By Ena Ofugara
In the 1966 coup, they said the first republic politicians were corrupt. Now call each name, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Azikiwe, Akintola, Okpara, which of them is documented in history as CORRUPT??? None!!!
The only person whose name is ruined today from that administration is the Niger Deltan, Festus Okotie Eboh. Awolowo that till date made giving him shares and who has shares in Coca Cola, Flour Mill and every company that came to invest in Nigeria while he was Premier of the West, something very very very fraudulent, is today worshipped like Jesus in the West. (Yes. It is illegal for Awolowo to have used his office to get shares in these companies. Check Life Mill ltd. His shares are still there along with Rewane, his Action Group ally) However, it is ONLY Okotie Eboh who had a business (Awo was just a lawyer and Zik biggest business was Pilot Newspaper that really sold how many copies???)
Okotie Eboh that was the only local shoes manufacturer, was chief Merchant to AT&P, Africa’s then biggest wood exporter, Okotie Eboh that was financing NCNC and who borrowed pre-oil Nigeria 1 million pounds, it is Okotie Eboh Edah that history calls a thief. JUST HIM. Name any other. Please say Ahmadu Bello was corrupt and see reactions. Watch reactions of Yorubas here.
You see my Niger Deltan, we have allowed people tell our tale. We have not made heroes of the Pa Imoudus, the first NLC boss who led the first strike in Nigeria. We have not celebrated so many of our people who built this nation. We have allowed the majority tell us groundnut was our major export even when Sapele and Benin Timber from Royal Niger Company aka UAC was actually far more valuable than groundnut that vanished early (Timber stayed till EU cut us off.). They keep talking of cocoa (great resource) when our oil palm even built Malaysia, not to talk of feeding Nigeria. No one hears the big use of palm oil from the Niger Delta. We are allowing people tell our tale from their parochial perspective, or worse. not tell our tale at all. Yes. it was not cocoa that brought Malaysia to Obasanjo. It was not groundnut that Obasanjo gave them that became a boom to Malaysia.
Tinubu is not better than Alamieseigha. Late Audu is not better than Ibori. Audu is getting a stadium or so named after him. MKO Abiola is not better than … than…. Obasanjo is 50 times worse than Goodluck Jonathan. Goodluck Jonathan did not steal a whole town and make it his personal farm as Obasanjo did in Ota.
By GOD! Ahmadu Bello, Azikiwe and Tafawa Balewa etc are not more NATIONALISTS and FATHERS OF NIGERIA than Okotie Eboh Festus.Prof Eyo Ita formed the very first truly National party called Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) along with Ernest Ikoli. Of course, you do not know Professor Eyo Ita because HE IS MINORITY AND WE DO NOT TELL OUR TALE OURSELVES. We let the Western press define us. Wole Soyinka can write to Gani Fawehinmi not to pursue the forgery case against Tinubu, but if I stand to say Niger Deltan be treated equally as others, I am the tribalist. I bow and wear the robes GLADLY!!!
My people, much as we condemn corruption, much as I know many of our leaders have failed us, yet it is not just our leaders who have failed. Every state in Nigeria has had thieving governors. We cannot allow them always point to our thieves while theirs are Senate president. Daily I weep over OMPADEC’s Alex Opia who is on the run while Buhari of more corrupt PTF is president. We must not continue to be foolish and allow only ours to be labeled and hanged and their property seized. We cannot continue to allow them make villains of our thieves while theirs like Tinubu, Website Fashola, Saraki and Dino Malaye go on to use their ill-gotten wealth to become National players. They cripple our “empowered” (yes that is what stealing has become in Nigeria) while theirs continue to serve them and enrich them.
See, many people will tell you that I write because I support GEJ and we lost. To those people, they should ask when I wrote the article on Okotie Eboh that went viral. Check my NOTES on facebook and see my reaction to when Igbos and us were killed in the North. I have consistently spoken for my region and I will never stop.
Anyway, I no blame anybody. If it was not the quarrels between Itsekiris and Urhobos and how we refuse to stand up for each other, Nigeria will not dare paint a man who was richer than Nigeria and with known business and who even loaned Nigeria money, something Dangote refuses to do, as corrupt while all his contemporaries are considered Fathers of Nigeria. Na our disunity make us be Nigeria mumu.
And for those who challenge this post, please tell me the list of corrupt LEADERS of the First Republic that necessitated the coup. So only Okotie Eboh was corrupt? It was because of only him that they took a coup? Now clap for yourselves.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/enaofugaramegamind/posts/10208397803076078
Leave a Reply