For member of the House of Representatives, Herman Hembe; former deputy governor of Lagos state, Mr. Femi Pedro, and billionaire businessman, Arthur Eze, are not in public glare even as next year’s general elections draw near. ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.
Herman Hembe
Herman Hembe was a one-time lawmaker who represented Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency of Benue state in the House of Representatives until 2016, when his election was nullified by the Supreme Court and asked to refund all the monies he collected within 90 days while in the House for that period. Justice Walter Onoghen, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), while delivering judgement, said: “If somebody has been in the House where he is not supposed to be and he has reaped the benefits which should not be, you mean we should close our eyes to that product of impunity? No, we cannot go back to that because the impostor has no right to it. Whatever he collected should be refunded. This court is sending a message to everyone so that right from the primaries, the right thing should be done.”
Hembe, however, pleaded with the court to set aside the aspect of the judgement that talked about refunding all the money that he was paid because, according to him, he did not save any. “I have tried very hard to raise some money through a loan to enable me comply with the judgment of the honourable court but have not yet succeeded,” he once said. Whether he has paid by now, Blueprint Weekend cannot confirm. While in the green chamber, he was the chairman, House Committee on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other Financial Institutions, a position that made him to be at loggerheads with a former Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Aruma Oteh. Oteh specifically accused him of demanding for a bribe of N40 million so as to cover up what his Committee considered a probe of the agency. Apart from this allegation, he was also said to have made an amorous overtures to the delectable DG, among others. Although he denounced these allegations, it put a dent on his image as one of the youngest persons that was fortunate to have made it to the House for an upward of 10 years as against older persons who never had the opportunity.
Hembe was originally a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before he jumped ship to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the dawn of the 2015 General Elections. While the dust surrounding the apex court judgement against him was yet to settle down, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as the chairman, board of Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, nevertheless since that appointment, not much has been heard about this former lawmaker.
Femi Pedro
Otunba Femi Pedro, a trained banker, was a former deputy governor of Lagos state between 2003 and 2007 in pair with Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before the Centre could no longer hold and their once-robust relationship crashed.
Report has it that his ambition to replace Tinubu in the 2007 governorship election cost him the position of deputy governor as the House of Assembly impeached him, although a day after he tendered his letter of resignation. Blueprint Weekend, however, learnt that he hurriedly tendered his resignation after he got a wind that the House has perfected plans to impeach him the following day. Since then, Pedro, whom report says is behind the economic transformation that is being enjoyed in the state today, fell apart with Tinubu and they could no longer see eye-to-eye thereafter. Tinubu, it was said, preferred Babatunde Fashola to replace him rather than the man whom he picked as running mate because of his track record of success in the banking and private sectors, respectively. Since then, Pedro has moved from one party to another seeking where he would actualise his dream of the coveted governorship position of Lagos. He eventually returned to APC in 2013 after a peace move said to be bankrolled by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwanu Akiolu, Rotimi Amaechi and Tinubu in attendance.
In January 2018, however, Governor Akinwumi Ambode appointed him as the chairman of Lagos Sports Trust Fund in order to bring his wealth of experience to bear in the sports development of Lagos. President Buhari also appointed him as chairman of Small and Medium Enterprises Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), but analysts say that those appointments cannot match the towering resume of a man who was once a deputy governor of a state like Lagos and had also affected the private sector in so many ways.
Arthur Eze
Chief Arthur Eze is a businessman and philanthropist of note whose interest is in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia, Guinea and UK. In fact, he is described as “one of Africa’s richest men.” Chief Eze is someone who has never indicated interest to run for any public office, but has supported many aspirants for elective positions through his philanthropic gestures. For example, while indicating interest to support one Anyaso, a House of Representatives candidate in Abia state, he said. “We will continue to show our support for people like Chima who has over-looked all the pressures and complexities of politics to take a deep interest in it. For your well-deserved victory in the primaries, I am proud and will do all that is within my power to support you. Your victory is well deserved and I am convinced that you will bring development to Bende and indeed the entire Abia state.”
Writing in an online medium about the man, Arthur Eze, Olivia Arusuraire once said: “Apart from his successful oil business, Prince Arthur Eze is also known for his deep connection to Nigerian politics and is a major donor to Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party. He is also known for his royal lineage as the younger brother of the traditional ruler of Ukpo, a popular community in Anambra state. His royal background and accumulated wealth has earned him a spot at the top of Africa’s richest men.” Unlike in the past when the man would be in the forefront of determining who occupies what position during elections, it is a different scenario this time even as informed Nigerians do not know exactly what else he is doing away from public glare.
