afraid. It was a fascinating thing. If anything, her only fear was when my little brother was threatened by some potential kidnappers who went to his school. One time, too, her brother was kidnapped and it was linked to her. These were what I think scared her. But when it came to her safety, she trusted that God would protect her, because what she was doing was in line with what God commands. This trust was also founded on having gone through many near-death experiences in her life, and each time God would show up and rescue her. She believed truly in God’s favour.

Would you say she covered much ground before her passing in June 2014?

Only 59 years of age at the time of her passing, she was indeed very young. One thing I can say was that she wasn’t ready to die. She really struggled with death because she believed that her work was not done. This was a very important point for her, that she had a lot of work to do in Nigeria, and she wasn’t done with this. She wanted to stay alive much longer to do this, but God had other reasons. I hope and believe that her memoir, “I Am Because We Are,” is God’s answer to her prayers and a continuation of her work. I also hope that its message reaches the good people of Nigeria who need now, more than ever, to once again be inspired.

There were some controversies around her death. Some said she was too educated not to be aware that she had cancer; others thought it was black magic…

I think it is one thing to be diagnosed while it is another to hope for the best. We hoped and trusted that she would be healed. That was something that she was communicating publicly. She had deep trust that she would be healed. Ultimately, that didn’t happen. I am not sure what the controversy per se was but I would say there was a desire to live, and that was something that she communicated till her passing. I think that this whole juju narrative came from the fact that people did try to kill her for so many years and didn’t achieve their goals. There were people who tried to reach her in ways like black magic, so to say. So, I understand why people would say things like that. There is no truth in that being the cause of her death. My mother’s own juju was the Holy Spirit and her holy water coupled with her pure spirit and clean hands, which I think were stronger than anything out there. She knew that she was protected. She died, not naturally, because cancer is not the natural way of dying. She was unwell; she battled with cancer and finally succumbed to it.

In what ways has her name opened doors for you?

The doors that I see opening are those of people’s hearts she touched. I think very few people can say that they have touched so many people on such a large scale as she did. Once there is openness to people’s hearts, there is this openness to be brother and sister to them. It is a really special experience for me and my siblings.

I have met people who I don’t know but regard me as a sister. They regard us, Dora’s children, as their siblings, because they regarded my mother as mother and as someone they loved and genuinely cared for. That door is priceless. It is such a beautiful gift to have a human connection with another, especially someone you don’t know. It is deeper than anything. I trust that this book can allow a deepening of these connections that exist in people’s hearts, so the tress she planted would germinate and bloom.

Was she an early riser?

Yes, she was an early riser. She would wake up, pray with her rosary, and wherever possible, go to mass. She had a routine of taking a walk or doing some stretches followed by getting ready for the day, which would begin with her reading the newspaper over a drink of orange juice. She hardly ate breakfast.

Did she tell you about her love story with your dad, the late Chike Akunyili?

(Laughs) It was my dad who shared their love story with me as part of capturing the story of my mother and writing her memoir. I had a beautiful interview with my father about their love before his unfortunate passing, and I am so grateful for this because you don’t always know your parents’ love story and I might never have. I had my dad tell me for long hours about the story of how they met and all the years they spent together. They had a really beautiful life together. There were struggles, but at the core, they had a beautiful friendship. I am so grateful for the journey of writing the book to capture this story. It is indeed sad that my father had to pass but I am just very trusting that this book can honour his life.

Last year, we witnessed the passing of your father in very gruesome circumstances. How did you feel knowing that all he ever did was serve Nigeria?

Undoubtedly, it is one of the most awful things that anyone would ever have to experience, not least of all, my father. I don’t think that pain would ever go away. I’d like to think that his death might have touched something in our hearts to really understand that we are at the edge and would topple over if we keep going at this sad trajectory. In his death, he gave a gift of deep warning, a warning for the country. This is not a sacrifice that he was willing to give, or a gift that he gave willingly, but ultimately that is what his death has been in the way that I have seen it. I hope and pray that his death is not in vain, and I know that if we take that deep look at ourselves and why this is happening and find the part of us that is ‘Good people, a great nation!’ We must recognise that there are some aspects of our leadership that suggest otherwise. But it is not the full story of who we are. There is something very special about the Nigerian spirit of resilience and capacity as people. This is something I have not seen in many places. We have all these blessings, and it is not by accident that it is Nigeria that has a Wizkid, Chimamanda (Ngozi Adichie), Wole Soyinka, (Chinua) Achebe, Ngozi (Okonjo Iweala), Dora Akunyili and other incredible people coming from this one country. We are better than our current reality allows for us to see and experience.

What kind of a father was he to you?

My father was a typical Igbo father. He was a disciplinarian. He was also very generous with his time and attention. He himself was a very disciplined person. He would never let any ball drop. He was a very caring man; he loved my mother deeply. He was so proud of all of us and he showed it. He was a proud father. He was someone who dedicated himself, just like my mom, to serve his community as a health care provider working as a surgeon for many decades. All my life, I have known him at the hospital. I knew him as one who did his work with a smile and he was very wise too. A lot of people leaned on his wisdom.

What is the inspiration for your new book, I Am Because We Are, which is centred around your mother’s life?

At the core, I believe in the power of stories, they help us to understand each other. I believe that stories can heal and support the inspiration that we need to step into our full potential. It gives us the necessary support, especially to the extent that my mother’s life was dedicated to the betterment of Nigeria. Her story even after death continues to carry the inspiration and the possibility for this work, which she started, to continue. That is why I wanted to tell her story because she dedicated her life to something that she felt she didn’t see through. This was a heavy burden on her shoulders on her deathbed as she continued to bemoan that she had still so much work to do for the people. In telling her story, I am empowering others to find the Dora in themselves, because we need a million Doras for us to truly shift the country in a way that we can bequeath to our children a better Nigeria. Writing this book, for me, was a way of empowering my mother in a way that time didn’t allow. This is a continuation of her work. I really hope that this book is received with the intention with which it was written – that it should serve the country the way that my mother, Dora Akunyili, did.

Why the title “I Am Because We Are”?

The title of the book really guided the essence of what guided my mother. It was the belief that everyone is sacred and everyone matters. It is about the philosophy of Ubuntu, which is something I spoke about in my John’s Hopkins graduation speech. My mother had listened to it then, and I remember her singing and dancing to the title, ‘I Am Because We Are’. So, that stayed with me. At the core, this is a philosophy of our shared humanity. It is a reminder of our interconnectedness. It is something that my mother held very dear. It encapsulates her life.

Looking at Nigeria of today, would you say your mother would be pleased with the state of the nation?

It is a tough question because I love that I am part of a country that honours those that did the work. I am glad for Nigeria on how it honours my mother even in her death and how it honoured my father with his passing. I feel sure that her life’s work can inspire us, the younger generation, to keep going, because giving up will be us accepting that we failed as a people. That is not just the option that is available to us at all. We have no reason to take that route, and I think that her life was an example to show us the way.

Would you say the country is where your mother would have loved it to be?

I just had my father killed, so I think the answer is clearly a no. I don’t think any Nigerian alive would tell you that we have done enough. That is why I am talking about planting seeds. We need to reject the mediocrity of our current situation and our leadership behind it. The failures are just too much. Too much is going wrong to say Nigeria has done enough. Which matrix are we using for that? I trust that we have the capacity to do better. We have to truly know that we are that change. What can you do? What can you support? What can you say no to? What should you say yes to? How can we show up for each other? It is a drop in a pond that makes an ocean. I know that we are a massive country, and each person steps into their potential, unlocking their truest selves, a lot can happen.

You just became a mother to a lovely daughter late last year. What lessons would you love her to learn from your mother’s life?

Oh my! It is such a gift! A friend had told me how being a mother would allow me to better write my mother’s story. Becoming a mother, coupled with my experience with loss and grief has allowed for a depth in connecting with my mother even in death. Motherhood is a beautiful reminder of the connections that exist between us all, including between me and my mother, my father and our ancestors. It is such a beautiful thing to realise that all those that were here before us are with us. I see all that in the eyes of my daughter. I am grateful that she gets to be in a world where we are beginning to rewrite our own stories and challenge the status quo. I would love that my daughter learns to honour who she is. This is something my mother always did. I want her to know that she can make any change no matter how people might say it is not possible. She can do the impossible if she is called to do so. She should trust her passion and be guided by her spirit/her inner guidance and God, and be true to who she is. No matter what, she should not let anybody compromise her. This is something I think she (mother) would have loved for her.

What inspired your mother’s fashion sense?

My mother over time overwent an evolution in her fashion. In the 90s, she used to wear western suits and the like. At a point, we saw that she found her truest self in our native attire, and she popularised it. Her favourite was a long skirt with a three-quarter length tops; always very colourful, never dark colours and complimenting jewellery and perfume. She loved her African wax fabrics and supported many tailors (laughs).

What was her favourite meal?

My mother liked fish pepper soup. She liked roasted snails and softly roasted corn with ube (pear).

How about your dad?

My father liked groundnut and banana mix as a snack. He loved ‘point-and-kill’ and suya, which he always got us as a treat. He also enjoyed his soups.

Did you always know that you would be a writer?

The inspiration to write my mother’s book is the first thing before the ‘being a writer part’. I heard a voice that felt like my mother’s with the inspiration to ‘write my story!’ I felt it and said yes to it. But then the questions and fears arose. Do I know how to write a book? Do I have the time? Will it be good enough? I have always written as a means of expression, but never on such a scale. I always honour when the spirit guides me. This felt like such a moment. As such I leaned into trusting in this. I am so grateful that this is a book that I got to write. I cannot imagine a more beautiful tribute to a woman who gave so much to so many people.

Would you say that your mother was a feminist?

I think her generation did not use that word but she was someone whose record shows her to be a strong proponent of women. She had a conversation in a BBC interview where she was not shy, despite the pushback from the interviewer, to share that she experienced women as less corruptible than men. As such, she always believed in uplifting and entrusting as many women as possible with positions of power. She saw the capacity of women as incredible agents of change. She might not have used that language, but she imbibed it in the way she empowered women and the way she ran NAFDAC, the ministry and all the spaces in between. She was very conscious of women’s visibility. She made sure she nurtured and rewarded the potential that women have. This is her enduring legacy and I am proud and happy that the ‘Women Development Centre’ in Anambra Sstate bears her name.

Dialogue With Igbo’ll Address Agitations, Says Soludo

Charles Soludo

BY GODFREY GEORGE

PUNCH

A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Prof Charles Soludo, has said any dialogue that will quell agitations in the country must have Igbo in the front seat.

He stated this during a consultation of Anambra indigenes in Lagos on Friday.

Stressing that the platforms available at the moment may not be favourable to the Igbo, he suggested that they came together, joining forces to become a formidable force to champion the needs of Igbo people.

Soludo said, “Yes, there are agitations and I respect them. But dialogue is the answer. They must dialogue; Igbo and Nigeria. That will settle it once there’s an organised platform, where the Igbo will be in front seat. Forget about the APC and PDP. For us to negotiate our way to the centre, we must come together and form a formidable force for doing this.


“I call on all Igbo to come together, step out and build our land into a liveable homeland.”

Speaking further, he said that the reason for the unrest in Anambra State and in other parts of the South East was the deep-seated unemployment in the region, adding, “Our answer to these unrests is prosperity and job creation. Once there are jobs everywhere, all of those people will come out of the bushes and do something productive with that lives.”

Soludo said he had over 40 support groups pleading with him to be governor of the state.

He stated that he had to give it a good thought before accepting in February, 2021, because he wanted to make Anambra a liveable homeland for all.

INTERVIEW: It's Challenging Writing About Nigeria From Outside

Chika Unigwe. Image: Rocio Forero B via The New York Times

Author and lecturer, Chika Unigwe, who is a visiting professor of Creative Writing, Emory University, United States, talks about her works, among other issues with GBENGA ADENIJI

Your first novel in Dutch, ‘De Feniks’ before ‘Fata Morgana’ later published in English as ‘On Black Sister’s Street’ didn’t gain much attention. What do you think is responsible for that?
The attention a book gets or lack of it isn’t entirely in the hands of the writer. There are many factors that influence why one book might get more attention than the other, and these factors are often not ones a writer has any power over. Besides, I think that you should be asking reviewers/critics this question: Why do you think ‘The Phoenix’ didn’t get as much attention as ‘On Black Sisters Street’? I’d love for all of my books to get as much attention as possible. I can’t imagine that there’s any writer who doesn’t want maximum publicity for their works. This is perhaps the right time to mention that my newest book, ‘Better Never than Late (Cassava Republic)’, is out.

What has become of Awele Creative Trust which you floated to support young writers in Nigeria?
Awele Creative Trust is growing. We have been running an annual competition for young writers in Nigeria between 16 and 26 for the past five years or so. This year’s winner will be announced at some point during the year and a cash prize awarded to them. I am grateful to be able to still run this, to be able to encourage young writers.

Your grasp of English and Dutch is grand and this largely reflects in your ability to write novels in both languages. How did you learn Dutch?

My working language is English. It is the language I write mostly in. How did I learn Dutch? My first summer in Belgium, I took intensive Dutch classes and then over the years, I continued to take classes to improve until I could no longer do so. It’s necessary to learn the language of whichever country we find ourselves in because it helps us to better participate in the community. I lived in Belgium for several years, and at some point, I won a city council election and became the first African city councillor there.

As far as I know, there hasn’t been another one since then. This was possible because I spoke the language. There is a Dutch proverb that says that if you’re not at the table, you’re forgotten. One of the ways I felt I could carve out space for myself at that hypothetical table was by learning as much of the language as I could.

How do you combine your roles as a mother, wife, author and lecturer?

The same way my husband combines his roles as a husband and father with his roles as a consultant engineer. The same way many people all over the world combine whatever multiple roles they play: making out time for what is important to them, outsourcing what they can so that they do not get overwhelmed. It also seems to me that (professional) women get asked this question (and varieties of it) more than men because the tendency is still there to think that a woman has certain roles in the home that suffer once she does work outside of the home.

It is also implied that those roles are more important to anything else she might (want to) do. Or perhaps that those roles are her ‘natural’ roles and so she never gets asked how she manages it all. Would you ask a stay-at-home mother with no help how she combines her roles of being a mother and wife on the one hand, with those of being a house cleaner, washer woman, cook on the other hand? Or would you ask a man how he combines his roles of being a father, a husband and whatever else he does?.

I read your recent interview with Prof. (Andy) Egwunyenga of Delta State University, and at no point was he asked how he combined his professional role with fatherhood, even though he volunteered that the day he became a father was the happiest day of his life and that his wife has a professional life too. We have to be aware of the biases that curate the questions we ask others. While questions might be motivated by innocent curiosity, questions themselves are not always innocent (i.e free of bias).

The novel, ‘On Black Sister’s Street’, documents lives of African prostitutes in Belgium. What motivated you to explore the theme?

Curiosity motivated me. I wondered why anyone would travel so far – from Nigeria to Belgium– to service the red-light district and I wrote the novel to answer the questions I had. It achieved a lot more than satisfy my curiosity; it taught me empathy and gratitude. I went to the red-light district and interviewed Nigerian sex workers. I wanted to make sure I got my characters right, and the only way I could do so was by doing proper research. Writing it also taught me patience. That book took me a very long time to write. Everything I have ever written, I think, has been motivated by my desire to answer a question.

In 2012, the novel clinched the NNLG Nigeria Prize for Literature and you carted home $100,000. What did you use the whopping cash prize you won as a Nigerian nay African writer in the Diaspora for?
I have been using part of the money to fund Awele. This year is the only year we’ll have a donor sponsor the prize. Besides that, what does one do with money but spend it? Even investing is spending it, right? In any case, I find discussions about money, in this context especially, boring. What the prize did for me was to boost my confidence. To be read by the calibre of judges, including the late Prof. Abiola Irele, who judged the NLNG that year and to be declared winner was an incredible honour. I was aware of Prof. Irele’s works as a scholar and was a huge admirer of his. After meeting him at the NLNG award, we kept in touch. He lived in Boston while I was in Providence and he came to visit me once. We had coffee and an excellent conversation at a café, and I walked him back to the train station. It seemed so surreal to me, that I was chatting away with the Abiola Irele, and the memory of that day is one of my most treasured ever.

What would you identify as the challenges facing Nigerian nay African writers in the Diaspora?

I guess that writers– regardless of where they come from– face similar challenges: how to tell compelling stories, how to find a market for those stories, how to stand out in a world with competing voices, how to write a work that transcends time. And whatever individual challenges they have are individual to them. I can speak about my individual challenges as Chika Unigwe, but I daren’t speak as Chika, mouthpiece of Nigerian writers in the Diaspora. I couldn’t do that, that’d be foolish of me.

One of the challenges that I face is trying to write about Nigeria while not living in it. I do return but only for short periods at a time. How do I engage with a country that I haven’t lived in for a very long time? How do I resist the bait that some Nigerians in Nigeria throw out to those of us in the Diaspora that we are not enough? That our observations, our patriotism, our exploration of Nigeria in our works, our love for Nigeria could never match theirs? Those arguments frustrate me and I have to learn to ignore them. I do not need to prove my Nigerianness to some self-appointed adjudicators of who a ‘true’ Nigerian is, or that the Nigeria in my novel is somehow not the ‘true’ Nigeria.

What do you engage your time in if you are not writing?

I read. I teach. I tweet. I judge competitions. I netflix. I play games. We love board games in my house and try to play when we can.

Would you say African writers have done enough to project the continent’s stories to the outside world?
This is a question that gets asked in various forms to African writers but hardly ever to western writers. Nobody asks American writers if they think they’ve done enough to project American stories to the outside world. We read fiction by American writers, aware that what we’ve read is just a slice of American reality, or not. We judge the fiction on its own terms not for how well it captures the American ‘story.’ Yet, African writers are somewhat expected to write an ‘Africa’ in their fiction that captures everything. How can any one book do that? Sometimes, in other contexts, that question is really asking if African writers have done enough to project a sanitised Africa to the world: an Africa where poverty and corruption and dirt do not exist. Western writers do not walk about with the burden of the anxiety placed on African writers of somehow making sure that the portrayal of Africa in one’s novel is one that ‘portrays Africa the right way’ whatever that is. African writers are writing their African stories. There is so much beautiful writing coming out of the continent, so many different stories. We really should be celebrating this.

Do you have any novel you are working on and what’s it about?
I am always writing. I am working on a novel which re-imagines the myth of Hades and Persephone in a contemporary Nigerian setting. It explores a lot of the themes that have interested/hounded me over the years. I am thrilled with the way it’s going at the moment as I have been working on it since 2013.

Did you experience any culture shock in Belgium before moving to the United States where you currently reside?

Every move comes with its own shock, although it was less of a shock moving from Europe to the US than it had been from Nigeria to Belgium. The US is more culturally diverse than Belgium, I didn’t have to learn a new language and my mother and all of my siblings live in the same city we settled in. This was certainly an easier move for me. It was some sort of a homecoming.

Self-publishing has been become increasingly tough for most writers. Do you think the attendant challenges can be tackled to allow more writers push their works to audiences?
I am not sure what the question is here, but I am not an expert on self-publishing. I do not self-publish and I am also not a publisher and so I am perhaps not the best placed to answer a question of this sort. I am more interested in talking about writing. My writing. Cassava Republic has recently published my latest book: a collection of short stories, Better Never than Late. It’s my first short story collection, and I am really excited it is out in the world. I worked on it for several years, poured a lot of sweat and blood in it, and I hope it makes its way to a wide readership.

The stories are set in Nigeria and Belgium and follow the same group of Nigerian immigrants navigating their way in their new country, missing Nigeria but being unable to return.

What leverage has writing given you and has it in any way curtailed your freedom?

In my experience, writing, especially writing fiction, helps foster empathy. To write any character well, one has to inhabit that character, imagine oneself into that person. The constant pulling in and out of other skins forces one to walk in shoes different from one’s. And you know what they say about walking in someone else’s shoes.

Writing fiction frees you because it makes you think of or be aware of all the alternative possibilities that there are. Imagine being able to create different worlds with each new work, populating those worlds and giving flesh to the words.

How do you get the raw materials for your works?

From life. I think every writer does, it doesn’t matter the genre one is writing in.

You retain your Igbo name to identify your root. How do readers from the West react to your name and works?

Why or how should anyone react to a name that is not theirs? And why should I care? I have always used my name, Chika Unigwe, because it is my name. I doubt that readers pick up a book and worry about the pronunciation of the author’s name. While reviews and interviews can reveal to a writer what is thought of their book (at least by critics), they reveal nothing or hardly ever about what is thought of their name. I am also less interested in how a reader reacts to my name than how they react to my work.

What’s the experience like teaching in the US?

I love teaching. I love introducing my students to global literature. I love reading their works, guiding them to better writing, reminding them that writing isn’t all intuition but has a technical side to it too. American professors are not demigods, and so the barrier that exists (certainly did in my time) between students and professors in Nigeria isn’t there. There is reciprocal respect and professors are approachable. I really love that. It makes for a much more enriching teaching/learning experience.

What experience do you hope to create for your readers with your works?

I hope readers come out of my works feeling that the experience of reading (them) has been worth the time (and maybe money) they’ve invested in the reading. I hope my books tell the human stories I try to tell well, so well that a reader forgets that they’re reading but are completely immersed in the experience, in the world of the book.

Uzodinma Forfeits Security Votes

Hope Uzodinma

BY GIBSON ACHONU

OWERRI (PUNCH)--Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, on Wednesday announced that he had forfeited his security vote to enable him to meet up with the economic challenges in the state, especially the payment of salaries and pension.

The governor spoke when he met with the Imo Economic Development Initiative led by Prof. Maurice Iwu, at the Government House in Owerri.

He said he took the decision because of paucity of funds.

He also revealed that his next plan was to establish power and petrochemical plants, boost electricity supply and review the 2020 budget to address the current problems militating against development in the state.

The governor also announced plans to launch a special security outfit to tackle criminals, revealing that over 100 vehicles had been procured for the purpose.

“A new Sheriff is in town and I must deliver,” he said.

Copyright PUNCH.

Defections: PDP Seeks Fresh Assembly Poll In Imo

Kola Ologbondiyan. Image courtesy of Punch

BY SUCCESS NWOGU

ABUJA (PUNCH)--The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections in those Imo State constituencies where state lawmakers elected on the platform of the PDP defected to the All Progressives Congress.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, made the call at a press conference in Abuja.

He said the lawmakers had decided to abdicate the mandate they held on the PDP platform to defect to the APC for their alleged selfish gains.

He described their action as unpatriotic and an unpardonable betrayal of the people of their respective constituencies who chose and identified with the ideals and visions of the PDP as the platform for their representation at the state assembly.

He said, “The PDP holds that the defectors are fully aware of the grave implication of their actions to the effect that by their defection to the APC, they have automatically lost their seats and membership of the Imo State House of Assembly as they can only hold such position on the mandate of the party on which they were elected, the PDP.

“It is settled under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), that a legislator who defects from a party on the platform of which he was elected a member of a legislative house automatically loses his or her membership of that house as the seat belongs to the political party and not the individual.

“These defectors have vacated their seats; they no longer have a place in the state assembly, as there is no division or merger of any kind in the PDP at any level whatsoever.

“The PDP is therefore left with no other option but to request the INEC to immediately commence the processes for the conduct of fresh elections into the respective state constituencies where the legislators have vacated their seats, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.”

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Imo State House Of Opportunists

Joel Nwokeoma. Image: Facebook

BY JOEL NWOKEOMA

Everybody knew it was going to happen. It was as clear as daylight follows darkness: the defection of the members of the Imo State House of Assembly from the now dismantled ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, to the new ruling party, the All Progressives Congress. It was just a matter of days, political observers predicted. Admittedly, this is not strange in Nigerian politics. The only thing strange would have been if it never happened at all as it has been ingrained in the DNA of Nigerian politicians, shorn of any pretensions to discernible ideology, agenda and principles, to crawl to the political divide where their pastures are evidently greener and their proverbial bread more buttered. In pursuit of the Fayosian stomach infrastructure political tendency.

But nobody ever envisaged what has happened in the Imo Assembly in the last couple of days would be so sudden. Even a Rev. Fr. Ejikeme Mbaka, famed for his prophecy that changed the Imo political landscape, may not have got it spot on that, less than seven days after the change of guard in the state, occasioned by the Supreme Court judgement on January 14, which sacked the PDP’s Emeka Ihedioha as governor of the state and ordered the APC’s Hope Uzodinma to be sworn in immediately in his stead, the PDP lawmakers, until now in the majority with 18 out of the 27 members of the state assembly, would speedily dash to the camp of the opposing APC like a goat on heat. The apex court had declared Uzodinma, who originally came fourth, the winner of the March 9 governorship election in the state.

Days after the judgement that effected the unplanned shift of power locus, nine members of the House of Assembly, including the Minority Leader, Ekene Nnodumele (Orlu, APGA), quickly defected to the APC. Others were four members of the Action Alliance, namely, Arthur Egwim, (Ideato North); Obinna Okwara, (Nkwere); Johnson Duru (Ideato South) and Ngozi Obiefule (Isu); two from the All Progressive Grand Alliance (the minority leader and Paul Emeziem, Onuimo) and three others from the PDP (Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, Nwangele; Chidiebere Ogbunikpa, Okigwe, and Hercles Okoro, Ohaji/Egbema). Then, on Tuesday, the mother of all defections took place when the Speaker, Collins Chiji, led seven other members of his party (PDP) on a mass defection to the APC, thereby automatically handing over an absolute majority to the APC, which on inauguration of the eighth assembly on June 9 had no single member! Aboard the train in this latest self-aggrandising expedition are Uche Ogbuagu (Ikeduru), Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West) Chigozie Nwaneri (Oru East), Kanayo Onyemaechi (Owerri West), Kennedy Ibe (Obowo) Onyemaechi Njoku (Ihitte/Uboma), and Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise). Obinna, incidentally, is the person representing Ihedioha at the parliament and until the judgement the bride of the parliament because of his closeness to the ousted governor, while Ogbuagu, the famous comedian and owner of a radio station, was an Ihedioha ally and accompanied him to his overseas trip shortly before his ouster. That, however, is the nature of politicians, ever unreliable and unpredictable.

The reasons adduced for the defections range from the ludicrous to the preposterous and to the outright absurd. The speaker said it was to “engender executive-legislative working relationship” while Ogbuagu, in a signed statement, said his was “inevitable following the ugly circumstances and unfair treatment meted out to me by the PDP.” Then, Ihedioha’s representative said, “Since we lost the case at the Supreme Court, I have tried several times to call Emeka Ihedioha without succeeding, tried to reach him to no avail. How am I expected to work with a leader who abandons his followers whenever tragedy happens?” As if that was not bad enough, the state PDP chairman, Charles Ezekwem, abandoned the ship midway in troubled waters on Tuesday, saying, “There was a conspiracy to disgrace me out of office two days to the Supreme Court’s judgment. They contacted somebody who will replace me but the plot leaked…I resigned to save my political career.” All self-serving concoctions.

Following the gale of defections, however, the APC now has 18 lawmakers with the PDP having just eight and the AA left with a solitary member. (Uju Onwudiwe (Njaba), who was declared the winner of the supplementary election held last Saturday, on the AA platform, has not been sworn in by the speaker, but if her antecedents are anything to go by, she is in the warm embrace of the APC the moment she is sworn in anytime soon.) Ironically, barely a month ago, the House had a membership comprising the PDP 18, the AA eight, and the APC and APGA one each.

As close watchers of political developments in the country are wont to agree, political prostitution has been the defining feature of the Fourth Republic, though defection in Nigeria’s political history dates back to the First Republic, in that episodic incident at the Western Regional House of Assembly when lawmakers earlier elected on the banner of the National Council of Nigerians and Cameroons, later changed to the National Council of Nigerian Citizens, led by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, “cross-carpeted” to the opposing Action Group led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, denying Azikiwe the simple majority his party needed to form the government of the region. Some political scientists like Okwudiba Nnoli argue that that was the origin of ethnic politics in Nigeria. Nnoli, in particular, has a seminal work aptly titled, Ethnic Politics in Nigeria (1978), discussing this phenomenon. But what unfolded in Imo State this week is unprecedented and perfidious. For the eight years Peter Obi, then of APGA, governed Anambra State, the opposition PDP dominated the 30-member state House of Assembly. Even though APGA has its root in Anambra, the PDP lawmakers stayed put in their party. Little wonder, the state experienced its golden era during that period. Currently, the PDP’s Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto is governing a state whose legislature has the APC enjoying a narrow majority of 15 to 14. That balance is needed to check executive excesses.

There is no report any of the Imo lawmakers held a consultative meeting with their constituents whom they begged with salt and pepper eight months ago for this same job before defection. Apparently, there is no need for the electorate anymore because after elections, voters are expendable entities to political actors. As an electoral system analyst, Jide Ojo, said, “What those MPs did is a flagrant abuse of legal provisions on defection. There must be division in their former party which I am unaware is the situation in Imo.” Opportunism trumped procedures.

Now, if lawmakers represent the sensibilities, aspirations, value propositions, and interests of their constituents, when did those Imo lawmakers consult their constituencies before embarking on their mass defections? If not, why can’t the various constituencies start a recall process to defang this band of opportunists masquerading as democrats? Section 109 (1)(g) of the constitution which provides that, “a member of the House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if …(g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected” supports this position. Otherwise, the court should be approached by aggrieved constituents to adjudicate on this matter.

In a piece entitled, Nigerian politicians as kalo kalo players, (The PUNCH, August 10, 2018), I observed that when the selfish interests of politicians “are no more served or their positions are weakened in one platform, you see them engage in hollow consultations to seek rapprochement even with fellows they had viciously fought with the night before.” That was what happened in Imo.

I noted that “until the electorate realise that the politicians, who tread this landscape, are same of the same, can change camps at the drop of the hat, care less about how many are killed by bandits on the road and at home, without any fightback of note from underequipped and underwhelming security agencies, or die in unresourced hospitals or are holed up in underfunded schools while their children get the best from public funds overseas, they will continue to wail…election after election.”

I reiterate the need for systematic citizen mobilisation and engagement by civil society and vigourous enlightenment by the media to bring an end to this reign of transactional politics that favours only the politicians in order to unleash the potent force of democracy in Nigeria. Let more people with pedigree and what Muiz Banire called Alternative Address take to politics, however dirty it may be, to salvage our democracy. Like Charles de Gaulle said, politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. Sad that under Rochas Okorocha, the joke in Imo was, Akpuola gi? (Have you been moulded?) Now, it is, Idifectikwala? (Have you not defected?)

Contact Nwokeoma at: Jnwokeoma@punchng.com Phone: 07085183894

Obiano Floats Free Medical Scheme For Ex-Biafran Soldiers

Anambra State Governor Willie Obiana. Image: Facebook

BY TONY OKAFOR

AWKA (PUNCH)--Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has announced a free medical scheme for ex-Biafran soldiers in the state.

He said the gesture was part of the activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Civil War.

The war, which lasted from 1967 to 1970, was between pro-secessionists of the defunct Eastern Region led by the late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu and the Federal Government.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Don Adinuba, said the veterans would receive medical treatment through the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme.

He said also included in the free health scheme were former players of the Rangers International Football Club of Enugu who played for the team between 1970 and early 1980s.

He said, “This is in recognition of their pre-eminent role in lifting up the spirit of Igbo people at the end of the civil war.

“The veterans are, therefore, required to register with the state health insurance scheme. A committee to conduct a census of the veterans is to be set up shortly under the leadership of Air Vice Marshall Ben Chiobi (retd.).

“The committee has one month to submit a list of all the veterans in the state regardless of whether they are indigenes of Anambra State or not.”

Adinuba added that since Obiano assumed office in March 2014, a large number of people had approached the governor for financial assistance for the veterans, just as many of them had been soliciting help directly.

“Most of the veterans are now old and frail and a good number of them suffer from various disabilities as a result of gunshots and other war-related experiences. In other words, they cannot fend for themselves and many of them do not have relatives rich enough to take care of them.”

Copyright PUNCH.

Contact: theeditor@punchng.com

CHRIS NGIGE INTERVIEW: I’ve Been Approached To Return As Anambra gov

Chris Ngige

BY TONY OKAFOR

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, tells TONY OKAFOR that the Igbo should produce the president of the country in 2023 based on principle of justice and equity. He also says he has been approached to return to the Government House in Anambra State as the governor

What stage is the 2nd Niger Bridge now?
Work is ongoing on the 2nd Niger Bridge. The contractor gave an undertaking to deliver the project before 2022 which is the appointed date, I believe him because they’re working day and night. Apart from the little hiccups occasioned by demands for compensation, they’re on schedule. The job is about 45 per cent complete and the fund for the construction is available. That is the good news for the people of the South-East. The cost of the bridge from the exit route of Delta and the South-East; South-South is about N336bn, and the money is available unlike the Obasanjo/Jonathan arrangement when they were trying to look for Private Public Partnership.

But now we’re building the bridge as one of the flagship projects of the Federal Government which are- Lagos/Ibadan, East-West Road, 2nd Niger Bridge, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, and Mambilla. Work has started on all these projects because money is guaranteed. The 2nd Niger Bridge which concerns me and the people of the South-South, South-West, and North-Central is on course. It’s a very strategic bridge that links the North, South-East, South-South and the South-West. It’s a very cheery news because, during the time of The People Democratic Party, I opposed it on the floor of the Senate and I had a very serious altercation with the then Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, and the Ministry of Finance and then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius. I blasted them that they’ve not treated us well.

Is the 2nd Niger bridge is going to be toll-free?

It is toll-free for now. When we are going to toll, we’ll toll all the federal roads and bridges altogether. So, it’s not a question of tolling the bridge to recoup our money. No, we’re going to recoup all; because I’m one of those who believe that federal roads in Nigeria should be tolled.

A lot of roads they call federal roads, I don’t believe they are federal roads. The federal roads are the ones we call trunk A roads, that is the roads that lead to state capitals. The state government should face other roads in their domain and build them like we did when I was the governor in Anambra.

Why I’m going into all these details is because the people of the South-East always feel they’re being marginalised. When you ask them, they said they are not being appointed as SGF, Ngige is not made Minister of Works, Housing or Power, Health. But under the PDP administration, South-East people had ministers of power, aviation. They didn’t get all the appointments in the world, even the ones they gave them from that portfolios were abused. We also had the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwealla, representing Abia.

I’m appealing to South easterners, my brothers that criticisms that are not constructive will not lead us to anywhere. Constructive criticisms are welcome by this government, this administration is not averse to such. When you criticize us, give us an alternative, your view, the solution to what you are suggesting and it will be done. It has been done many times by this government. The point I’m making is that the South-East is getting its fair deal, forget about appointments, people like big appointment, for ego sake – my brother is Chief of Defence Staff, what are you defending? For me, our people should play our politics well. This is the time for us to reengineer and join other Nigeria in believing that this country is ours and become more patriotic about it, and giving honour and accolades to who it is due and appreciate government or whoever that have done justice to you. We’ve got our fair share in the areas of infrastructure. I don’t want to delve into the area of flood and erosion control where the president ensured that the South-East gets more than other zones because it is believed and that it’s true that our soil is prone to gully erosion. So, the President recognises that and gives us a priority. You look at our roads they’re being done. The journey of five hours will now take you one and a half hours. Dangerous areas like Umunya and others have been done. These are projects undertaken in four years. But the PDP government that stayed 16 years didn’t do them.

What is going on about the Federal Government’s school feeding programme?

The NSIP is undergoing some rejigging. A new ministry has been created, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management. A lot of people are in that programme and they’re civil servants drawn to pilot the affairs. So let’s give them up to the first quarter of 2020, the programme will be repackaged not to disrupt the ongoing one. But definitely, it’s being repackaged because some areas need to be retouched. The same goes for the N-Power programme under the same NSIP. They’re all being rejigged. I do not doubt that we’ll all benefit more at the end of the day. No system is very perfect. We’ll support the idea when it comes to the FEC.

There are claims in some quarters that you are coming back to Anambra State as governor and from there you will vie for the presidency in 2023. How true is that?

Who’s telling you that story? It’s not correct. I’ve not discussed the presidency with anybody. The president just assumed office for his 2nd term in May 2019. He should be allowed to do some work. I know the government I’m serving, that anyone talking about the presidency should talk about it rightfully. By May this year, it will be one year. So I’ve not discussed the presidency with anybody. I’m facing my work as minister. But I do know that if the South-East is interested in being the president of Nigeria, they should identify with the ruling party, which is APC which Mr President is the leader, the flag bearer and captain.

For him, he’s facing his work. For those who want to politick, it is too early. But if you want to, go ahead, God bless you, but you’re on your own. I keep telling the Igbo that they have to join the train that is moving on smoothly. For them to make an appreciable mark, that they should be ready to be counted; they must start with Anambra, because it’s the next election. Anambra State is the only state that will conduct an election in the South-East before the next general election. Igbo must believe in one Nigeria and one sure way of doing that is by voting massively for the APC in 2021 in the Anambra election knowing full well that the ruling party in the state, APGA, has performed abysmally and therefore no grounds to ask the people to give them another mandate. The people gave them mandate in 2012 for Peter Obi to do a second term and after that, he brought a successor, Willie Obiano. But the people of the state are now looking at those periods and comparing it with 33 months I held sway as governor. These people’s 12 years plus have not even got to the level of development I had in two years and nine months under my leadership as governor of Anambra State.

About coming back as governor, you’re right because people have been approaching me to have a look at contesting. They are saying if you are not interested in coming to rejig the place, give us somebody whom you think you have mentored or you can vouch for or guarantee that you can play this game and administer the state with the template you left. Give us that template that guarantees prompt payment of salaries. They said I was nonpartisan when I was here. I was a neutral religious person because I believe religion is in the mind depending on how you practise yours. I have work I’m doing for now. This is not the right time to talk about politics. I have a serious assignment given to me by Mr President who genuinely loves Nigerians and wants us to live some indelible footprints.

But is the search going on?
Yes, but I will search for a good person. They have said to me, if you don’t consider us as making sense to come and run, please don’t forsake us. Search and give us a credible person who will be industrious and adopt the same template you adopted. I, in turn, I’m telling them that they need to come into APC before making all the demands. You don’t stay outside the pitch to score goals. It’s not possible, it’s important they come in. But saying I want to secede, I’m a separatist, we want IPOB, if you continue with that, other Nigerians will be afraid of you because they will believe if they give you that power, you will use it to secede. Igbo must show to other Nigerians that they are our brothers. Once they do that, they will be surprised that others will say let us go to the South-East and pick a president of Igbo extraction. If not for anything else, I know of some northerners and westerners who say that whenever South-East is given the slot, they will lay permanently the ghost of the Nigeria civil war; it would have been buried for life. All the acrimony, bitterness, suspicion would have been buried once and for all and I believe that.

You mean the Igbo should drop the MASSOB and IPOB agitations?
I didn’t say so; They should lecture them like I was doing when I was the governor. I was lecturing them, giving them food, jobs for those who were not employed and they were happy and selling their currencies which I can’t stop them from doing. Even their flag is a memento, something they use to remember the past. This is my take on that. I’ll be criticized, but I don’t care as far as I’m saying the right thing we have to agree with Nigeria on the other side.

What is your take on zoning?

My take on zoning is very simple. If you go to the Nigeria Constitution, you will not see it. But if you go to the political parties, especially the big ones, you will see it. Sometimes, they call it power rotation along with the major ethnic groups, along the senatorial zones, they are all in the constitutions of some parties. There are even those who don’t have it in their constitutions but have unwritten agreements. When we started in the PDP, we didn’t put it in our constitution. But we have it unwritten between the North and the South. It was an agreement reached the caucus meeting and it reflected in the minutes. That was how President Olusegun Obasanjo and Alex Ekwueme came out. Abubakar Rimi that came out from the north was asked to drop his ambition by the party, and he did. But later the constitution talked about rotation. I was one of those who amended the PDP Constitution. Rotation is even a part of the constitution of the Federal Republic; but more explicitly said that in appointments and other things you must reflect the diverse nature of the country in terms of appointment or election, that’s indirectly insisting on balancing. If you come down to Anambra, we have three senatorial zones.

SOURCE: PUNCH

INTERVIEW: Biafra War Period Was Better Than Security Situation Now – Father Of Man Killed By Bandits

Arrested armed robbers in military uniforms. Image via Hope for Nigeria

Chief Samuel Ewoh Nnaji is the father of the late Nnameka Nnaji, who was shot dead by suspected kidnappers in military uniform at Gwagwalada along Lokoja-Abuja Road. He tells RAPHAEL EDE how the death of his son has devastated the family
How did you hear about the death of your son, Nnameka Nnaji?
My son was killed on December 8, 2019, very close to Gwagwalada, along with many others.

I received the sad news on the morning of Monday, December 9, 2019. My son was returning to Abuja from the burial of a friend he attended in Imo State. He was also in Anambra State. On his way to Abuja, some guys wearing army uniforms opened fire on commuters along Lokoja–Abuja Road near Gwagwalada. Unfortunately, he was one of those killed.

I didn’t hear the news of the incident on radio or read about it in the newspapers. There have been cases of such horrific and gruesome murder of Nigerians by bandits said to be herdsmen at the nation’s capital. The type of government we have now does not investigate when such things happen. Some of our people were kidnapped in the same area before my son experienced it. Our people who were kidnapped were working at Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. They were going for a seminar when they were abducted. They spent many days in the bush before ransom was paid for their release. Had it been they kidnapped my son and demanded ransom instead of killing him, it would have been better. He was a promising businessman.

Has he been buried?

Yes. Our people in Abuja brought his corpse to Amechi here. We buried him on December 18, 2019.

How do you feel about the incident?
I feel so despondent about this country of ours. It is only in this country, under this government, that such a thing will happen and the federal, state and local governments will not ask questions let alone commiserate with the affected family. Apart from journalists, no one is asking questions about how Nigerians are being killed in their prime. Just like this happened, so many others have happened without our government questions. It is not asking why people are being killed on a daily basis on our highways. It is only killings of people we hear about every day in Nigeria; it is regrettable.

The President [Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)] should consider the type of country he will leave behind. We are not safe in our homes and when we are on the road, or going from one state to another, we are also not safe. What caused it? Are we fighting another civil war? If there is no war, why are some people killing others daily and the various governments are not asking questions? They have kept quiet as if nothing is happening and it is painful. I beg the government to re-strategise on how to save the people from these tragic deaths ravaging the country. What is the need of calling Nigeria a country when nobody asks questions when people are killed? It simply means that we don’t have a government.

So, I am calling on the government to find the people who gruesomely murdered my son and others in cold blood for no reason.

How tough has it been for you to deal with this loss?

There is nothing I can do; who am 1? Many other people have been killed and nothing happened. I cannot fight somebody I don’t know. If the government of Nigeria cannot do anything to protect Nigerians, who am I and what can I do?

Since the incident occurred, I have not been sleeping. To have a son of that age taken away from me by fellow human beings is painful. Do you think I am in a good world? I am in bad world but I think it is something that doesn’t have a remedy in Nigeria because killings have become a norm under the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government. I don’t sleep and to tell you the truth, there is nothing I know that I can do than to take it to God in prayer.

Life in Nigeria has no meaning. We are no longer alive in Nigeria.


How is your wife coping?

What can we do? She is crying every day. We are praying, asking God to save us from this demonic and misrule in this country. We had not seen such a thing in Nigeria before; it is only recently that these things are manifesting. I am 74 years old and have lived in this country all my life. I never saw something like this even during the Nigerian Civil War. Our situation then was better than the situation we have now in Nigeria.

What plans are in place to take care of the family he left behind?

I will start work again. I trained my son, thinking that I would rest later in life. I will start from where I stopped. It is not the normal thing but I have no other choice.

What do you want the Muhammadu Buhari regime to do?
The Federal Government should save those of us that are still alive. Such a thing should never happen again; they should protect us. That is why we have government. That is why they are there to look after us. Should we stay in the water and still have soap lather getting into our eyes? The economy is bad, but life is still the most important thing to a human being. It is only when you are alive that you can talk about a bad economy.

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Imo Saved N281m by flushing out ghost pensioners —Ihedioha

Government House, Owerri, Imo State.

BY CHIDIEBUBE OKEOMA

OWERRI (PUNCH)--The governor of Imo, Emeka Ihedioha, has said the state saved N281m by “flushing out ghost pensioners” from its pensions scheme.

The governor, who spoke at Imo stakeholders’ luncheon held at the Government House, Owerri, said his administration achieved the feat by introducing bio-metric verification exercise for all the pensioners in the state.

Ihedioha said, “The state government has concluded a pension verification exercise which has flushed out ghost pensioners, saving us more than N281m.

“Today, our pensioners are being paid and treated with respect.”

The governor said the goal of his administration was to make Imo one of the three states with the best economies in Nigeria by 2025 and the best 10 in Africa by 2030.

He said, “We considered it necessary to give you an update on the progress we have made towards the fulfilment of our promises.

“We laid out a vision to become one of the top three most developed economies in Nigeria by 2025 and rank within Africa’s top 10 economies by 2030.

“We also set out to achieve this by leveraging our abundant human capital and natural resources to build an economy anchored on good governance, wealth creation, value for money and rule of law.

“These have yielded positive results.

“Recently, the National Bureau of Statistics rated Imo the Least Corrupt State in its second corruption survey.

“We are not unmindful of the huge burden laid on us by this outstanding rating and the challenge of sustaining a positive public perception.


“We are, therefore, committed to redoubling our efforts to hold our performance high-grounds.”

“We have reduced the cost of governance by trimming down the number of ministries from 32 to 18 and introduced the Treasury Single Account into our revenue collection and accounting system.

“This has put paid to the over 260 government accounts we met. As a result, we have stemmed revenue leakages and significantly increased our Internally Generated Revenues from what we met of about N250ma month to more than a billion naira this month of December. This is just the beginning.

“We have restored effective Budget presentation and created a separate ministry for budget and planning and the preparation was participatory.”

PUNCH INTERVIEW: I Still Don’t Know What My Stage Name, Ovuleria, Means

Lizzy Evoeme as Ovularia in New Masquerade

BY ALEXANDER OKERE

Mrs Lizzy Evoeme, popularly known as Ovuleria, in the now rested NTA series, New Masquerade, played the role of assertive wife of Zebrudaya Okoligwe in the TV comedy. The 77-year-old veteran speaks with ALEXANDER OKERE about her childhood, career and family experience

You currently live in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Has it always been your base?

No, it hasn’t. I came to Port Harcourt three years ago. When I left Enugu, I went to live with my daughter in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. My daughter, in 2016, passed on, so there was no way I could continue living in Uyo. That was why I relocated to Port Harcourt.

Were you born in Enugu State?

I was born in Calabar, Cross River State, but I am a native of Akabo in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. I married an Ngwa man and I have spent almost all my life with Ngwa people. My father was a seafarer; he was a captain and a trader. My parents had eight of us and I happen to be the first of them all. My father was one tough disciplinarian, who didn’t take any nonsense from his children. The way he used to whip me and my siblings is still fresh in my memory. I still dream about it, sometimes. But it paid off for me.

Was acting your childhood ambition?

I wouldn’t say it was or wasn’t. My childhood ambition, actually, was getting married as early as I could and running away from the home because my dad was very tough. Being the first child, everything came down to me; if somebody didn’t wash the plates or their clothes, they would ‘call my name’ (hold me responsible). I found it hard to take all the time.

In those days, girls married early; some of my peers were getting pregnant without caution but my father used to threaten that he would kill and bury me under his chair, if I disgraced the family. That put fear in me and I looked forward to getting married and moving out so I could escape his whip.

How did you join the New Masquerade team?
I belonged to a drama group in Aba; it was called Ndiche Playhouse and we used to do plays and invite people to watch and make donations because money wasn’t that available then as it was not long after the Nigerian Civil War. There was a show we did that was popular. So, when the New Masquerade came to Aba, they were also doing shows on television.

On one occasion, somebody invited me to attend the rehearsals for a play, Sons and Daughters. I went there and auditioned for a minor role and got the role. When one of the major actors, Gertrude, was leaving, they wanted somebody to take up her role in the play, Zebrudaya, and asked if I could do it. I told them I could and that was how I got the role. James Iroha, aka Gringori Akabogu, produced ‘Sons and Daughters’ and ‘Zebrudaya’.

How was the name ‘Ovuleria’ coined?
I don’t know; it was the producer who coined that name and told me to answer it and I did. He never told me the meaning.

Did your major acting career begin with the New Masquerade?

Yes. I can confidently say that because even when I was with the Ndiche Playhouse, it didn’t last for too long. I started my acting career with the New Masquerade in 1985 or 1986.

Do you think it was a commercial success for you?

If you are asking whether I benefited from it, yes, I did. We were paid, especially when it went to the network platform. It helped me. Being a widow with children, what I got from it went a long way in helping in managing the affairs of my family.

Do you know what led to the discontinuation of the programme?
How would I know? The authorities of the NTA know what led to it (its discontinuation)?

When it ended, what did you do next?

I didn’t take up any other profession. I continued acting; that was the time Nigerian home video started. I did few shows before I travelled to be with my family elsewhere. But I can’t remember the shows now.

Did you have any challenge moving on after the New Masquerade?

I missed the time I spent with the cast but I didn’t dwell on that or sit down and lament and feel miserable because as God would have it, just at that time, my daughter invited me to come abroad. By the time I came back, the boredom and sadness had worn out.

The stage name, Ovuleria, seems to be more popular than your real name. Did it affect you personally?
It affected me but I won’t say it did negatively. Most people who know me don’t know me by any other name except Ovuleria. But to tell you the truth, when people close to me, like family members or intimate friends, called me that name, it sometimes annoyed me. I prefer being identified with my real name. I felt that a fictional name was taking over my real self.

Are you still in contact with the major cast of the New Masquerade?

I miss all of them who have passed on because we were not just colleagues but a family. We had quarrels but we made up. We ate together and travelled together.

Can you tell us the countries you visited as part of the cast?
We visited the United States of America and Sierra Leone, Cameroon; but within Nigeria, we visited almost every part of the country.

What are the other things the TV sitcom did for you?

It gave me fulfilment and achievement because I enjoyed every moment of what I did. When you go out and people you don’t know and wouldn’t have met in your entire life tell you they appreciate what you did on TV, it gives you fulfilment.

At 77, do you have any regrets?

I don’t have any regrets. God has been in control of my whole life, in spite of the tragedies I have faced. I believe God knows why they happened.

Will you like to share some of such sad moments?

I lost my husband at a very early age. I lost him during the Biafran War (Nigerian Civil War). Out of the five children God blessed me with, I now have only two left. Losing my children and husband has been my saddest moment.

How did you meet your husband?

I met my husband in my church choir. He was also a member of the same choir. I married very early.

Was it because of your father?

I told you my father was a bully and I always wished I could marry and get out of the house. So, when I met my husband (and he was a very handsome man), he was a promising civil servant at that time and there weren’t many of them. He was a court clerk and at that time, civil servant were regarded as ‘big men’ (wealthy men). I found him very attractive; when he proposed to me, I accepted and the marriage was fruitful and successful though short-lived. He died as a result of the war.

What would you describe as your happiest moment?
My happiest moment is when I am with my grandchildren.

What would you have become if you were not an actor?

I wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. But when I married my husband, he said I was not going to work, that he would rather work and look after me and the children. So, if I could turn back the hands of time, I would have loved to be a teacher or a nurse.

Comedy in Nigeria has taken different forms since the era of the New Masquerade and similar sitcoms that were popular in the 80s and 90s. How would you rate the types of comedy aired in the country today?

Personally and from an old woman’s point of view, it has greatly improved. But the quality of shows produced now is not what it used to be during my time. There are things, like the language and acting, which go on air these days but weren’t allowed during my time. I don’t agree with some of them, personally. There are some roles given to people which I wouldn’t play for any amount of money.

Morality has gone to blazes. I think female actors should consider their personal and social gains before accepting roles. Everything is not about money. My father used to quote a portion of the Bible which says that a good name is better than gold. However, it depends on the individual because according to Zebrudaya, “one man is meat, another is poison.”

If you are given a role to play, think of what you will be portraying to the public and the impression people will have about you as a person because not everybody will know that what you play is not who or what you are. If you want to make a name for yourself, make a good name.

SOURCE: PUNCH

South-East Commuters Lament Harassment, Extortion By Soldiers

Army Chief Tukur Ysuf Buratai.

BY RAPHAEL EDE

ENUGU (PUNCH) -- Commuters and drivers plying various roads in the South-East have lamented the high level of intimidation and extortion by soldiers at checkpoints.

Some of them, who spoke to PUNCH Metro, said the worst was that anybody making calls close to the checkpoints were having their phones seized, smashed on the road or required to pay between N500 and N1,500 to retrieve the phones.

In some cases, commuters and drivers of such vehicles are detained for hours before they are released after much pleading.

A commuter, who identified himself as Victor Okonkwo, who witnessed the atrocities of the soldiers recently, narrated his experience to our correspondent on Monday.

He said, “On Tuesday, October 22, 2019, I was returning from Owerri in a Sienna car and there were seven passengers in the vehicle. When we got to the Ihe community, one of the passengers received a call and he was on that call till we got to a military checkpoint near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital.

“The man got the shock of his life when a soldier spotted him and seized his phone for answering a call while passing by the checkpoint. He paid N500 to retrieve his phone after we had spent over an hour begging the soldiers. There were more than 10 mobile phones seized from other commuters by the soldiers, while the owners were there begging for leniency.”

Okonkwo stated that he had experienced the cruelty of the soldiers in 2014 at the same checkpoint, even as he said he heard that soldiers at other checkpoints around Enugu State boundaries were committing similar atrocities.

He said, “I was coming back from Owerri in a bus with other passengers. On getting to the military checkpoint near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, a lady’s phone was seized and smashed on the road for answering a call while passing through the checkpoint.

“There was a similar incident, when a passenger’s phone was seized by soldiers for also answering a call; it took the intervention of the driver and some commuters before the phone was returned to the owner.

“This is what commuters experience on a daily basis in the hands of soldiers at the checkpoints.”

Checks by PUNCH Metro revealed that the soldiers had devised other means of collecting money from drivers and commuters at the checkpoints, as they now commission young men from the communities, who act as fronts to collect money on their behalf.

A source, who witnessed an incident a few months ago, narrated how a young man was shot dead by soldiers in the Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.

According to the source, a drama played out on the day of the incident when a military officer spotted the man collecting money at the checkpoint on behalf of the soldiers.


When accosted, the soldiers denied ever knowing the young man.

“One of the officers immediately ordered one of the soldiers to shoot the tax collector for denting their image and he was instantly shot dead. My greatest surprise is that till today, those soldiers have not been held accountable for the gruesome murder of the young man. Many of such cases have gone the same way without anyone being held accountable.”

It is the same story at almost all the military checkpoints in the boundaries of Enugu-Ebonyi, Enugu-Nsukka, Enugu-Obollo-Afor, and the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway. Extortion, intimidation and outright corporal punishment are the hallmark of the checkpoints.

“Are we in a war situation that somebody receiving phone calls cannot pass by military checkpoints in the South-East without harassment and intimidation and our so-called leaders are not talking?” a commuter asked.

When the Nigerian Army Human Rights Desk was contacted, there was no response as the phone rang out.

When the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Enugu, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, was contacted, he said in a text message, “Good afternoon, inform the affected persons to call and give details for further necessary action immediately.”

Copyright PUNCH.

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Punch Interview With Igechi Amadi...

Elechi Amadi. Image via Press Reader

BY SIMON UTEBOR

Igechi Amadi, an entrepreneur and Theatre and Film graduate from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is one of the children of late Elechi Amadi, a celebrated author and academic, whose most popular novel, The Concubine, was one of the best sellers in Africa. She talks about her father’s passion, lifestyle, ideals and contributions to the literary world with SIMON UTEBOR

Could you tell us about yourself?

My name is Igechi Elechi-Amadi. I am 27 years old and a graduate of Theatre and Film Study from the University of Port Harcourt. I am a very easy going person. I am tilting towards my father’s passion, which is writing. I am an aspiring writer and a playwright. Currently, I am an entrepreneur.

Tell us about your siblings and background?

I come from a polygamous home. My father had three wives and I am from the third wife. Collectively, we are 17 children of my father. From my mother, we are just two – my elder sister and I. My elder sister is a very humble person. She is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt. She is strong-willed and a go-getter. She is my best friend and we discuss everything possible.

How was growing up with your father like?

I grew up in a very strict home. My father was a very great disciplinarian given his military background but he was a very loving person, so there was a very fine balance between discipline and love. He set a very high standard for his children. He was a very gentle man. He was a very rare person. Sometimes, when something happened, I would think what would my father do in that situation, because I really loved his ways and he never disappointed me because he would always fix things right. I would like to imbibe those standards.

What were your father’s core values?
He believed in the power of kindness and he also believed in the intangible ways of reward. I mean those things money can’t buy, such goodness like love, kindness, friendship and companionship. He believed so much in traditions. He was a traditionalist. He believed much in our traditional heritage – he liked traditions a lot.

Can you recall any fond memory with him when you were young?

There are many but let me pick the very appropriate ones. My father loved nature a lot. One of my best days was to sit with him. Our compound has so many trees and flowers. I would sit with him quietly, he had this traditional chair and we would just sit in front of the house and just explore the environment and he would engage me in meaningful discussions. We just enjoyed each other’s company.

Then he used to do that with all his wives and children. Every night, we would have a kind of tales by moonlight. We would all hurry to eat our food quickly so that we could go and sit down to listen to the story. He was a very good story teller. So, we would sit down around him and he would tell us beautiful stories. It was something we always looked forward to and it was something that also united the family.

In polygamy, feuds between the wives are common. As a polygamist, how was he able to settle those kinds of feuds?
My father was very wise. I am not saying this because he was my father, neither am I saying it out of sentiments. He was truly a very wise person. Sometimes when there was conflict, there were quarrels and everybody shouting, raising their voices, he had the best way of handling those situations. He would just say something and everybody would just keep quiet and then they would begin to talk and explain why those were happening. He tried also to get everybody’s point of view. He had great empathy, he was able to put those involved in the shoes of each wife to understand where he was coming from and with that he was able to address exactly what the problem was. Most times, it turned out harmoniously and everybody would become happy again.

What were his likes and dislikes?
One of his greatest dislikes in people was dishonesty and lack of integrity. He would not have any dealing with people he perceived to be dishonest and lacked integrity. He also disliked people who were not real, people who were living fake lives. For his likes, he cherished intelligent and brilliant people. He also liked open-minded people. In those days when we had boyfriends, we made sure they had those qualities that our father loved because it was like something we were going to be judged with because at the end of the day, he would sit down and have conversation with him and if those attributes were present, he would have a smoother relationship with him.

How often did he use the cane on you or any other children when they misbehave?
I don’t want to say often, but fairly often he used the cane on any child who misbehaved. I recall one time he was flogging me and I ran, he chased me, caught me and continued flogging me. He was a core disciplinarian. Apart from using the cane, he also tried to reason with us by advising us on the right behaviour. However, it was such that when we misbehaved to our mothers and they said they would report to our father, you would just freeze. Sometimes, when our mothers reported us to him, you would think he would flog us because we were ready for the flogging but he would disappoint us. He would tell us to sit down and begin to reason with us by telling you not to do what you did and the consequences of such misbehaviour next time. For me, that sank well with me than the flogging anyway. It had more effect as he took time to reason with the person. At the end of the day, you find yourself a changed person.

Your father was a famous writer and academic, did any of his children follow in his professional path?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I am a writer myself. I am an aspiring novelist and also a screen writer. I did theatre and film study. It was my love for the art that took me to study theatre and film. I think I am following in his career path. We have others who took other aspects, not necessarily in writing. We have a designer, musician, a pianist and others. My father used to play the piano a lot. It was one of his favourite past times. I have a brother who has taken that part of him. That brother plays the piano and the saxophone.

He wrote many books. Could you tell some of the books he has written and what lessons you have learnt from some or all of them you have read?
He has written many books. Some of them are The Concubine, Remote Ibadan, The Woman of Calabar, The Great Pond, Sunset in Biafra, When God Came, among others. I have read all his books and the things I have learnt from them are his belief in African culture. In his works, he always evoked great memories of African traditional society. It has made me to greatly appreciate our cultural heritage. I love culture. For example, I always insist on my being called my native name, Igechi. I don’t subscribe to English name and all that and I am able to achieve culture in every form. It is one of the influences his books had on me.

Why was he so passionate about the African culture?

Like I said, he loved culture a lot and he used his works to express that in every way possible. He grew up in a traditional society and I think that also had influence on his passion for African cultural heritage.

What did he study in school?

He studied Mathematics and Physics.

Is that not an irony considering his mastery of art and writing?
It is really an irony. But I think his writing prowess was triggered by his passion.

He served in the Nigerian Army and retired as a Captain. But he left the Army so soon. Did he at any time tell you why he left the military?

I can’t say exactly what actually happened but he said a few things. He said he could not stand to be almost like a robot, taking orders and having to carry out the orders willy-nilly. In his book, Sunset in Biafra, there were sometimes they gave him orders and he had contrary opinion and when he tried to reason with his superiors, they would not agree and he had to carry out the orders regardless of what the consequences would be, he said he did not like that. He also said he did not like violence, because as a soldier at some point, one has to be aggressive to protect oneself and the people one is protecting, he did not like that at all. He was a very peaceful man. I think serving in the army went contrary to his personality and he decided to retire.

He was twice arrested and detained by the Biafran Army. Did he tell you what happened?

He said a little of that. It had to do with the war but I don’t have details on that. I recommend more research should be done on that.

But did he tell you he was arrested and detained?

Yes, but he did not really delve into that. So, I do not have reliable information on that. He could have told that story to his wives but for his children, I don’t think he really mentioned that development.

He was reportedly kidnapped in 2009 for about three weeks in his hometown in Ikwerre. Could you recall the incident and what actually led to his kidnap?
Yes, he was kidnapped but not three weeks. He was kidnapped for only 23 hours. It was in our compound and we were all very much aware. In fact, we were all very disturbed. He was kidnapped about 8pm on that day and released about 7pm the next day.

How has the family been coping since his death?
Quite frankly, his exit created a void. We try to live harmoniously because we know what he could have liked. It has not been easy but so far so good.

He was also said to have fought on the side of the Federal Government during the Nigerian Civil War, rejecting the notion of Biafra. Why did he not support the Biafran cause as an Igbo man?

My father was not an Igbo man. He was an Ikwerre man not an Igbo man. I don’t have any reliable information about his reason for not supporting the Biafra.

He coincidentally left Zaria three days before the coup that claimed the life of Tafewa Balewa and some people felt he was in the know of the coup. Did he clarify that allegation in his lifetime?

That is very controversial information, but again, I do not have any reliable information concerning that.

His best known novel, The Concubine, published in 1966 was said to have sold millions of copies. Did he confide in you about the fortunes of the best seller novel?
No, he didn’t. We knew the book was a best seller because most people associate Elechi Amadi with The Concubine. Till today, it is a best seller. We knew the book did well but as for the numbers sold, I don’t know.

What lesson did you learn from that book?

The book is about destiny – what will be will be. The book was about a beautiful and enigmatic woman destined to be a concubine because she was married to a water god. The book taught me the virtue of womanhood because Ihuoma, the main character was a virtuous woman, that was why she was very respected in the community. I take a few lessons from her character and it has helped in my personal my relationship (laughs).

His works were greatly admired by even his fellow writers in Nigeria and he had a large readership throughout Africa, but he did not attain wider international reputation of the likes of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. What do you think it happened that way?

He was a very simple man and he was not very ambitious. He wrote for the love of writing. Other people may also write for the love of writing but then there is a significant business angle to it. They set out to promote their works, go out there to get international recognition and all that. My father was very comfortable; he believed that his works would speak for themselves. He did not go all out to promote his works and make them known more.

He attended the same Government College Umuahia with Chinua Achebe. What was his relationship with Achebe like before their demise?

He was under the tutelage of Chinua Achebe. They were friends, I don’t know how close. They had a huge respect for each other, that is the much I know about them.

Which places did he really work?

He was onetime commissioner for education in Rivers State. He was a teacher, he was a lecturer and he used to give lectures at universities and he was also a writer among others.

What were his political philosophies?

He did not like politics. He abhorred the way politics was practised in Nigeria and did not want to be associated with that kind of life. He wasn’t a politician.

How would you describe your father?

He was a very kind-hearted man, liberal and loved enlightened people. He loved nature, he was selfless. My father was a traditionalist, educationist and a philosopher. Quite frankly, without sentiment, he was a perfect gentleman.

What was his favourite food and drink?

His favourite drink was water, he liked water very much. He liked fufu and our native soup, Okazi with dried fish and dried meat.

What was his favourite kind of music?

He liked classical music.

How did he reward his children whenever they made him proud?

He would commend whoever made him proud. He was not fond of giving any physical material gift. He believed that his commendation was enough to encourage you to do more.

How has his name opened doors for you?

His name has really helped. Quite frankly, I would like to carve a niche for myself. When I was in the University of Port Harcourt, I happened to be in a department where he was well known and people liked me. In the labour market, it has also helped me in my entrepreneurship.

Did he pamper his children when they were growing up?

He did not pamper anybody. He was a disciplinarian. He believed very much in carrot and stick approach. He was never one for pampering. When any of the children misbehaved, he would punish the person appropriately.

Can you consider yourself as a privileged child?

I do very much. Not for material reason but for the things I was able to learn from him. For that I consider myself very privileged.

What remarkable achievements can you attribute to your father towards societal development?

He contributed greatly to African literature and in current tradition. He is one of the pioneers of African literature and has contributed greatly to current tradition.

Were there places he took you and your siblings to for bonding?

There is a popular Port Harcourt Club he usually took us to. He loved playing tennis. We would go there on Sundays and have wonderful treats and fun. In our compound, we have a lot of trees. We just sit around and have discussion and fun, among others.

What are things Nigerians do not know about him?

He liked playing the piano. I think that is probably the only thing people don’t know about him. He knew I liked music and he was always playing classical music with his piano. That is something he enjoyed doing most times.

Between your mother and father, who was tougher?

They were both tough in their different ways. My mother is also a very great disciplinarian because she is a lecturer at Ajuru University of Education. She is currently the Dean of Faculty of Management. So, I cannot really say who was tougher. As for my father, he chose the moment he would like to discipline us, but as for mother, there is no time. As soon as it happens, she metes out punishment to you.