Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan Returns To Nigeria

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Nigerian first lady Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan finally returned home on Wednesday 17^th October 2012 after being away from the country for close to two months to receive medical treatment at the Horst Schmidt Klinik in Wiesbaden, Germany. The First Lady arrived at the country at about 3.50PM and was received by well-wishers who were all in cheering moods, (including the Bayelsan women, ministers, governors’ wives, NGOs and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) who had thronged to the presidential wing of theNnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja.

Weeks back when she left the country unannounced, several media ran different versions of what she was suffering from. While some said she had a ruptured appendix, others said she had food poisoning, Parkinson’s disease, uterine cancer, etc. Some even said she was in Germany for a liposuction. The Presidency did not help matters as they remained mute in the midst of the controversy surrounding her health.

Nigerians were eager to know what had befallen their First lady; but they were all kept in the dark. The people therefore resorted to their usual rumours as the people would always thrive on rumours where there is no free flow of information. While everyone remained curious, the Special Assistant on Media to the first lady, Mr. Ayo Osinlu told State House Correspondents that she was only “Resting abroad” after hectic schedules.

Adieu Pa Anthony Enahoro

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Nigeria has lost one of her foremost nationalists, Pa Anthony Enahoro (C.F.R, D.Sc Hon), who passed on at the ripe age of 87. He believed so much in Nigeria and was ready to keep the country from oppressive and repressive leadership.

Chief Anthony Enahoro would ever be remembered for his great achievements for his father land. He was the one who moved the Crisis Motion in Federal Parliament for Nigeria’s Self-government in 1953 at the age of 30.

The “Adolor of Uromi” was born on 22nd July, 1923 at Uromi, in present Edo state of Nigeria. He had his primary and secondary education in Nigeria before furthering his course abroad – Great Britain, Ireland, U.S.A, etc. where he had various degrees and certificates in different spheres.

He became the youngest Nigerian Newspaper editor ever at the age of 21 as the editor of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe’s newspaper, ‘The Southern Defender’ in 1944. Apart from being a publisher, he was also a Politician, Activist and Company director.

He was fearless as an activist; he challenged authoritarian government and was jailed trice for daring to speak against the government of the day. As the editor of the Daily Comet newspaper, he was jailed for nine months in 1946 for sedition; for daring to speak against the British Colonial government.

Few months after he regained his freedom, he was again jailed for 8 months in 1947 for condemning Police violence. He got another jail term in 1949 for chairing a lecture for the Zikist Movement. In the face of intimidation and victimization he never looked back: he refused to be cowed by the powers that be. He remained a dogged, determined and irrepressible voice.

He was once again jailed alongside others in 1964 after the subversion of the Western Regional Government. He remained fearless; he continued to defend the defenseless and timid masses. He continued to demand for the restoration of the inalienable rights of the citizenry of the country.

Anthony Enahoro held several Local, State and Federal positions before his death. He was former Information and Home affairs Minister of the Western Regional government led by the Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; a founding member of the University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife); Former Minister of Information, and Leader Nigerian Delegation to the United nations General Assembly.

Several honours were bestowed on him as well – D.Sc (Honoris Causa), Political Science, University of Benin, 1973; Grand Officer of the Order of Merit, Central African Republic 1973; Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (C.F.R) 1982; Grand Star of the Nation, Senegal; First Class Officer of the Order of the Two Niles, Sudan, and several others too numerous to mention.

The Elder statesman once again rose to the challenges of the tyrannical government of the Late General Sani Abacha, who emasculated several human right activists and proscribed several newspapers in an attempt to hold on tenaciously to the reins of power. He organized the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that continually challenged the excesses of the military junta.

However, when the spate of sporadic assassination of opposition became too much, the Esan Chief was forced into self-exile in 1996. He returned back to Nigeria after the death of General Sani Abacha.

With the demise of Enahoro, Nigeria is now left with only a few pockets of human right activist that can truly stand their ground in the face of intimidation. The other activists like Chief Gani Fawehimi, Beko Ransome Kuti, Ken Saro-Wiwa, etc have all gone the way of all mortals.

Chief Anthony Enahoro was truly a voice for the helpless masses; a defender of the rights of the down-trodden and a patriot to the core. Adieu Pa Anthony Enahoro.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua Of Nigeria Is dead

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President Umaru Musa Yaradua of Nigeria finally lost his long battle against Renal problem yesterday. The president had been battling with his health problem for a very long time and eventually left Nigeria on 23rd November, 2009 for Saudi Arabia and got admitted into King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research centre, Jedda where he was further diagnosed with pericarditis, a complication arising from excessive accumulation of uric acid in the blood stream due to his failing kidneys.

President Yaradua was flown back into Nigeria on February 23rd 2010 under a controversial circumstance as his arrival was shrouded in secrecy having been brought into the country under the cover of darkness without informing his deputy. Since his arrival nobody had heard from him neither was he able to address the press.

The federal Executive Council had earlier told Nigerians that President Yar’adua was fit to continue in office even when the reverse was obvious. He finally bowed out at the age of 58 years; he was born on the 16th August, 1951. Before his death he was the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He would be buried today in accordance with Islamic rites.

Nigerians had anticipated that his 7 point agenda would bring the much needed change that would usher the country into technological and economic development, but that entire dream has died as he could not successfully implement any of the agenda. We pray God Almighty to give the Acting president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan the grace to chart a new direction for the country.

Nigerians are all in a mourning mood, the death of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yaradua is a great blow to the nation. He was a nice president even though the Cabal tried to rubbish his reputation. He believed in the Rule of Law, he believed in ridding the country of corruption, etc but death could not allow him see the Nigeria of his dream. We pray Allah to grant him eternal rest. Amen.