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Nigeria can now move on! *Abiola’s family speaks on IBB’s apology
With the public apology by Ibrahim Babangida, owning up and taking responsibility for the saga occasioned by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election the family of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, on Friday announced a closure on the sad event and encouraged all Nigerians still hurting from the sad incident to move on as individuals, groups and even as a nation.
The message was conveyed by Abdulmumuni, son of the late business magnet and politician, who has now been acknowledged as the winner of the controversial election, by the same Babangida, who, as Military President, nullified the election, midway into the announcement of the results, a development, which led to the sustained crises that eventually led to the death of the billionaire businessman.
A guest of The Morning Show, a breakfast programme on Arise News Television, the scion of the late the man popularly known as MKO, and first son of Kudirat, his second wife, who was equally brutally assassinated while campaigning for the revalidation of the election and her husband being handed over his mandate, though acknowledged that nothing could repair the damage made to the family and the nation, it would be fruitless for Nigeria to continue to bewail the incident from the same spot.
Babangida, whose eight-year rule as military leader was heavily damaged by June 12 saga, while speaking at the launching of his book – A Journey in Service, in Abuja, on Thursday – while acknowledging that Abiola truly won the election, though attributed his inability to take power to a pushback by some forces in the military, led by General Sani Abacha, his second in command, took full responsibility for the annulment, as head of the government.
Declaring Thursday’s outing as not new given that not only the family but Nigerians actually were abreast of the fact that his father won, he said the only thing new was IBB’s acknowledgement, which many had waited over the years and since it had been obtained, there should be a closure for Nigerians to move on using the declaration as part of the tools towards nation-building.
Hear him: “At the age of eight, I knew my father had won even before the result was announced. I think most people in the country had the information that Abiola had won the election. I think the second point was more important – the acknowledgement that he felt remorse for the action he had taken and also the expression that if he had the opportunity to do it again he would take a different path.
“I think at this point that we should understand that we’re human and as humans we’re given to errors. What need to do is acknowledge when we make those mistakes and seek forgiveness. I think, for me, that was more of important – that he expressed remorse to the decision he earlier made. Like I said, June 12, 1993 election, was won by my father and I knew this and most Nigerians knew.
“I think this was good, because once he announced it, he had put the matter to rest. The issue is that he was the Head of State at the time and now that he has announced that Abiola won that election, he has basically put that matter to rest and anybody that was on the fence to the fact that I had known to be true all my life will now also know that Abiola won that election.
“We can talk about Abiola as the figurehead of the June 12 election, but what we need to understand is that Nigerian people were the ones who gave him that mandate and they were the ones who believed in his vision. This is also a healing to the Nigerian people as well to hear the Head of State at the time say those words.
“I think I know what was lost. I basically became an orphan based on that event. But you see, my father had always been the one to turn the other cheek. He talked about forgiveness, he talked about forgiveness not necessarily for the perpetrator’s sake but for your sake, so that you can actually move on. And I think that like this was traumatic for the Abiola family, but it was also traumatic to the Nigerian people as well.
“The future was uncertain for Nigerians and we lost a lot of great Nigerian people who felt that Nigeria was not redeemable and they left the country. There was a lot of brain-drain at that period as well. I know there was a lot of traumas. But I don’t think that there is anything that could be said or done to alleviate that stress. But what I’m trying to say or do in my life especially in moving forward is you can’t change the past but you can focus on the future.
“We can see how to use this anger, hurt and frustration in a way that is productive and move the nation forward. I think we can all sit here and talk about what has gone wrong, but we have a nation to run and we have issues that are pertinent at this time. My father was a messenger and we also had the message and I think the message is still an enduring one now.
“We must not dwell in the past, but on what we can control, and that is the future and where we’re going. My father had a vision and a passion for this country and I think it is important that there sacrifice is not in vain. I cannot be discussing my father’s sacrifice all the time, especially as he had a vision and he had hope for Nigeria.
“We may talk about my father and my mother, but there were Nigerians who lost limbs, lost means of livelihood like companies – people who were known supporters of my father lost most of their companies. I just know it was a traumatic period for all Nigerians. For me, I think we’ll always do ourselves a disservice if we dwelled on hurts. We need to now see how we can turn the page and put Nigeria first.”
Obioma Obikeze, an internationally-acclaimed medical doctor will on April 1, assume duties as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive officer (MD-CEO) of Healthnomics HMO Plc, in a move the organisation, said is to tap his huge experience in healthcare policy and financing as well as strategic leadership and expertise in health insurance and managed care operations.
A statement by the organisation, announcing the appointment, cited Obikeze’s background including his transformative roles at the Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa, where he led significant operational enhancements in health insurance and managed care programmes, saying his commitment to excellence in healthcare leadership remained evident from his recent tenure as Acting Head of Clinical Services and Training at his institution.
The statement, signed by Kenneth N. Ozoilo, a Professor and Chairman, Board of Directors, said further relished the quality of the new organisation’s boss, saying with a medical degree from the University of Nigeria, a fellowship of the West African College of Physicians, and a master’s degree in epidemiology and medical statistics from the University of Ibadan, fitted perfectly into the company’s desires and mandate.
“Obikeze was also a World Bank Exchange Scholar at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, Massachusetts, USA, graduating with a master of science (MS) in International Health Policy and Management. He also holds certifications in Health Care Financing for Universal Health Coverage from prestigious institutions like the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, and Heidelberg University, Germany.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Obioma Obikeze lead our team. His exceptional expertise, track record, and uncommon commitment make him the perfect candidate to guide our organization towards impactful healthcare solutions for our clients,” Ozoilo, said.
On his part, the new MD-CEO, was quoted as saying: “I am thrilled to lead Healthnomics HMO Plc on our mission to redefine healthcare quality through responsible and accountable purchasing arrangements. Our dedicated team is focused on enhancing health outcomes, elevating the patient experience, and fostering positive collaborations and accountability with our stakeholders.”
Ozoilo, who described the company as described as a visionary Health Maintenance Organisation driven by its mission to enhance access to quality and affordable healthcare services to individuals, families, and corporate organisations at affordable costs. We work to improve health outcomes, enhance responsible patient experience, and make a positive impact on our communities.
Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, at the National Assembly, is still talking tough hours after raining expletives on Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, calling her a thug, an old woman with smelly mouth among others during an engagement in the Senate, on Tuesday.
The ugly encounter took place at the sitting of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions during the commencement of hearing on the petition of sexual harassment brought by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Senator representing Kogi Central against Godswill Akpabio, Senate President.
Contrary to the belief in some quarters that he spoke in the heat of the moment and on reflection would be regret the words he used at the former Minister, before then Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, Nwebonyi, palpably still burning with anger, told his host on Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television on Tuesday evening, that he had no such regrets.
Justifying his obstinate position, he accused the former Minister of bringing the insults on herself deservedly for ordering him to shut up, even when she knew she was speaking to a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding that such insult to his person would never be allowed.
Hear him: “It started when she was asked to be an oath because she said she was a witness. She said, ‘no she can’t be on oath, she can’t oath.’ As a person, I said I am willing to be sworn on oath so that I can give my own evidence. I was addressing the presiding office. She turned to me and said, ‘Will you shut up your mouth, you are a hooligan.”
Absolving himself of blame at the choice of his word in which he thundered: “How can I regret the scenario? I gave it to her. Is it fair for her to address me that way? As a former minister of the federal republic and a grandmother, ask her first.”
Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, on Tuesday, gave further details on the altercation between her and Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, Senator representing Ebonyi North, at the National Assembly, during the commencement of hearing of the sexual harassment case filed against Godswill Akpabio, Senate President by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Senator representing Kogi West.
At the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, the two had engaged each other in a shouting match, using unprintable names, with the Senator virtually going overboard to as much as calling the former Vice President of the World Bank, a whore.
A guest at Prime Time, a public affairs programme of ARISE NEWS Network, hours after the incident, the former Minister admitted telling the Senator to shut-up, but explained that it was because the team of Akpoti-Uduaghan, was overly stressing Senate rules over the constitution and giving undue preference to the Akpabio camp.
Giving a detailed account of the encounter, she said: “I was there as the Chair of the global body known as the Women Political Leaders. It is based in Brussels, but it is a global body for all women who have been Presidents or former Presidents, Prime Ministers, parliamentarians and members of cabinet of countries.
“So, it is a global flagship for women political leadership. And so, I was there as a witness on her side on the basis of the expert knowledge that we have over this issue around the world. It is based on data that this is a problem. One out of every three women, has faced one form of sexual-based violence or the other. And so, a lot of countries are paying serious attentions to it, because it is inimical to the society.”
The former Minister who was present at the hearing alongside Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, lawyer to Zubairu Yakubu, who raised the petition on behalf of the Kogi Senator, one in the four females in the 10th Senate, narrated how the petitioners raised the issue of bias against the committee, said she became more displeased, when the committee tried to dismiss the Natasha team as unserious.
“In fact the words they used was that ‘we do serious things here, we don’t have time for unserious things.’ At that time, I had my hand up and I said, ‘I actually think that was a wrong use of words, we are not unserious people, this is a serious matter.’ Many conversations went on. Eventually, the Senate Ethics Committee, decided that based on the fact that the petitioner was saying that he wasn’t going to go into his main petition until they assured him that on the two objections that he had, they said, it meant we were not ready to engage on the matter.
“Then, suddenly, they also said, by the way, this matter is sub-judice because there are two cases in court and they mentioned the case of the wife of the Senate President and that on the basis of that they actually really shouldn’t… it was at that point that Dr. Abiola said, what’s the point, why are we here?
“When all that was going on, then, this Senator, who I would not acknowledge by mentioning his name, he then said if they are not ready about giving any testimony, I am here representing the Senate President as a respondent. I’m prepared to speak because we can’t continue with this. Then I said to him, ‘can you please shut up?’ Because we were just told that we couldn’t speak. And you have been speaking without any form of an equivalent treatment.
“You said we couldn’t speak because we were not ready to go into any conversation without our objections being addressed. Yes I said that. But he was already provoked, by the fact that he felt that we were not serious. Part of what inflamed it was that the petitioner said, by the way, it is this Senator that made a lot of statements about my Senator in words that were not complimentary.”
Obikeze, globally-acclaimed medical doctor, becomes Healthnomics’ MD-CEO
I don’t regret my insult on Oby Ezekwesili, she deserved it – Nwaebonyi
Why I asked Nwaebonyi to shut up – Oby Ezekwesili
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