By James Eze
Today in Ado-Ekiti, the governor of Anambra
State, Chief Willie Obiano and his beautiful wife, Dr Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano
shall be honoured with chieftancy titles by the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus
Adeyemo Adejugbe in his palace.
Governor Obiano will be conferred the title of
Aare Amuogun of Ado-Ekiti while his wife will go home with the title, Erelu
Amuogun of Ado-Ekiti. Coming at a time when extremist politics and tribal
bigotry have deepened the division between Nigeria’s major ethnic groups, this
event presents a glimpse of hope for the unity of the country.
If we must admit the truth, the last general
elections did an excellent job of stoking the flame of the age old suspicions
between Ndigbo and their Yoruba cousins. We heard open threats of possible
physical confrontations between the two groups in Lagos that once again plunged
the country into moments of anxiety. The spams induced by that gale of
bitterness have not quite left us. But happily, there are still some Nigerian
leaders who are committed to forging and maintaining friendly ties across
turbulent waters.
At the formal opening of the historic Centre for
Memories in Enugu two years ago, the Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe
Nnaemeka Achebe had spoken eloquently about the filial ties that bind Ndigbo to
the Yoruba. Igwe Achebe’s account was steeped in ancient history and
well-founded archaeological claims. Not surprisingly, his account has been
corroborated by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi who has repeatedly
stated that Ndigbo and the Yoruba share the same ancestry. While some cynical
people on either side have sniggered at these claims, they have yet to provide
sufficient proof of the things that separate the Igbo from the Yoruba.
Happily, some forward-looking leaders have
continued to interact and build enduring friendships across the Niger. For
instance, Governor Obiano has always enjoyed a strong friendship with dignities
across the country. Long before he became the governor of Anambra State,
Obiano’s friends cut across ethnic and religious lines around the country. His
close friends consist of both serving and retired top military leaders,
respected traditional rulers, well-known corporate titans, astute professionals
and glittering celebrities in Nollywood and the Nigerian music scene. He has
never been held captive by tribal prejudices or narrow parochial attachments.
Obiano’s strongest attachment is to excellence and merit. This is part of the
reason why many years before he became the governor of Anambra State, Governor
Obiano had been honoured with the title of the Otunba Atayase of Ilemeso-Ekiti
by Oba David Adegboyega Oyewunmi (Fasemi II) of Ilemeso-Ekiti.
For those who may not know, Ndigbo have always
enjoyed unusual friendship with the people of Ekiti State. Anyone who is
familiar with contemporary Nigerian history will remember the extraordinary
story of Col Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, the first Military Governor of the former
Western Region. This Ado-Ekiti born soldier offered to die along his guest in
the reprisal coup that claimed the life of Major General J.T.U Aguiyi Ironsi,
Nigeria’s first military head of state who was on a state visit in Ibadan on
July 28, 1966 when the revenge coup plotters struck. There are different
versions of the story of how Fajuyi had rejected all entreaties to stay away
from the line of fire but he refused because he couldn’t stand hands akimbo
while his boss was in grave danger. It is the stuff of legend and a repudiation
of the claim that Ndigbo and the Yoruba cannot fashion a common front when
pressed against the wall.
Against this backdrop therefore, Obiano will be
walking in the shadow of history when he stoops to accept the title of Aare
Amuogun in Ado-Ekiti today. As the governor of a prominent Igbo state, he also
enjoys a strong friendship with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogwunwusi.
In fact, the Ooni made sure that nothing stood in the way of his attending
Obiano’s second term inauguration in Awka in March, 2018.
All things considered, Governor Obiano is
clearly the only political leader in the South East who has shown open
commitment to building enduring bridges across the Niger. In a public life that
is already fully laden with honour and recognitions, Governor Obiano has set
himself apart from his peers. He holds an enviable record of being one of the
few governors who won all the important awards and recognitions in Nigeria in
less than three years in office. Obiano is a winner of the prestigious Zik
Prize for Good Governance (2015, the Silverbird Man of the Year (2016) the Sun
Governor of the Year, the Vanguard Newspapers Governor of the Year (2016), the
New Telegraph’s Outstanding Performance Award (2016), the Leadership Newspapers
Man of the Year (2016) as well as the Best Primary Education Friendly Governor
of the Year (2016) from the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of
Nigeria (AOPSHON). Governor Obiano was also given a Certificate of Recognition
by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development of the Erasmus University in
Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Catholic Church has honoured him with the title
of the Duke of the Catholic Laity in Nigeria.
And in a rather interesting twist of irony, just
before Obiano was sworn as governor of Anambra Sate for his first term in
office, President Barrack Obama had honoured him with the President’s Volunteer
Service Award in December 2013. In the letter informing him of the honour,
President Obama had said “thank you for helping to address the most pressing
needs in your community.” Interestingly, immediately after his swearing,
Governor Obiano had quickly addressed SECURITY, which was the most
pressing need of Anambra State when he assumed office.
These are the things that have put Governor
Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano up for the honour in Ado-Ekiti today.
Afu
dimkpa, afu ogonogo imi ya!
- Eze is media aide of Gov Obiano