They were active players until their tenures expired either due to retirement or were forced to leave because of change of guard. This is the story of former minister of foreign affairs Prof Viola Onwuliri; former director-general of the National Sports Commission, Patrick Ekeji, and Nigeria’s former ambassador to China Aminu Wali.
Viola Onwuliri
A professor of Biochemistry, she was a former minister of state for foreign affairs as well as education under former President Goodluck Jonathan. These were before he became a lecturer at the University of Jos. In 2004, she became the first Nigerian and first African female to be elected member of the Geneva-based International Aids Society (IAS) and became its African regional representative from 2004 till 2008 and re-elected in 2008. One striking fact about this princess from Mbaise, Imo state, is that in the ill-fated Dana plane of 2012, she lost her husband who was travelling to Lagos on that fateful day.
In 2011, Onwuliri picked interest in politics and was a candidate to be the deputy governor of Imo state where she was a running mate to Ikedi Ohakim, but, unfortunately, they lost the election to Rochas Okorocha. However, shortly after Okorocha assumed office, she was offered a position in the cabinet, which she politely turned down to the surprise of many. Luck, however, smiled on her when she was appointed by Jonathan as minister. As minister of state for foreign affairs, Onwuliri made impressionable marks when in October 2013, she led the Nigerian delegation to win the seat of the United Nations Security Council in an unprecedented manner. Her voice was also very vocal in the call for the resignation of the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
When Boko Haram insurgents attacked the United Nations (UN) office in Abuja, she was the first to speak, saying, “This is not an attack on Nigeria, but on the global community; it’s an attack on the world.” She later caused a stir in late 2013 as foreign minister when she requested that the Imo governor Okorocha give an expenditure account of monies in form of allocations from the federal government he received on behalf of the state, including Sure-P fund, erosion control, flood money, LGA allocations, NDDC allocations.
A few years back, she was allegedly accused by her daughter-in-law, Christiana Onwuliri, of undue interference in her marriage, a development that drew the attention of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). According to Christiana, “Since our marriage was contracted, my mother-in-law has continually decided what happens in my home, thereby having undue and unhealthy interference in the relationship with my husband.” At a point, the former minister was said to be the pro-chancellor of the Nigeria Maritime University, but since then no can say with certainty what she does now.
Patrick Ekeji
A former player and coach of the national team, The Green Eagles, he is a complete sports personality who was a delight to many, especially journalists, when he was in service. Before he was appointed national director of sports at the National Sports Commission in 1994, Ekeji was also a director of sports in Imo state. At a point, he became director of sports development at the National Sports Commission in 2001 and director-general, National Sports Commission in 2009, a post he retired from in 2013. While commenting on the problem of sports development in Nigeria after his retirement, Ekeji said, “The first challenge is that of administration. When I say administration, I need to explain it. For the ordinary people out there, when they look at sports administration, they zoom in on the National Sports Commission as that is where the problem is. But the problem is not really at the National Sports Commission. NSC is a government body that is expected to come out with policies and these policies are now expected to be driven by other sub-players.
“For instance, at state levels, the state sports councils are not funded at all, not to talk of being properly funded. At the school levels, they have their programmes but the NSC, even as much as we try to admit them into our games, cannot make them to align their programme with what we have at the NSC. I can tell you that the National Sports Policy, which was passed in 2009, is one of the best in the world. But sadly, we cannot enforce those policies on these schools where the first talents are to be sourced form. At the state level, there are many unqualified staff. At the local government level, they have sports committees, which are non-existent. Now at the NSC, what do you expect us to do with the products brought by all the other levels of sports administration?” Since he retired from service over seven years ago, nothing has been heard about this ex-footballer and sports administrator again.”
Aminu Wali
He was the former foreign affairs minister from 2014 to 2015 under former President Goodluck Jonathan. He was also a Second Republic minister. That means he was around for years. In 2004, he was Nigeria’s permanent representative at the United Nations before he later became Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of China. He left office in 2015, following the defeat suffered by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the hands of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is described as one politician/technocrat who believes in sticking with his party despite the defeat it suffered in 2015. Writing on the personality of Wali, a Kano-based writer, Yususf Daawah, said, “Wali, a reputable politician, peace maker, ambassador and a minister, who served in many capacities, is the only leading politician in Kano who has never deserted the PDP since inception.”
The envoy, who is in his 80s, is one of the finest men to have come out of Kano state. Despite his years of public service, there has never been any reported scandal on his image. Although said to be an active player from behind in the opposition party, his wealth of experience can be harnessed for the betterment of the society if he is still active.
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