… HONOURING THEM DIFFERENTLY WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR BETTER

BY ZIK GBEMRE

With regard to reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has granted presidential pardon to Prof. Ambrose Alli, former Governor of old Bendel State, Col. Philip Effiong and Chief Anthony Enahoro, I strongly believe this was totally uncalled for. And rather, what would have sufficed the President to do is to immortalize them, and honor them differently for the historic roles they played in the country’s politics.

Though, the said presidential pardon means that Anthony Enahoro, Ambrose Alli and Col. Philip Effiong, were never convicted, same with other high profile convicts that were among the 2600 inmates granted the pardon nationwide; but the truth is that the Presidential pardon, specifically for these three by President Buhari, is absolutely unnecessary at this time. This is hinged on the fact that Anthony Enahoro was recognized as one of the FRONTLINE NATIONALISTS in Nigeria that moved the motion for Nigeria’s Independence. He was never a Fugitive. But was one of the foremost nationalists who fought for the country’s democracy. Enahoro and others were even threatened to be killed by former military head of State, Sani Abacha and his supreme military council then, which made Enahoro to have fled the country. And later returned to Nigeria after Abacha had died. Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro remains one of the Nigeria’s foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activist.

In other words, Enahoro was always known to be an Elder statesman, hence he was given a befitting state burial as one of the foremost nationalists. So, the best thing that President Buhari could have done, is to immortalize him, and not grant him the said Presidential pardon because he never really committed any offence against Nigeria. Besides, Abacha’s military regime and everything it stood for, was illegal. Military regimes should be considered illegal, including whatever they had done should also be considered illegal. Except in the case of Aguiyi Ironsi and Yakubu Gowon who came in as military heads of state due to crises in the country’s political system at that time.

Olusegun Obasanjo’s reign as military head of state, and also that of Abdulsalami Abubakar regimes, could be considered legal too because they handed over power to a civilian elected government. Aside these cases, whatever Abacha, Babangida and Buhari did as military heads of state during their regimes, should be considered illegal since their military administrations came in illegally.

For Ambrose Alli, he was jailed by the Buhari/Idiagbon military regime, and this should also be considered illegal as well. Alli was a Nigerian medical professor who served as Executive Governor of the defunct Nigerian state of Bendel State (now the Nigerian states of Edo and Delta) between 1979 and 1983. He was the first civilian governor.

Ambrose Alli was a member of the constituent assembly that drafted the 1978 Nigeria constitution. He joined the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and ran successfully as UPN candidate in the Bendel State governorship election of 1979. He brought massive development to Bendel in different sectors, from the establishment of numerous post-primary schools and tertiary institutions, and massive construction of roads and housing. His main thrust as governor was to increase educational opportunities. He established over 600 new secondary schools, and abolished secondary school fees. Apart from the establishment of the then Bendel State University in Ekpoma, his home town, he also established various colleges of Education in Ekiadolor near Benin City, Agbor and Warri, and three Polytechnics, with a college of agriculture and fishery proposed for Agenebode. He also established four teachers training colleges to supply staff to the new schools, as well as several other higher educational institutions. In 1981 he laid the foundation of the Bendel State University, which is now named the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma. Other reforms included abolishing charges for services and drugs at state-owned hospitals and eliminating the flat-rate tax. His administration carried out massive construction of roads to open up the rural areas. These were some of the achievements of Ambrose Alli in his political career.

And as for Col. Philip Effiong, he duly handed over the defunct Biafra Republic to Gowon’s military administration, and it was done with special arrangements. Effiong didn’t go into exile, and was not declared wanted by Gowon. He was the first Vice President and the second President of the now defunct Republic of Biafra during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970. It was on January 15, 1970 at Dodan Barracks in Lagos, that, in the presence of General Gowon, Effiong announced the end of the Biafran conflict. According to Nnaemeka L. Aneke, he wrote, “General Efiong’s handling of Biafra’s surrender is one of the most tactical and devoted maneuvers ever seen on the Nigerian scene. Those who do not appreciate the depth of it may not have appreciated what was at stake as Biafra capitulated.” Many observers had expected wholesale retribution at the war’s end.

So, when we look back at history and the life and times of Effiong, we would agree with the fact that the best thing that the Buhari administration could have done, is to pay his military entitlements to his family. I also think that Buhari, being the then military head of state, should apologize to Ambrose Alli’s family for his wrongful imprisonment. The corruption today in Nigeria is far more than what we had in the Second Republic. Truth is, if these men were alive and allowed to carry out the visions in their hearts, this part of the country would have been different from what it is today.

Zik Gbemre.

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