By John Igbinovia
Dear Ose,
I READ, with consternation, your pathetic attempt to defend your dad, “Mr. Fix-It” (sorry, Chief Tony Anenih), in your rather insolent rejoinder to Mr. Bayo Onanuga’s passing reference to the original author of “No Vacancy in Aso Rock”.
A truly sensible boy would have avoided getting involved in such sensitive issue, lest ancient family skeletons were excavated from shallow grave.
Not surprising, a firestorm of ripostes has since greeted your juvenile musings in the media space.
However, I observed a few points were missing in those epistles. Hence, this addendum of sorts.
Ose, it is obvious your dad told you lots of “tales by the moonlight”, to gaslight your impressionable mind. Far from principled, your dad’s politics was characterised by treachery and mercantilism.
Your dad not only betrayed the late Moshood Kashimawo Olanbiwoninu (MKO) Abiola and Nigerian nation as SDP chairman in 1993, but also Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who had made him SDP chair at the Jos convention in March 1993.
At the 1994 national confab sponsored by the military to “bury June 12”, General Shehu Yar’Adua (Rtd) had moved the motion for Abacha to end military rule latest by January 1996, with your dad as one of the foot-soldiers at the confab.
Of course, that resolution by the confab headed by Justice Adophus Karibi-Whyte riled dictator Abacha. Hence, the intrigues that necessitated the confab to adjourn indefinitely, almost immediately.
Not long afterward, Yar’Adua was detained over the 1995 “phantom coup”. And no sooner had the confab recovened thereafter than your dad switched loyalty to Abacha after accepting a dirty brief to move a motion to counter the motion earlier moved by Yar’Adua. Just like Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago!
That was the sort of politician your dad was, Ose.
As almighty Minister of Works under Obasanjo between 1999 and 2003, your dad was a total failure, who spent his time and public resources rather acquitting himself as PDP’s “Mr. Fix It” (euphemism for chief election rigger).
So much that some fellow PDP members were enraged by your dad’s style. One of them was, in fact, bold enough to openly challenge your dad to account for over N300 billion (equivalent of $3bn then) appropriated for Works ministry in the federal budget.
That individual was no other than the then Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.
Ose, you can goggle this. In case you doubt me.
By the way, I also noticed your listing (Tom) Ikimi among the June 12 witnesses. On this, I am sure your dad must have turned in his grave. For your information, “Mr. Fix It” and Ikimi were implacable political foes, till the very end.
Under Abacha, Ikimi, as Foreign Minister and exponent of “Kabukabu diplomacy”, used his proximity to Abacha to oppress and suppress your dad. Such that the Iyasele of Esanland had to depend on returns from his 2-star, “short time” hotel in Uromi to survive. In fact, he was reduced to a mere cheer leader under Don Etiebet’s party, CPC, between 1997 and 1998.
And when he returned to “business” under Obasanjo post-1999 as “Mr. Fix It”, your dad characteristically exacted a pound of flesh by ensuring the garrulous apostle of “Kabukabu diplomacy” was in Siberia in Edo politics and national PDP.
So, Ose, how dare you now mention Ikimi’s name and your dad’s in the same breadth?!
Lastly, I noticed your rollcall of “witnesses” are mostly PDP members. Hmm.
But aren’t you ashamed these same PDP folks whom your dad “empowered” in Edo in his time were not even charitable enough to gift you PDP ticket when you contested the PDP primaries in Edo in 2022?
Hmmm. Pikin wey no get sense!!!
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.
