By Ike Abonyi

“When a bad thing happens, a pessimist thinks, ‘Just my luck’, an optimist thinks, ‘This will pass’, and a teacher thinks, ‘What’s the lesson here?’.” – Garry Fitchett

 ‘In Life is a Bicycle’ – A Living Philosophy, the author, quoted above, provides us with the template and matrix for this conversation concerning the travails of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy President of the Senate. 

When pessimists say the embattled Senator was just unlucky, they argue every other parent, including Ekweremadu’s critics, could have gone this far to help save a beloved daughter. On the hand, optimists dismiss his ordeal as one of the challenges of life and see Ekweremadu bouncing back. 

Like the teacher in Fitchett’s quote above, we will be drawing some lessons while looking ahead.

Since Friday, May 5, 2023, when the United Kingdom court sentenced the serving Senator, his wife Beatrice, and Dr Obinna Obetta to various prison terms, Nigerians have been reacting. Most of the reactions have hinged on their views of the Ike Ekweremadu persona and his politics. There’s more to it than meets the eye. 

Incidentally, much of the empathy Ekweremadu would have enjoyed is mired in his vocal, open disapproval of the latest phenomenon in our political firmament, Peter Obi, shortly before his arrest and start of this life as His Majesty’s guest. 

The Obidient family who wouldn’t stomach Ekweremadu’s pull-him-down politics are nonchalant about the Senator’s ordeal. Obidients who believe Peter Obi is a godsend think that Ekweremadu ran into the storm because God would remove every hurdle to clear the way for their principal. It is the same God they are looking up to stop Bola Tinubu, the man they believe stole the electoral mandate of February 25. Some quarters strongly believe that even if Ekweremadu were in town, he would not have been able to halt the Obi political tsunami, particularly in the South East.

Political Musings this week is looking at the development and the inherent lessons that abound in it. There are lessons to learn from the Ekweremadu ordeal. It is an unfortunate incident for Nigeria, the judiciary as a supposedly critical protector of the poor; politicians, political leaders, and the rich in society for their not-so-good attitude towards the less-privileged.

For the scriptural import of this discourse, the Lord’s admonition in the Holy Book will be our guide.

In Luke chapter 12, we read that as Jesus Christ headed towards Jerusalem after performing some miracles, including feeding 5,000, a large number of people followed him trampling upon themselves but rather than get excited Jesus turned to his disciples and delivered this striking message which is apt also to us today as we read this piece.

“Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees — I mean their hypocrisy. Whatever is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight, and whatever you have whispered in private in a closed room will be shouted from the housetops.

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot afterwards do anything worse. I will show you whom to fear: fear God, who, after killing, has the authority to throw you into hell. Believe me, he is the one you must fear!”

Then, he went further in chapter 13 to say to those who told him about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God. Jesus answered them: “Because those Galileans were killed in that way, do you think it proves that they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.

What about those eighteen people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them? Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.”

So how do we avoid experiencing the Ekweremadu kind of journey from grass to grace and now to the grass, awaiting God’s ever-enduring mercies?

Many rich Nigerians should be in jail if they live the kind of life they live here in the UK or any other civilised world. Senator Ekweremadu’s case may be a novelty in the UK, the first to breach the Modern Slavery Law in that country, but down here, the rich exploitation of the poor is given that it must happen. It’s an everyday occurrence.

What is happening in our society regarding man’s inhumanity to fellow man is unimaginable but the Holy Book teaches us that it’s a matter of time and with God, nothing is to be hidden for long.

Senator Ekweremadu may be the black sheep now as Jesus said of the Galileans, but he is not the worst sinner among his class. Ekweremadu may have done more things in secret thinking nobody is seeing, but the scripture above tells us that it’s just a matter of time. As the saying goes, every day for the thief and just one day for the owner. The story twists from there.

Jesus also tells us who to fear in the conduct of our affairs: one who has the power to send us to hell. He advises that we excuse hypocrisy in our lives. Let’s not fear the anti-graft agencies and find a way of blocking them from seeing us. We should instead fear him who sees all we do in hidden places and waits for us to change our ways through repentance. Why is the Nigerian rich afraid of the UK today, because up there they fear God and insist that things are done correctly and they cannot be bribed.

If Senator Ekweremadu and his family had been God-fearing, they would not have been boxed into the present mess. The tutorial for us as a nation is to appreciate that every human being, big or small, rich or poor, Christian or Muslim, or even idol worshipper has equal rights to live and to be protected by the system. The huge tutorial for our judiciary also is that in real terms, their duty is to protect and be the last hope of the less privileged in our midst. Not to do that amounts to a vehicle driver refusing to engage the gear for acceleration and yet expecting faster movement.

If Ekweremadu had committed this offence in Nigeria as a distinguished Senator, the court would have protected him and thrown away the poor boy. The court would have been more interested in the illicit money it would make from the rich at the expense of the poor. The other tutorial this Ekweremadu issue brought to the fore is to remind our big men, particularly politicians wielding enormous powers about the sanctity of life.

The judge who jailed the Ekweremadus, by his various remarks, took particular interest in his status. His wealth was on display in Western capitals, yet he cared less about the future of the poor boy. The judge notes the selfishness of the rich in the society, how in 51 letters he received appealing for clemency none had any thought or consideration for the poor boy whose kidney was to be harvested without his knowledge or consent. The pleadings were concerned about class interests and his daughter. Not even the federal government of Nigeria or agencies for child abuse had a word for the poor boy.

Seventy-five per cent of leaders in Nigeria have their second homes overseas, their medics and those of their children are outside our shores.

Imagine if the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Ekweremadu’s home State of Enugu has good facilities, he would not need to go abroad. If the educational system here is fixed, he would not need to buy a home in the UK to house children for education.

As Ekweremadu begins a new life, those leaders in Nigeria outside prison should also be reflecting along with him about their attitude to materialism and service to people.

The scripture story above has provided us with an antitoxin to our greedy life and who to fear. When we fear God, our greed for more will reduce, and we will appreciate the rare privilege from God to us to lead our people and value life and do everything to restore its sanctity. If henceforth we change our attitude as leaders and fear whom to fear, Ekweremadu’s misfortune would not have been in vain. God help us. 

*Abonyi, a journalist and public affairs commentator, plies his trade in Abuja.