First, I must acknowledge that no man is infallible. As a Catholic, I used to pride myself with the seducing mantra, embedded in the alluring belief that the Pope, the Catholic Pontiff and the custodian of the Catholic faith is. But that was until I listened to the explanation behind the teaching earlier in my Catechism class that the Pope is infallible.
It was then that I learnt that even with the Pontiff there are conditions for that. One of them is that the Pope is infallible only when he is speaking ex-cathedra. That is when he mounts the Papal Chair of Saint Peter, to whom Jesus Christ handed over His sheep, thus becoming the foundation of Christianity, according to the Catholic doctrine on the Bible.
Even beyond that, the Pope does not just come out to make such pronouncements after sleeping and waking up. There must have been a conclave involving the hierarchy of the church, where such a doctrinal issue would have been x-rayed and exhausted fully, relying on the huge spiritual endowment and tradition of the church. In other words, the Pope, just like other Catholics, is a sinner. He goes to priests to confess his sins.
What am I saying and how does it relate? It means I don’t expect anyone to be without sin(s). If a whole Pope cannot be so exculpated, who then is spared? Now, you must have watched the video of Omoyele Sowore, in his latest posturing on Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25, 2023 election.
Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters, one of Nigeria’s most influential online newspapers, and himself, a presidential candidate on the platform of the African Action Congress (AAC), in the same election, was at the Honest Bunch, a popular podcast with a lot influence in the Nigerian space. There, he laboured – a real struggle it was – like in any and every case of his traducers – to diminish the reputation of the former governor.
He dismissed Obi’s characterisation in a rather lackadaisical if not derisive fashion. He called it Packaging! Indeed, in this rather pernicious anti-Peter Obi attempt, he tried to lump him together with all Nigerian politicians, except himself. His reasoning was that any Nigerian who had held the position, from a local government councillor to President, should be discountenanced as an under-performer or corrupt or both. This is where, according to him, Obi belonged.
How infantile! But he wasn’t done, but stressed with some haughty mien, buried in some bogus, if not clearly obtuse reasoning. Asked specifically, he did not point at a particular point where Obi had erred outside another mere attempt at generalisation. “Obi is like every other Nigerian politician who has held office before,” he said. Even when his interviewers raised the issue of Obi leaving a whopping N75billion in the coffers of the state by the time he was exiting office, Sowore dismissed it.
He inferred that it was not true. And what was his evidence? He relied on what he said he heard Willie Obiano, Obi’s successor in office say about the money. Did I hear you scream Willie what? Yes! The same Obiano that was ambushed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), as the anti-graft agency, said then – trying to escape the country to the US.
Have you forgotten that ugly image of the jittery-looking ex-banker-turned-governor, nervously clutching a bottle of water, obviously petrified by the thoughts of his sure fate in the hands of the red-jackets, with his eyes darting in different directions like a trapped rabbit as he sat on a bare iron chair – stripped to only a pair of red knickers, Tee-shirts and slippers? Those guys know how to diminish their victims – never mind that the matter has since sunk into the river like thousands others like it, as it is consistent with the EFCC.
I’m not mocking the Akpokuodike of Umueri, but only trying to emphasise that the difference between him and Obi. Of course, I need not ask Nigerians to choose who to believe between the two, given their records in the same state. That attempt to flee the country happened just a few hours after Obiano handed over to Chukwuma Soludo, his successor. I leave you to figure the reason. I also leave you to figure the reason why the matter has gone into audio sound, as our people will say nowadays.
Did Sowore also hear the story also about Obiano’s claim that Obi asked him to make a refund of N7billion, which he said was his predecessors sum of the money he spent in making him governor? That was also part of the story during the pendency of the quarrel between the two, all which began when they parted ways and the godfather began to support another candidate for the number one job in the state.
Like Obi was wont to dismiss the story in those days, why would he need to ask for N7billion when he could have pocketed the whole N75billion? The highest result would have been a few days in the EFCC goal, which from the story of Bobrisky, Nigerians now know is not a death sentence after all and that with the right string pulled, could even be akin to taking a nap in a classy hotel room.
Okay, Sowore believed Obiano that the said money in the bank was “tied to projects,” already awarded. What about it? Did it vitiate the fact that money was saved or diminish the impact of such projects. In fact, that Obi started saving money for the state from day-one tells more of the story.
But that was not even the case. Everybody at the handover to Obiano, witnessed when Obi was naming each of the banks and the amount he left in them. He was calling their Managing Directors to step forward to acknowledge their existence to clear any doubt. Each of them obliged. Even years after, these same banks still attested to the fact of the existence of the funds. All Sowore needed was to go back to the video evidence.
Let us even concede to Sowore, Obiano and others who believe him that it is audio-money that Obi was talking about. What about the other aspects of this man’s stories – some tales that are clearly beyond contemplation in Nigeria – not to talk of believing them. One of them being that Obi practically denied his own mother the pleasure of accompanying the delegation that went to marry his wife, Magaret from Akwa Ibom.
Why? It was his way of saving cost. Obi, had made provision for 12 people only and when push came to shove and it became obvious that the numbers had to be pruned down, his own mother was asked to step down. After all, in his own argument, the same bride would be coming home where the mother and daughter-in-law would meet and live permanently. Is this also “packaging?”
This was more than two decades before he ever dreamt of politics. Many people then would have hired buses for the same event. I did. The fact that Obi had started of talking of saving costs at a time young men like him would willingly show off with their wealth to impress the public is a demonstrable evidence to contradict the “packaging” tag.
Was it also “packaging” that Obi rejected his official residence in Ikoyi, a tradition accorded to his peers, when he was appointed the Chairman of Fidelity Bank. Obi not only preferred his own rented house in FESTAC town, but the line up of exotic cars that came with the office – a development, which I learnt encouraged other members of the board to toe the same line. This was way back before he became governor.
I’m sure Sowore has heard about that unique narrative from a Port Harcourt residence? Yes, the story of how Obi fixed the road to the estate housing one of his warehouses. The residents had sent a delegation to notify him that the trailers coming to the warehouse had damaged part of the roads rendering it inaccessible.
Instead of the rash and brash response of the usual Nigerian big man, Obi had apologised, saying he would see what he could do. To their complete amazement, even before the delegation could return to those who sent them to report progress at the next call, bulldozers and tractors were sent to the road and by the time they left, months later the road was far better than the original state. The man who gave that account would certainly not believe Sowore that it was “packaging.” He appreciated the reality, hence he took time to cite at the time it mattered so that Nigerians would know.
It may also be packaging that Obi is building a hospital in Ukana community, Enugu State, where his late elder sister was married to. The community had expected him to dole out wads of cash or kill many cows to announce his true presence in giving his sister what is known in Nigeria a befitting burial. Imagine their disappointment as they did not get it. Imagine the impact now, as they are getting a hospital.
Is it also part of the “packaging” that as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Obi did not accept any of the perks of office including cars and official salaries. It must also be “packaging” that at the time 35 of his colleagues were angling to share the entire savings from the excess crude account, he was the only one recorded by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, then Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy as objecting and insisting on saving something.
The day Obi stood before Ejike Mbaka and like Jesus before Pontius Pilate, kept silent as the Catholic priest harried and hounded him to no ends, Sowore was not at home. He might have been haggling for fish at Dugbe Market in Ibadan.
Is it “packaging” that Obi boasts that he has just one house, located in Onitsha and no other place in Nigeria and any other one identified to his name anywhere in the country should be seized? Is it “packaging” that he visits at least one school or hospital every week, where he doles out cash in donations? Is it “packaging” that he carries his own bags at airports or has been flying economy ever since he started travelling? Is it “packaging” that he sleeps in cheap hotel rooms?
Obi’s only daughter, a multi-degree holder trained in the United Kingdom has since elected to return home to Nigeria to help mould young minds as a secondary school teacher instead of throwing up his father’s name to get instant high-octane jobs in the banks and other blue-chip firms where he has investments. She is also qualified to secure jobs in global entities like the UN, UNICEF, WHO or even the Silicon Valley, home to Microsoft, X or Facebook.
These are places where her mates with such tall academic credentials, plus the right connections are. Perhaps, foregoing such positions in place of a “common classroom teacher,” is also “packaging.” Would Sowore allow his own daughter after such huge investment in personal development take such a job?
Perhaps, Sowore is blind not to notice that on the day of her wedding, not a single private jet was noticed at the airport near the venue and there was no roadblock anywhere close. How is it possible? All Obi needed was to snap his fingers and things would start happening. Which other man or woman of Obi’s position in the country would celebrate the son or daughter’s wedding without the entire sky going dark with rains of influence for days?
Even Sowore! Would he accept that? I fully understand his situation. Obi is far beyond his reach. The former governor, is simply doing the impossible and he couldn’t bring himself to the reality. I’m sure the SaharaReporters boss, would be willing to give anything in lieu of something to hold on Obi. He craves Obi’s moral and social standing and the accolades and the recognition therefrom. Surely, no Nigerian could be that pristine in conduct and character. Nobody could have such a near-perfect record – in business – in office – in family life. How is it possible?
So, he shoots off, frantically looking for something to hold on to. Like his brother, Reno Omokri in similar business of propaganda and empty sloganeering, having not found any blemish, he tries to invent one. Imagine Reno saying that Obi is not worth much because he did not build a primary school in Anambra as a governor. Perhaps, nobody has told him that Anambra maintains the status of the richest state in Nigeria in terms of per capita.
Is it a state where the smallest town has one or two hotels capable of hosting even foreign envoys comfortably that would be crying of primary schools in the villages – I know some state capitals where there are no decent hotel accommodations in Nigeria. It is villages where the likes of Reno hails from that would be talking of primary or secondary schools and not Anambra. Building extra primary schools anywhere in Anambra is unnecessary surplusage – a waste of money. And Obi doesn’t waste money. He hates it and that’s why he is in conflict with the rest of his peers and become the darling of the masses.
Just like you would hear some people, including Reno, mouthing that Obi built a brewery instead of schools or peddling some other infantile mantras, forgetting the amount of money breweries like Guinness sends to Dublin, its home on yearly basis or the amount Heineken makes for Germany. For starters, the yearly revenue of these two companies could make Nigeria bounce back to money is not our problem era of General Yakubu Gowon.
It could not have been packaging that Obi was such a huge success, even as a student of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). His Nsukka story, resonates everywhere even before he told it himself to the Honest Bunch crew, where Sowore later went to demean him. It depicted that even as a young man in his 20s, he had carved a niche for himself in terms of financial engineering through sheer dint of hardwork, nose for opportunities and personal restraints from the disease of squandermania. Imagine living in his own house, buying three cars at different stages before graduation and building two bank branches as a student. Was that also packaging?
Sowore’s other problem is found in virtually all his counterparts past and present, hugging this effusive “activism” mantra, a term which has assumed a different meaning from what it is elsewhere – the problem of personal interest first before the national interest. Else, where is the basis of comparison between him and Obi? Like many others of his ilk, he simply wants to be what Obi is without being so. So, instead of accolades, it has evoked envy.
Like so many of the so-called activists in the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), who had adopted activism by day and acquiesces by night, Sowore believes that he has postured enough in Nigeria to deceive the people into adorning him with the national hero toga. But for me, the only thing worthy of recognition is his ability to hit the national consciousness, so early in life. It takes some talent, good or bad, negative or positive to achieve that. After all, Lawrence Anini did so, just as Victor Osimhen. But dreaming of Obi’s reputation in and out of Nigeria is stretching it too far.
People like Mao Zedong, Martin Luther King, Lee Kuan Yew, Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sakara, Jerry Rawlings, didn’t just become what they were by mere rabble-rousing. They identified the needs of their people and worked towards them. They knew it was not about them as individual but their nation. That’s the difference. Here, with people like Sowore, it is a different kettle of fish.
But no matter how well-fed, a butterfly will never become a bird or a lizard, crocodile. The difference between him and Obi is that marked and evident. If he truly wants to earn a spot for himself, the only way is to back-pedal, accept the reality. Teaming up with Dele Farotimi, who has since recognised the Obi phenomenon and its meaning to The New Nigeria Project, and has pursued it with every gusto, in promoting this project, may not be a bad idea! I rest my case.
My name is Sunny Igboanugo and I’m The Tiny Voice!
