Skip to main content

Ekwueme's Funeral jamboree: A ploy to deceive Ndigbo?


Chukwudi Anagbogu writes...

The much awaited and anticipated burial of the late Nigeria's former Vice-president Dr.Alex Ekwueme has finally come and gone,and everything has returned to status quo. It was an event that served as a major distraction to the quagmire our nation has been plunged into by this government, no wonder the dexterity with which the Federal Government handled the entire ceremony.

The news that The Federal Government had expended as much as one billion naira on the funeral of Ekwueme days before the internment,broken to us by our own Dr.Chris Ngige (who had usurped the duties of Alhaji Lai Mohammed), was obviously intended to massage the ego of ndigbo and make them believe the government meant well for them. Eventually, it ended up being a fall into a ditch as people snorted disapprovingly at the report. We all kept quiet while waiting to see what actually gulped the huge sum,that is,excluding the ones spent by the "jamboree-led" government of Willie Obiano plus families and well-wishers of the Ekwuemes. The federal Government commended itself for footing the bill of the air ambulance that ferried the late elder statesman's remains back to Nigeria. Thumbs up for the federal government.

Granted, a deserving state burial has been accorded the late icon, but the obvious political gain the Federal government intends to get through such will not and has not worked. The fact that a billion naira can be used to foot the burial of Ekwueme, but less than that amount cannot be used to fix some dangerous part of our federal roads,despite persistent budgetary allocation is laughable. That money can rescucitate the Onitsha Port, plus other strategic infrastructure in the East. Even if you spend the whole of 2017 budget to bury a man of Ekwueme's caliber, announcing such on national television was an act of deception and childishness.

The burial attracted men of timber and caliber, as well as brought many political enemies together, some for the first time since perhaps, after the funeral of the late Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu. We saw politicians from opposite camps exchange banters and behave as though they were never at dagger's dawn. A notable presence at the commendation service in Awka was that of a one-time governor of anambra state, Dr.Chinwoke Mbadinuju who many said looked haggard, spent and out of sorts, like a retired "hungry village headmaster." The story of his administration is well known and documented,and needs not stressed here.

What the Igbo people need are among other things quality infrastructure, enabling business environment, ease of doing business and not a "questionable" show of love. We have been shortchanged consistently in among other things, appointments into offices. Even those occupying all the juicy offices are not faring batter than the Igbo,despite the marginalization.

To be continued.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Grandma series 1 (Chukwudi Anagbogu)

 I was among the few privileged ones to have lived with my grandmother during my childhood. My grandma had visited us for the “omugwo” of my younger sibling. At the ‘expiration` of three months, she had opted to stay longer because as she would always say, “anywhere one stays is one's home.”  My siblings and I received news of her “extension” with mixed feelings. Our concerns were borne out of her strictness. She was so strict that sometimes you wondered how my mother-her daughter survived childhood under her watch. It was during her stay that my immediate elder brother and I stopped bedwetting. Hitherto, my parents had employed all manner of tactics to stop us from betwetting, all to to avail. First, my mum had tried reducing our water intake, especially at nights. According to her, not taking enough water would reduce the urge to urinate at night. The strategy seemed to work initially, as we did not bed wet for three consecutive days. On the fourth day however, the unthinkab...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Classmates (story one)

  Emeka was not just my friend, he was a friend to all. He was particularly handsome and had an aura of importance. That alone made me admire him. In my class, he was ‘worshipped’ and highly revered. Even some teachers openly gave him preferential treatment. First, our form teacher had assigned him to the front row in the class, but Emeka himself preferred to sit at the far end of the rear. Of course, he had his way. Emeka was the only student in class who had the freedom to eat in class whenever he felt the desire to do so. I was surprised when mid-way into a maths class, he opened his big food flask and began feasting from it. Everyone expected the Maths teacher, who was a renowned disciplinarian, to have reacted. Lo and behold, the Maths teacher feigned ignorance despite the fact that the aroma from the food was so obvious that a passerby would have mistaken our classroom for a kitchen. Chike, another classmate of mine had attempted to do a similar thing few days earlier. The ...
Post a Comment
Read more

RELATIONSHIP RUINED BY ZEE WORLD

 Story by Chukwudi Anagbogu  In the bustling city of Lagos, Nigeria, evenings once meant family time—gathering around the dinner table, sharing stories, and connecting over meals. But things began to change when Zee World, the Indian television channel showcasing Hindi dramas, became a household staple. It all started innocently enough. Adama, a young woman in her late twenties, was drawn to the elaborate storylines and dramatic twists of the telenovelas. With their glitzy portrayals of love, betrayal, and family drama, she found herself mesmerized by characters like Rani and Raj. Each night, she tuned in, eager to see how the latest episode would unfold. At first, Adama’s enthusiasm was infectious. Her younger brother, Chike, and her parents would join her on the sofa, laughing and gasping at the ridiculous plot turns. But as weeks turned into months, something shifted. Adama began prioritizing her viewing schedule over family interactions. Dinners turned quiet as everyone wa...
Post a Comment
Read more