Once upon a time, these were among those eminent Nigerians who were the cynosure of the citizens while they served their fatherland. However, years after, one wonders where they are in the scheme of things; ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.
Bolere Ketebu
Dr Mrs Bolere Ketebu was the national president of National Council of Women Societies (NCWS). She was also Nigeria’s former ambassador to the Republic of Ireland. A trained medical doctor, she is also an activist. She began her activism right from her days as class monitor to head girl to class representative, student unions at the University of Lagos until she rose through the ranks from local government officer of the NCWS to become its national president.
Dr Ketebu at a time was at the centre of a massive storm that bothered on financial scam. First, it began like a rumour that the sum of N21 million out of the N116 million poverty alleviation loan she led the NCWS to secure had disappeared into her personal estate for which an anonymous petitions emerged detailing the allegation. She, however, accused her former colleague of working to pull her down, saying that no kobo of the money was misappropriated as was alleged. Dr Ketebu developed interest for politics when in 1992, she went to the House of Representatives to represent Yenagoa Constituency before the end of that democratic dispensation. She had major contribution to the development of Nigeria; for instance, she conceived a micro-credit scheme for women groups and associations, toured Nigeria for 62 days and administered the loan before she was later wrongly accused of defrauding the country and found herself remanded in police custody where she spent a night in Suleja prison. While there, she experienced the plight of imprisoned women, for which she got inspired to equip the prison with modern, female-friendly facilities. According to her, “If I had not initiated the micro-credit scheme and was later framed and imprisoned for one night, I wouldn’t have had such experience. The lesson is that leadership comes with it scars. One must be ready to bear the scars that come with the crown.”
Writing about Dr Ketebu, a one-time national president of Young Nigeria for Change, Edwin Uhara, said, “As a woman activist and environmental activist, Dr Ketebu added her audible voice to matters of national importance and significance. She never stayed idly-by to watch events as they unfold without her useful and insightful contributions. For example, it was under her leadership as the National President of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) that the seed of what the Nigerian women are enjoying in this dispensation, in terms of political appointments or patronage was sown. Also, as the national coordinator of Wetland Environmental Protection Initiative, she did not shy away from confronting our biggest environmental polluters, even at her own personal risk and great cost. Being a former secretary to the government of Bayelsa state, Dr Ketebu reformed the state’s civil service system and reshaped it to what it is today.” She has, however, not been seen or heard of lately.
Gbenga Aluko
Former Senator Gbenga Aluko is a one-time law maker who represented Ekiti South Senatorial District in the National Assembly between 1999 and 2003 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Aluko was appointed to committees on Selection, Senate Services, Aviation, Women Affairs, Finance & Appropriation, Social Development & Sports and Local & Foreign Debts. He was also appointed as deputy chief whip of the Senate. Later, he was appointed vice chairman of the Gas Committee and chairman of the Petroleum Committee. Aluko was opposed to plans to privatise the Nigerian Security Minting and Printing Company (NSPMC). He was appointed chairman of an ad hoc committee to investigate the controversial closure of Savannah Bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Aluko, while in the Senate, was said to be very combative; for instance, in September 2002, he seconded a motion to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged constitutional and budgetary breaches allegedly committed by President Obasanjo, which could be grounds for his impeachment.
He was, however, involved in controversy when he was among those indicted by a panel chaired by Senator Idris Kuta that investigated financial improprieties by senators. The panel and a subsequent ad hoc committee chaired by Senator Victor Oyofo issued reports that found Aluko had overcharged for repairs to senators’ quarters and overpriced computers and office equipment supplied to senate members and to that effect, recommended that he refund the excess, but the upper chamber passed a resolution to step down that recommendation.
After he left the Senate, he went into private practice as consultant to some organisations, but made frantic efforts made to return to political relevance as governor in 2007 which ended in vain having defected first from the PDP to the Labour Party and later returned to the PDP. Since then, this ex-lawmaker has not returned to political reckoning.
Anthony Obi
Retired Lt. Col. Anthony Obi was the military administrator of Osun state between 1996 and 1998 under the late Gen. Sani Abacha as head of state. After the death of Abacha, he was again appointed military administrator of Abia state by Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar between 1998 and 1999 before he handed over power to Orji Uzor Kalu at the advent of democratic rule. While in Osun, he was confronted with the crisis involving the people of Ife and Modakeke which claimed many lives. The crisis was said to have been triggered when his administration decided to move the local council headquarters from one town to the other without proper consultations. As the administrator of Abia state, one of his legacy projects was that he built Camp Neya, a government retreat and golf course in an undulating countryside in Igbere which he commissioned on his last day in power. Lt. Col. Obi was the one who announced to journalists that the 31 members of the Provisional Ruling Council and all 36 state military administrators would declare their assets in line with Gen. Abubakar’s intention to hand over a clean administration to civilian rulers in May 1999, just as the military was preparing to quit politics. He was among those adjudged as military adventurers in politics who were directed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to voluntarily retire from the army when he became president in 1999. Since then, nothing has been heard about this man again.
