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Tag: Chukwuemeka Ezeife

  • Ezeife: A patriot takes final bow

    Ezeife: A patriot takes final bow

    SIR: Okwadike Igboukwu, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, an economist and elder statesman, born in Igboukwu, Anambra State, on 20th November 1937, bade farewell on 14th December, 2023, at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja at age 85.

    The charismatic, eloquent and fearless advocate of equity and justice in the Nigeria project was a brilliant politician and former governor of Anambra State from January 1992 to November 1993 during Nigeria’s Third Republic. From record, his unwavering commitment to the ideals of democracy and national development is unparalleled. Despite having his constituency in Anambra State, Okwadike took the Nigerian space as his constituency, as everything that affects any part of the country from North, Middle-Belt, Niger-Delta, Southwest to Southeast concerned him. Thus, the great icon was a detribalised Nigerian. His hatred for injustice was one virtue the former governor was reputed for.

    Possibly, many don’t know all the arrowheads in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) who sacrificed their lives to chase the military out of power during the days of General Sani Abacha. The roll call cannot flow without names like Chief Abraham Adesanya, Ayo Adebanjo, Ayo Opadokun, Olu Falae, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Segun Osoba, and later, returnees from exile including Chief Anthony Enahoro, Ralph Obioha, John Odigie-Oyegun amongst others. These brave men resiliently fought the good fight.

    Beyond the NADECO project, Ezeife positively touched many lives in diverse ways too. Apart from the chieftaincy title of ‘Okwadike Igboukwu,’ he also bagged numerous chieftaincy titles in many parts of the country including ‘Garkuwan Fika’ in Yobe State – in Hausa language, ‘Garkuwan’ translates to ‘Shield’ – and also, ‘Akintolugboye of Egbaland’ from the Southwest region.

    Read Also: Chukwuemeka Ezeife: 1930-2023

    As a product of Harvard University in the United States of America and a man who walks the talk, Ezeife, beyond his advocacy for education, in his community at Igboukwu when in health often volunteered to teach, interact with, motivate pupils and watch over the school adjacent his country home in Igboukwu to underline the fact that charity begins from home. During a personal encounter with him some time ago at his Asokoro residence, you could vividly see passion, devotion to unity and hunger for a working nation in him.

    In one of his evaluations of the Nigeria project, he said: “The journey so far seems to be going from light into darkness. Many Nigerians are thinking it is over with Nigeria. Some people are waiting for the total collapse. There is insecurity everywhere. And many people think that nobody shows concern for all the negatives. What is worse today is that conscience is dead in Nigeria…”

    As this great icon begins final journey to mother earth from April 12 at the Eagle Square, Abuja where a service of songs and carnival in his honour was held, and proceeds to his state burial by the Anambra State government on April 19 in Awka and interment at Igboukwu on April 20, and finally climaxed by thanksgiving on April 21, myriad of condolence messages are expected from government quarters, but would his cries on the state of the nation, which he described as “going from light to darkness,” be taken seriously?

    • Carl Umegboro,  Abuja.
  • Chukwuemeka Ezeife: 1930-2023

    Chukwuemeka Ezeife: 1930-2023

    He had the image of an Eastern Magi! His flowing white beard sought to stand him out from the class of 92/93 governors who found themselves as helmsmen in their states during Ibrahim Babaginda’s forward and backward democratic experiment. Chukwuemeka Ezeife has just seen off the mercurial Nnamdi Eriobuna of the National Republican Convention in the 1992 elections becoming the only SDP Governor in the SouthEast Region.

    The self educated and Harvard trained economist was from then set to become a household name in Nigerian politics, a progressive to the core, he was to later part ways with his progressive peers in what looked like a Southern rally or reply to the merger of certain progressives in the South with their peers in the North which then lead to the formation of the All Progressives Congress, APC. This did not however diminish Ezeife as a core progressive.

    Born on the 20th of November, 1939, Ezeife was to have his primary education in his hometown of Igbo Ukwu before serving as a medical and then spare parts dealer. An lucky encounter with a Northerner was to expose him to the option of taking correspondence courses from which he was to acquire a his O levels and was to gain admission into the prestigious University College Ibadan where he studied and graduated with a degree in economics.

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    A stint in the  brewing industry gave him an understanding of the corporate world but young Ezeife was eager to take on the world and chance saw him as an employee of the Ministry for Economic Development seconded him to countries like Japan and then the Inited States, Cambridge Massachusetts to be precise and then to Harvard University where he bagged an M.Sc and a PhD in economics, Ezeife who was a few years ago had nearly given up on acquiring an education was now a colossus in a field that boasted of a few Africans as at that time.

    Returning to Nigeria, immediately after the civil war, Ezeife was again absorbed into the Ministry of Economic Development where he sparred with fellow economists such as Professor Sam Aluko, Chu Okongwu , Olu Falae, Pius Okigbo and Ayo Oyelu on a range of economic problems troubling the nation then.

    By 1984, he had risen to become a permanent secretary in that ministry before resigning and going into politics where he miraculously nicked the SDP ticket against the odds stacked against him and then went on to defeat the NRC.

    His tenure as governor is often referred to as dreamy! An intellectual like Ezeife attempted to fix the state’s problems from his economic textbooks, as a social democrat he was readily at home with the Keynesian economic model: such as state regulation of market forces and full employment, however other social democratic objectives of Ezeife  such as expansion of the welfare state and public ownership as governor were not Keynesian in nature.

    He remarkably recorded a number of achievements in his less than 15 months in a state that had just been newly created and was basically lacking in a number of amenities . He attempted to tackle Anambra’s infrastructural dearth, health care challenges and industrial growth using such models while he also championed the “Think Home” initiative, a forerunner to the massive investments the state boasts of today.

    Another major feature of the Ezeife administration was his ability to get the Federal Government under the then leadership of General Ibrahim Babaginda to assume ownership of ASUTECH and Anambra State Polytechnic which were then rechristened Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Federal Polytechnic Oko respectively.

    When June 12 was annulled, the likes of Ezeife teamed up with progressives all over the country to demand the restoration of the mandate to Chief MKO Abiola, while a number of SDP leaders sold out on the struggle, Ezeife stood alongside other patriots who looked Abacha in the face and told him to do his worst!

    Ezeife was to later team up with these same progressives to form the Alliance for Democracy, AD in the 4th Republic, becoming a presidential candidate on its platform, he however narrowly lost to his bosom friend  Olu Falae but blamed the loss on the actions of the likes of Chief Polycarp Nwite.

    By 2003,  he again vied to be the presidential candidate of the United Nigeria People’s Party , UNPP but lost the ticket to the first civilian governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo.

    Even with his retirement from partisan politics, Ezeife continued to be an active advocate for democracy and good governance, calling for transparency, accountability, and the rule of law in government.

    He also remained an avid advocate for the  the rights and welfare of the Nigerian people, particularly those he deemed as oppressed by the Nigerian state. Little wonder his support for former President Goodluck Jonathan and his opposition to the Buhari administration.

    Renowned for his eloquence, erudition and sharp wit, Ezeife was both a journalist’s and a scholars delight. I had the privilege of listening to him speak to a number of young men about the political history of Nigeria and man was I impressed !

    Popularly known as Okwadike, Ezeife will be remembered for his unflinching dedication to the development of Nigeria and his advocacy for democracy and good governance. Through his leadership, vision, and commitment to serving the people of Anambra State and Nigeria as a whole, Ezeife  did leave an indelible mark on the country’s history. His life and times a testament to the power of leadership, integrity, and a deep sense of duty to the welfare of all Nigerians.

    Nigeria Will Succeed!

  • BREAKING: Former Anambra gov Ezeife dies at 84

    BREAKING: Former Anambra gov Ezeife dies at 84

    Former governor of Anambra state Chukwuemeka Ezeife is dead. 

    He was aged 84.

    Ezeife’s death came some weeks after the demise of another former governor of the state, Chinweoke Mbadinuju’s burial in his Uli, Ihiala local government area of the state.

    The renowned economist, was said to have died in Abuja on Thursday, December 14, after battling an undisclosed illness.

    The announcement was contained in a statement released by the family, through his younger brother, Chief Rob Ezeife.

    The statement: “On behalf of the Ezeife Dynasty of Igbo-Ukwu, I wish to announce the promotion to glory of our most distinguished son, Okwadike, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, CON, a former Federal Permanent Secretary, the first Executive Governor of Anambra State, a former Political Adviser to the President and former Presidential Aspirant.”

    “This sad event took place yesterday at 6pm at the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja. More details about the deceased and the arrangements for his State Burial will be announced later.”

    Read Also: Anambra lawmakers repeal law establishing state’s newspaper

    The former governor was born at Igbo-Ukwu, Anambra State on 20 November 1939.

     He did not attend secondary school but taught himself through correspondence courses, qualifying for university admission. 

    He gained a BSc in Economics from the University College Ibadan, then attended Harvard University on a Rockefeller Foundation scholarship where he obtain a masters and then PhD degree in 1972.

     He became a School Headmaster, a lecturer at Makarare University College, Kampala, Uganda, a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, and a Consultant with Arthur D. Little in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

     Ezeife joined the civil service as an Administrative Officer and rose to the position of Permanent Secretary.

    In 1992, he contested for the governorship of Anambra state on the platform of Social Democratic Party SDP and won

    His tenure under the Military regime of late Military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida lasted between 2 January 1992 to 17 November 1993.

    It was when General Sani Abacha took power after a military coup.

    He was famous as governor for planning than in addressing immediate developmental needs, and achieved few tangible results while saving money in the state.

    He transferred Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Federal Polytechnic, Oko to the federal government, which helped ensure that they survived in the ensuing military regime.

    During the Nigerian Fourth Republic Ezeife, who describes himself as a social democrat, was appointed presidential Adviser on Political Matters to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Ezeife was appointed a member of the board of the Center for Development & Empowerment of Commercial Motorcyclists.In February 2006 the Federal Capital development Authority bulldozed his house in Abuja on the grounds that the plot of land and those of adjacent houses had been acquired improperly.

    In January 2010 he was among thousands who demonstrated in Awka calling for credible and violence-free governorship elections on February In April 2010.