A good name

People say good name is better than riches. Of course if we had to choose one from the other, then I agree, particularly if the riches were ill-gotten. Getting invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to clear allegations of corruption can be embarrassing. The resultant public ridicule is too high a price for anyone to pay, especially someone renowned.

It is on this premise that I pay tribute to my late Uncle and namesake, Chief Ojo Maduekwe. A distinguished politician, one whom Chief Ebenezer Babatope described as a “great success” as General Secretary to the PDP, a “superstar” as member of the PDPs BOT and a “wonderful” intellectual.

I had a conversation with the Akwa Ibom State Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke – a man who understands the importance of a good name – and he had nice things to say about the late Maduekwe: “Your uncle was one of the few politicians in Nigeria without a dent in his name.”

The Honourable Speaker and my uncle are two Nigerian politicians that I respect for their intelligence, integrity and most especially their zeal to leave Nigeria better than they met it; and to leave for their children, an inheritance that is far lasting and deeper than one’s pocket, a good name.

Normally when a known public figure dies, the eulogies are mostly vague allusions to how they “helped deepen Nigeria’s democracy” and “would be greatly missed”, nothing specific. Having someone I respect describe my Uncle not only positively, but unambiguously, is uplifting.

It is heartening to know that there are people who think highly of my late Uncle. He was one of Nigeria’s highly misunderstood public figure. If it was difficult trying to explain him to some Nigerians, it was even more difficult to explain his public comments to many Igbo’s. Take for instance his comments on bicycle as a means of transportation and the Igbo presidency; both were highly misunderstood and misinterpreted.

In his tribute, Sam Amadi tried to clear the air on the Igbo presidency controversy: “Ojo’s Igbo political project was not the bigoted triumphalism of some Igbos who believe that the rest of the Nigerian ethnic landscape is nothing but an appendage to the Jew of Africa. Not at all. Ojo believed that the Igbo exceptionalism should commit Igbos to a Pan-Nigerian struggle to redefine and transform Nigeria… Until his death, Ojo believed that an Igbo president remained a clear possibility. But he believed that rather than isolating themselves Igbos would do better by deploying their smarts and enterprise to win the political battle for the Nigerian presidency.”

A month before his death, I wrote something about my uncle on Facebook. It was a positive review that got few good remarks. The majority of comments were negative, and from people whose only interaction with him did not go beyond what they had read in the news. I still blame the negative comments on the misconceived notion of the meaning of public service.

Having witnessed people question his integrity for holding several top-level positions in government’s regarded by many Nigerians as corrupt, I had to ask my father for clarification. According to my father, “Your Uncle said that when he got called to work for Abacha for instance, he initially was sceptical but realised that even the most terrible rulers need one or two men of good character around them to help serve as their conscience.”

Probably this was my Uncle’s rationale for serving in “any government in power”. This explains why even as an active participant in all the governments from 1999 to 2015, he was never found wanting. A desperate politician would have amassed great wealth for himself while pretending to serve the people. But, my Uncle’s wealth was in his good name.

And, even though he’s not with us anymore, in the words of the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, “We are also grateful to God because he has lived a good life and left an enduring legacy because good men must die, but death cannot kill their names.” Adieu Uncle!

Maduekwe, a nephew to the late Maduekwe, is a politics writer and editor at Discussing Africa.