Alex Ekwueme: Driven by compassion
DR Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme is a statesman by the standard of the Greek philosophers. (Of course, the Greek standard and tradition have remained for a long time a model for the rest of the world).
And he is no less, back home – Nigeria. Infact, by the reckoning of many Nigerians, precisely the discerning ones, Ekwueme is a “mega-personality.”
But how does he fit into the world of statesmen?
His stars shot him into national reckoning in 1979, with his emergence as the vice president in the Second Republic of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He was until 1979 largely a political observer, shunning mainstream politics in the land. But he had already made fortune and name by dint of hardwork via his profession.
He is a trained architect. Aside from being a professional architect, he has degrees in Law, Philosophy, History and a multi – Ph. D’s in other disciplines. Before his involments in active politics, he was the principal partner of Ekwueme and Associates, an Architectural firm based in Lagos.
By the judgement of critical Nigerians, Ekwueme, for a long time is to Nigerian Architecture what Akintola Williams represents to Nigerian, Accountancy or Rotimi Williams to Nigerian law.
Having proceeded to the University of Washington where he trained in Architecture and Town Planning on a Fullbright Scholarship he returned to Nigeria in 1957 to start his first job as the construction and maintenance coordinator of Standard Oil, then operated in Nigeria as Esso West Africa. By the nature of his job, he travelled all over Nigeria mostly by road, developing storage depots, housing and retail outlets for the company.
Coincidentally, the job exposed him to people other than his own. Indeed, he has found memories of his several stop over at Fiditi, Ibadan and Ilorin, Kwara State where he used to visit the poet Chris Okigbo. When he quit paid employment, he started his own firm of architecture. The University of Ibadan was among the first job he handled. As it was noted, there were trademarks of competence in the handling of the projects in the University.
By the time the Nigerian civil war broke out between 1966 and 67, he was on the side of Biafra, with a compelling quest for a place in the Engineering Corp. But he ended up serving as Head of Planning of the Biafran National Airports Board.
To his credit, at the end of the war, there were two functioning airports. One, at Ulli, the other, at Uga. A number of others were at different stages of construction. Ntigha, Ngwa in Abia, had one almost completed as at the time the war ended. Another was at Mbaise, in Imo State and two others were sited at Arochukwu and Umuleri in Abia and Anambra respectively. He survived the war. And he returned to private practice.
By 1979, he had recorded a measure of success financially and had become well known professionally. However, he was not known enough as to represent the Igbo in the socio-political affairs of Nigeria. If anything at all, not when Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Dr. J.O. J. Okezie and Dr K. O. Mbadiwe and other super political figures were still relevant in the political life of the people across the Niger. But by a combination of wit and good luck he joined the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) which at the time was the largest political machinery while the other political heavy weight, were in the other parties.
Zik for instance, was a serious presidential contender under the platform of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). Not surprisingly, Zik’s influence on a lot of Igbo towards NPP’s sentiments was tremendous.
For Ekwueme, the decision to join the NPN worked for good. He was later to become a man to watch. But he was almost ignored due to his lack of political experience. The chance of a running mate to Alhaji Shehu Shagari was created for Ekwueme again, by the interplay of luck and calculation. At the time, two heavy weight Igbo politicians, Mbadiwe and Okezie were neck deep in becoming vice presidents through a Shagari ticket. Both lost out in the deft schemings, and Ekwueme came into scene.
Analysts say that although his coming was late, it was to decide the flow of things. It was almost unbelievable that a near-obscure candidate would emerge as the Vice President. He was even away from home when he was picked.
Infact he had gone to America for a business trip. Those were forces of providence at play. Upon his acceptance to contest the presidency alongside Shagari, he dispensed of all his business interests, personal holdings and involments to his associates at Ekwueme and Associates, in strict compliance to the law barring public office holders from private practice.
So far, he is among a few who obeyed that aspect of the laws of the land. But it is an irony for a man so principled to be associated with a government so generally referred today as a symbol of corruption. Speaking figuratively, that government is the watershed in the political history of Nigeria. It ushered crass profligacy and irresponsibility. And shamelessly it redefined corruption and bad government for the people. Bad enough, governments after it lacked the moral strength to show Nigerians the flip side.
Unfortunately, Ekwueme has to carry this shame for participating in that government. Some say it is a hunchback’s burden. But judged individually, Ekwueme was untainted by the scandal of corruption, for he has not been ascribed to any specific misdeed in office while he was the second in command nor has his reputation for that matter, been rubbished on account of business carried out outside office.
But when the coup of December 1983 occurred, he was detained like other principal officers in the government of the Second Republic. He was released when no known stain of official indiscretion nor dereliction of duty was brought against him.
Still, it is safe to conclude that he conducted a sidon look kind of attitude throughout the life of that government. Or how else could it be understood of a fine gentlemen so intellectually endowed, coupled with astuteness acquired over the years but could not impact same on a government of which he was a key figure?
It is said that orientation forbids open confrontation which was why he worked quietly influenced decisions as little as he could with a mindset on the presidency, and at which time he would prove to the whole world the stuff he is made of.
In the opinion of one of his admirers, Ekwueme had gone through political apprenticeship and had come out an accomplished student. As a potential president, he has learnt the ropes, the complexities, the intricacies of Nigerian politics and has acquired the essential characters and dignity of “Mr President.”
Olufemi Ajayi, another admirer of Ekwueme observed recently “there is something curious, bordering on the mystical, about Dr Ekwueme. He is never hysterical. When everyone is losing his head, he remains calm. At the end of the day, he still triumphs.”
To a large extent, he presents a picture of an enigma. Many must have been misled by his calm appearance when he took nearly all and sundry by the storm on the floor of the 1995 constitutional conference. Not a few were stunned by his courage to voice out his views especially when it was considered unsafe to be critical of issues under a dictatorial regime. For many politicians were eternally cowed. But Ekwueme remained steadfast.
Because of his courage some eminent Nigerians quickly endorsed him as a national leader. He chaired the All Politicians Summit in 1995. In the same token he was the chairman of Group 18 or G-18 which was to englarge later to G-34, a coalition of seasonal and radical politicians. The G-34 later metamorphosed into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Before all that he has been informed in a pan-Nigerian pressure group.
Infact, talk has it that he nurtured the Institute of Civil Society. As an accomplished Architect and a former vice president, what else does he want. He is probably pushed by altruistic factor and a selfless drive. But for a man like Ekwueme who is far separated from the people he intends to rule, to what extent does he know their problems? He might have considered himself not isolated from the ordinary people. So, despite his huge financial resources, he still lives a modest life style. He frequently flies the economy class and personally carries his luggage.
He attracted the location of the Federal Polytechnic in his home town, Oko in Anambra State. He built an hospital for his community, provided pipeborne water, electricity and set up a scholarship scheme from which nearly 2,000 indigent students have financed their higher education both in Nigeria and Overseas. That is the mark of a man who is humble and who is endowed by the compassion for this high office.
