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@ Wigwe’s Burial: Akpabio and His Diatribe against the Dead
The African proverb that “one who has children never dies” has raised many debates among scholars about the mortality and immortality of man, particularly on what it takes for a man to live forever. As the conviction of some people concerning this proverb is unadulterated, some others believe it takes more than having children to live and never to die as history is replete of political leaders who have trained their children with our patrimony and are long dead, never to be remembered. To the latter group therefore, never to die is to live in the heart of man through good deed. However, as nature behoves us to honour the dead by mourning with those who are mourning (family) which is called “last respect,” we are expected as mortals to do our best because anything short of “mourning the dead” will be termed “mocking the dead.”
The crossfire therefore between our Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Governor Similalayi Fubara of River State at the entombment of late Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son, was a national faux pas and a mark of total disrespect not only to the dead but also to the living family of the dead. It was a dirty scuffle where Akpabio threw every caution to the wind in order to score cheap political point. But looking at the meat of the fiasco, Governor Fubara had asked a passionate question that soothed the mood of the occasion which’s “what is life all about, the struggle to kill and to bury among political class without making impact in the life of the people?” Governor Fubara as the chief host of the occasion (though guilty of his own question) has asked a valid question that any Nigerian would be looking forward to ask any leader in Nigeria, mostly the part that says “making impact in the life of the people.” Throwing caution to the wind, our ever loquacious Sen. Akpabio simply replied Governor Fubara after his needless tale of someone receiving applause more than him that: “If there is nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle,” thereby making mockery of the mood of the moment.
Doing a critique of this, it is evident through Fubara that politicians always like to evoke sympathy where there is none. Otherwise, why did Fubara had it rough so early with his political benefactor when there is nothing in it? Since there is nothing in the struggle, he should have been playing by the script of agreement between him and Wike before becoming the governor of Rivers State. After all, there is no denying the fact that Wike made him. From Rivers State Government House Accountant to becoming Permanent Secretary of Government House and later Accountant General of the State, it was the same Wike who single handedly picked him and ensured he emerged as his successor with protracted legal battle. Since the struggle does not worth it, why the early rebellion against his master? Why can’t he continue to kowtow to Wike’s god-fatherism? Can he sincerely explain to Nigerians the politics behind the demolition of his state assembly complex? Nigerians sincerely deserve more than this.
From the cradle of his speech, Sen. Akpabio established that he was there on behalf of the federal government. With my little understanding, this means his speech; action and inaction on that occasion should be on behalf of federal government. But did he reply Governor Fubara on behalf of federal government or what is the relationship between his reply and the event? Ideally, as we grow in life, the wisdom of age should direct that we talk less and as an elder statesman, your statement has a way of inciting violence, hence the need to speak less. It is this same Akpabio that recently threw birthday party when Nigerians were languishing in the aftermath of fuel subsidy removal. I think Akpabio needs some leadership education because at his level, he should be more or less an institution that people listen to and learn from and not talking before thinking. Somebody should tell him that the only gain from any political struggle is what you gain for others and the legacy you live and left behind on the scene. How well has he managed the senate under his leadership in the face of many solecisms? Should we talk about his “let Nigerians breed” mockery of Nigerians or the sending of prayers to the mail boxes of his colleagues when they newly resumed office without doing anything yet? Time has shown again and again that burial services is one of the places to learn humility and sobriety because of the practical display of the vanity of life but Akpabio chose to mock the dead and play death. Are there no lessons for him to learn at the event?
Definitely, there exists superfluity of lessons to learn, the entire life of Herbert Wigwe, even in death were unending lessons for the living. Born on 15th day of August, 1966 in Lagos Island into the family of Pastor and Mrs. Shyngle Wigwe, he earned a bachelor degree in accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1987. Not satisfied, he proceeded to having a Master of Arts degree from University College of North Wales (now Bangor University) and later another MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London in 1996. Herbert started his career at Coopers and Lybrand as a management consultant in the late 80s and later joined Guaranty Trust Bank where he worked and rose to become Executive Director in 1998. But not content in becoming an executive director in one of the top financial institutions without making impact in the society, he together with his business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede bought Access Bank in 2002 and develops it till it spread across Africa.
In his quest to contribute to humanity, he was involved in the creation of a leadership series called Access Conference which is the bank’s reaction to global call for corporate contribution to resolving some challenges of humanity. Launched in 2013, Access Conference has continually engaged leaders across the world on issues of threat and opportunities to the world. For instance, the 2013 edition of this conference tagged “Sustainable Leadership” had leaders like John Kufuor of Ghana, George W. Bush of USA and Nicolas Sarkozy of France as discussants who engaged on reaffirming the significance of leadership to corporate and national success. In 2015, the theme “Leading in a Transformational World – The Imperative of Innovation” was discussed with guest speakers also drawn across the globe.
As a philanthropist per excellence, Access Bank under his watch partners with UNICEF to assist defenseless children, orphan, destitute and internally displaced persons in the northern part of Nigeria. In order to expand the scope of this programme however and help these children on a larger scale, Access Bank organized the annual high profile Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament which has recorded great testimonies over the years. Not exhausted, he funded The HOW Foundation in 2016 as a social enterprise that focuses on youth empowerment through leadership and mentorship. The foundation also focuses on health matters such as operation Give Malaria No Place which is an initiative that include rapid response testing and distribution of mosquito nets and giving of medication for the treatment of malarial. On prostate cancer, the foundation sponsor charity football match as a means of creating prostate cancer awareness in order to reduce the low awareness rate found among Nigerians that usually leads to diagnose only when it gets to advance stage.
The foundation also finances leadership and mentorship seminar with motivational speakers drawn across the world for students in secondary schools with award prizes and scholarship to top students. In the City of David Parish of the redeemed Christian Church of God, the foundation sponsors God’s Children Talent which is an annual gospel-focused talent contest for children and young people. In his home town, Herbert Wigwe affected the lives of so many. Through The How Foundation and also distributed food and other relief materials in his hometown of Isiokpo and other communities in Rivers State during COVID-19 pandemic in order to assuage the effect of the lockdown on his people. His various contributions to humanity named him in 2017 a co-chair of Nigeria Business coalition against AIDS which is a private sector initiative to help those living with HIV/AIDS and to eliminate the disease in Nigeria. Time and space will definitely not permit us to talk about Wigwe University situated in his Isiokpo hometown in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State that is set to commence operation in September this year.
Since Akpabio has been in the public service and feeding on our patrimony from the time he was first appointed in 2002 as Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources and afterward two other ministries by Obon Victor Attah in Akwa Ibom State and later rose through the ranks politically to become a governor, a minister, a senator and now number three man in the country, what has he gained for the public? Apart from material acquisition, such as estates, cars, deep freezer, cash in bank and at home for himself, has he given anything back to the system that has fed him for over twenty years apart from pride and talking from the two sides of his mouth as if his achievement is by his power. If a man like Herbert Higwe who was in the private sector all his life could affect lives in the above magnitude and more, Akpabio who has been feeding on the nation over the last two decades should have done more and not everyday ostentatious display of opulence and ineptitude without compunction. He should stop playing God because the God of the living is the God of the dead.
Or am I too critical on Akpabio? No because many Nigerians have described his unguarded speech at the burial in various ways: The founder of Stanbic IBCT Bank Plc, Atedo Peterside describes it as “self-centred and totally insensitive”, Ozii Baba said on his X page “Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has shown he lacks emotional intelligence,” Sports Doctor on his X page said “The nonsense Akpabio displayed at Wigwe’s burial just shows how immature and insensitive he is” while Onovo Nkem also on X page says “Akpabio is overrated, unintelligent and insensitive. Men of his character should be nowhere near power.”
What more can I say! As Edward Bellamy posits that the primal principle of democracy is the worth and dignity of the individual, government officials at all levels must respect the dignity of every man and the society at every level and not use the privilege of power that is transient to disrespect both the living and the dead. It is this same lack of respect for the masses by political leaders that has brought our society to this great disrepute where money meant for projects are diverted for personal use, perhaps as “gain from the struggle” as put by Akpabio.” They forget that what you gain for others is what immortalizes you and not the car, estates and physical cash you acquired for yourself at the detriment of others. Leaders should learn to avoid at all cost what Francois Bayart calls “Politics of the Belly” that Akpabio has been after.
We know that a dog fated to wander adrift will not listen to voice of recall, notwithstanding, the whistle has been blown. Governor Fubara should try and live by his speech and shun the “struggle to kill and to bury” which is common with politicians. He should try and live by his speech which is “making impact in the life of the people” of Rivers State because men of the future (which he is) must not only understand their past but also the forces that forge the present.
To Akpabio and leaders in his shoe, as Nelson Mandela puts that the mentality of retaliation destroys the state while the mentality of tolerance built nations, it is not everything that requires your response, otherwise you will be seen as suffering from verbal diarrhea. Respect the living, respect the dead because as Kathryn Kulman puts, “for as surely as there is life, there is also death.” All of us will die some day. Apologies from Akpabio to Wigwe’s family, the entire people of Rivers State and the federal government he misrepresented, won’t be a bad idea.
