LOOK, LIFE IS NASTY, BRUTISH AND SHORT
BUT YOU KNEW THAT WHEN YOU BECAME
A CAVEMAN” – New Yorker Cartoon
Let me begin by formally condoling with my people, the good people of Imo state, over the double tragedy that has befallen us: the loss of two of our most illustrious sons at a go. Although the entire nation weeps over the most unexpected death of the late Dr. Aloysious Aguwa and the late Pini Jason Onyegbadue, (I call him only Pini Jay) not many Nigerians know that the two late icons were kinsmen who hailed from the great Mbaise clan in Imo state. Not many Nigerians also know that between 2007 and 2011, the two were members of the Imo state executive council in which, by the grace of God Almighty, I was privileged to serve as Governor.
While, the death of the two gentlemen at the same time (within a space of four days) is doubtlessly devastating, I am certain that it brings fond memories of that era which every well meaning Imolite acknowledges as one in which the state saw the biggest manifestation of its potentials. Needless to say, the involvement of Aloysious Aguwa, Ph.D., an academic and environmentalist of international repute and Pini Jason Onyegbadue, ace journalist and easily one of the most brilliant newspaper columnists Nigeria has ever produced, in that administration drew the attention of many, both within and outside Nigeria, to Imo. To be sure, that administration boasted of other very brilliant men and women who had distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavour, but I can say without any fear of contradiction that I count myself particularly fortunate to have been able to bring those two fellows, not only to be part of it, but to have remained with us throughout the period.
As a public affairs commentator, Pini Jason had established a reputation as a fearless, bold and courageous fellow who would render his views no matter whose ox is gored. To be quite candid, I initially had to contend with a few friends who expressed some anxieties over the fact that I invited such a fiery critic, indeed, a radical, to serve with me. But I had no difficulty with that because my idea of governance was, and still is, that the people being governed should be given the benefit of having inputs from their best brains and hands, irrespective of the personal idiosyncrasies of the fellow who calls the shots as chief executive. Unfortunately, what Nigerians are still meant to witness is a situation where some state chief executives do everything to make sure that sound and critically minded people do not come close. This is a big disservice to the people. A people should be served by their very best. The discretionary prerogatives of a governor or president are there but the best public administrator is that fellow who gets inputs from the broadest segment of the society or community he or she is serving, especially those who could look him or her at face and differ on issues.
During our tenure, I kept on telling members of the state executive council that any day they all agreed with me on an issue without any debate, they could as well begin to pack their things because it would mean that I had no need for them, individually and collectively. Given his background, the late Pini Jason came in mostly as a member of my media team but his designation was that of Special Adviser on Special Projects. To be quite candid, I merely hid under that appellation to tap from his very fecund mind, after I had discovered that Pini was very vast on several other issues outside core media related matters.
There was no topic the late Pini Jason would not give a sound opinion on (which you may disagree with) based on a thorough analytical expose. From politics to economics, from religion to culture, from diplomacy to folklores, Pini would treat you to fine details of both historical and contemporary perspectives that, if you had the patience to listen, you would wonder why you never knew all that before.
Pini had been my debating partner since 1992. He was among the first three that joined my administration in 2007, along with Ethelbert Okere and Kezie Ogaziechi. These three were those on ground to set the stage before other appointees came on board. Even before his appointment, Pini was part of those who crafted the content and vision of our administration and because he completely believed in what we were doing, he remained steadfast to its ideals till death.
Perhaps his most significant input in our administration was his insistence that we must accommodate criticism while, of course, abhorring the use of thugs. Looking back, I greatly appreciate that because that singular attitude shaped the character of our administration, an aspect that is being today remembered with nostalgia by the great people of Imo state who have since seen the difference.
While we were in Owerri, even casual observers noticed that the late Chief Pini Jason Onyegbadue was one of the closest appointees to me. It was not for nothing. He shuttled between his office and mine several times and in most cases, he would return after close of work and together we looked at issues far into the night. When we completed the new Governor’s Office Complex, Pini got an office directly opposite mine. In fact, he was the only Special Adviser who shared the third floor with me. And unknown to many, the late Chief Pini Jason Onyegbadue until his death shared the same office complex with me in Abuja.
I was with him when the news of the death of Dr. Aguwa came. We were both very shocked but he managed the devastation that arose from losing such a young and illustrious kinsman of his; to be able to continually tell me: “Take it easy”. Pini took off to Lagos to take advantage of the May Day public holiday to be with his family. Before he left for the airport, he passed through my place to see how I was fairing. I bade him farewell but little did I know that that was the last time I would see him.
Even before he suddenly took ill in Lagos, he had called and the major discussion was on the late Aguwa. Aguwa was of lately in constant touch with me. We spoke almost every day especially in connection with the new book he was about to release on the environmental protection programmes of our administration. The late Aguwa was the Commissioner for Petroleum and Environment and had come up with a very fine account of what we did to make Imo state a model as far as cleanliness is concerned. The late Aguwa it was who presided over our programme that earned Owerri the subrequette of the cleanest state capital in Nigeria, a status conferred on it by the Federal Government itself.
Unknown to many, the late Aguwa died while going for an assignment on a federal government anti-environmental degradation programme. Once, I was elected governor, one of the first things I did was to begin to ask for the best Imo brains on environmental issues wherever they might reside. The search took us to Michigan in the United States of America where the late Aguwa was presiding over an organization known as Altech Environmental Services Inc. U.S.A. It took weeks of persuasion from well meaning citizens of the state, especially members of the highly respected Aguwa clan, for Alloy to accept to return home to serve the country. It is unfortunate that the nation is losing him at a time his wealth of experience and expertise is mostly needed and under circumstances that may make his family, especially his nucleus family, begin to regret that decision.
But in spite of the tragedy, part of my consolation is that it pleased God to let us come close to one fellow that combined intellect with a mien that almost set him aside as an enigma. Could a fellow of such academic standing and professional exposure be as humble as the late Aloysious Aguwa? That must have been the question most of his colleagues were asking.
As I noted earlier, we brought him in into an area I was very passionate about. Although we had our own ideas about what we intended to achieve in the area of environment, I saw in the late Aguwa a very fresh ambience that, nonetheless, complemented our idea. He made inputs, not with a mindset of a know-it-all expert coming from the greatest country in the world, but as a fellow who understood the constraints of his people right at home and eager to bring his expertise to bear. Aguwa was an egg head but he couched his inputs in the most easily graspable language that made otherwise technically difficult environmental issues easy to comprehend. Above all, Aloy was full of humor which, even as his boss at the state executive council, I benefited from. Being a strict fellow and stickler to excellence, which I restate here without any apologies, the late Aguwa was among members of my cabinet whom I always looked forward to meeting because he had this flair for puncturing even the most tensed atmosphere with sheer humor; even while making the same point others would labour to do with grandiose verbosity.
If Aloy Aguwa were to be alive and I lost two members of my cabinet at a go, it is to him I would have since ran to for comfort and wise counsel. Just as Pini Jason kept on telling me when the news of his (Aguwa’s) death reached both of us: “What can we do?” Indeed what can we do? The demise of these two great men reminds all of us of the futility of life. In fact, the late Pini Jason preached that we should do things today as if there will be no opportunity to do them tomorrow. That was why he was himself a stickler to excellence. He believed that you should leave no stone unturned today.
Did Pini Jason have a premonition of death? I have been asking myself this question because in death, Pini achieved what he would himself: Have his wife, to whom he was very close, watch him die. And that was precisely what happened. Was it destiny that took him back to Lagos where his family resides? Pini was so proud of his family and would seize every opportunity to tell you: “God gave me a wonderful family”. Was his manner of death a wish that came true? Why did it happen that way, so fast? Why did it please God to take away these two great fellows the same time?
Let me conclude this piece by paraphrasing the famous philosopher, Calimachus, in reacting to the death of his friend and contemporary, Hericlitus:
“They told me, Hericlitus (Pini); they told me you were dead.
They brought me bitter news to hear and bitter tears to shed.
I wept when I remembered how often you (Pini) and I tired
The sun with talking and sent him down the sky. Still, are they pleasant voices, thy nightingales; awake (Pini). For death, he taketh all away but them (our shared values and thoughts) he cannot take”.
Great souls, Pini and Aloy, your colleagues and I bid you farewell. We may have been wounded but not captured. Surrendering to the enemy is out of it. We shall continue to march on until the great injustice is reversed and our big dreams about Imo realized to the eternal glory of God. Adieu great ones.
Ikedi was former Governor of Imo State
