Re: Ikenna Onyekwelu’s “Over Sabi” Rhetoric On Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

I quite admire the exposure by the Nigerian print media of a class of writers that one could easily describe as ethnic crusaders who don’t see anything wrong with the level of crime committed by their brethren even when such details are exposed without bias.

Specifically, one Ikenna Onyekwelu had to himself two pages of The Guardian on Sunday of August 30, 2015 – pages 14 and 60 with features on Bishop Hassan Kukah and Governor Adams Oshiomhole, respectively.

In none of the materials were readers told who is Ikenna, a staff of the paper or an outsider. In factuality, Clara, Oshiomhole’s wife died years back, this is no longer news, the bereaved remarried. It’s also normal, unless such an imperative replacement is not part of the practice at Ikenna’s place of birth; that when a man is bereaved, he should turn himself into a chronic middle aged bachelor, a feat known within some cultural circles, whose main pursuit in life is money and at a belated level, they marry at old age, in addition to paying very high bride price: this is not evident in Oshiomhole’s place of birth. Etsako in Afenmai Land of Edo State.

I find it unsafe to really ask who is Ikenna, but his reveling his cheap stance compels me. Iyamu is not Oshiomhole’s place of birth, but IYAMHO. This tends to unveil Ikenna’s cheap assignment to run down the ever-popular Comrade Governor: in one moment, he calls him a marathoner. Has Ikenna ever been to Edo North, Imiegba/Okpekpe axis, to see the wonder Oshiomhole has done by chopping down a part of the stretch of the popular Kukuruku hills to create the Internationally acclaimed, Okpekpe yearly marathon as a barber cuts down a lice-infested heir growth?

There is this Etsako realistic traditional attitude of communal living… “It is whom you love you strike or abuse with a level of
absolute sincerity….” This answers Ikenna’s recall of the widow’s story in Benin City. Incidentally, being husbandless is no permit to disobey standing laws of ethical behavior. Walkways are not market stalls.

Ikenna’s anger with Oshiomhole’s periodic self-developmental strides in life levels is that the Comrade didn’t restrict himself to specific academic circle to have a Ph.D. and remain static at an institution of higher learning wherein he would periodically role out handouts. Insisting to be bought by students or reducing himself to the level of campus rapists of female students.

Oshiomhole picked a professional line embellished in labour movement and he maturely grew up and achieved progressive strides: some went overseas, worked as cleaners, grave diggers, washer-men, security guards and taxi drivers, but he was there on a clearly labour defined advancement study trip.

With his invasion into the dirty terrain of politics, he taught many of them good lessons by utilizing their self created tactics to floor
them and emerged as the elected progressive Governor of Edo State, the heartbeat of the nation.

I am in no doubt that Ikenna believes much in the former Federal Minister of Finance and her antics in trying to undo Oshiomhole. He should be reminded of this Indigenous format of investigation: tell someone that he or she diverted 500,000 US dollars deliberately from point C to F, instead of sending it rightly from point A to B, the cheat will cheaply think one has lied that only 250,000 US dollars was diverted. The logical fact established is that diversion took place wrongly and it was fraudulently done.

Certainly, whatever cap Ikenna wears, he is good in his language construction usage, but to me, he has cheapened himself as a hired ethnical crusader who believes that all those who had anything to do with former President Jonathan were saints and the fraudulent diverted financial appellations dangling on their necks should further be converted into national honour award medals.

Ikenna would no doubt certainly accept that bags of money were stolen and kept in private personal accounts overseas. Factually too, confessions, we hear, are being made. Is it when President MB would make public the shameful list of the thieves that it will be time for Ikenna to just shut up if he wouldn’t be manly enough to wonder why his country ought not to have been sucked to the marrow like this?

Mr. Orubebe, it appears, he doesn’t even understand the level other Nigerians not of his attitude and actions rate him: his dramatic exposure before Prof. Jega during the end result calling of last elections ought to have taught him the simple lesson that thuggery isn’t shown with the stuff of the pair of suit one wears. Prof. Jega’s maturity brought Orubebe to his kneels and shamed his masters.

In Edo State, Comrade Oshiomhole has established a progressive pattern of governance which Ikenna’s “grammar write up” can never match: we have, over here passed the level of deceit through the format of talking before thinking.

In Edo State, Oshiomhole and his team are working while Dan Orbih (perhaps Ikenna has joined them too) and others are talking.

In totality, Ikenna Onyekwelu, no matter his level of presentational tactics can’t tell Edolites who Comrade Oshiomhole is, nor Orubebe.

Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, add Eric too, has created a record in Edo State, we have seen him and he is still working and would walk with bride alongside his brethren at any given time on the walkways he has constructed.

Abudah, a journalist, documentalist And founder of Afenmai Heritage & Cultural Studies wrote from Benin City,
Edo State.