Encomiums, As RSG Honours Prof Ake

A nation prides itself not just by the men it produces, but by the men it honours” anonymous.

The memorial lecture organised by the Rivers State Government, last Friday in honour of late erudite scholar and political activist, Prof Claude Ake by all standards proved the above oddity.

It was the first time the state or federal government will consider to honour this distinguished academic in this regard, 15 years after his tragic demise in an ill fated plane crash.

As a mark of deserving honour, the Rivers State Government placed the event as a colosium for  reflections on the socio-economic and political developments in the state, premised on the revolutionary political philosophies of the late scholar.

It was a resounding tribute to an illustrious son of Rivers State, and one of Nigeria’s finest  brains, a celebration of excellence and a life dedicated  to the service of humanity, friends, associates, scholars and students of the late scholar joined his family members at the expansive  auditorium of the  Rivers State House of Assembly to celebrate the life and times of the Ogba/Egema/ Ndoni Local Government Area, ONELGA, Rivers State  born political  think tank.

The array of distinguished  personalities that graced the event include the former president  of the Republic of Botswana, His Excellency Festus Mogae who served as the guest speaker.

The roll call of dignitaries, include, Hon Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, who chaired the event, (Catholic Cleric and maverick speaker, Mosigno Matthew Kukah, a “Professor of Political Science,  Adele Jinadu and another associate professor  of law, Rivers State Univeristy of Science and Technology, Enyinma Sodienye, were the discussants.

The guest speaker, His Excellency Festus  Mogae, in addition to paying a glowing tribute to his valued friend of blssed memory, was to do justice to a carefully chosen topic for the lecture, “Doom to Boom: Re-engineering the political economy of Rivers State for citizens prosperity: Lessons  from Botswana.”

The mood for the lecture was set, after the mixed  audience  listened to a laurel-laden biography of the late scholar, which ran like a marathon. The biography was studiously presented  by Dr. Sofiiri Bob Peterside, Executive Secretary of the Centre for Advance Social  Science, CASS, an institution established by late Prof Ake.

Dr. Peterside said; “The vision of late Prof Ake as exemplified  in CASS should not be allowed to die,” and solicited for concerted effort to keep the institution aglow through the promotion of research and excellence  in a bid to solving societies socio-political  problems.

The guest speaker described the late Prof Ake, as “a man who combined deep  intelligent erudition with prophetic insight” in his anchorage of Africa’s political problems.

Musing over the chequered political  history of the continent, he said Africa had passed  through painful experiences of colonialism and imperialism which   was expected to be atoned in independence.

But regrettably the hope of independence faltered as “the struggle for power  between  the new generation of African leaders led to conflict and stifled development in the continent”.

Despite the abundance of natural resources in Africa, he noted that African nations had been ambushed by the twin evil  of corruption and bad governance, “which  has proved more disruptive of development than any where else in the world’.

The former Botswana, leader described as a “stark reality” the revelations that some African leaders who  were at the fore front  of Nationalistic  Struggle became more  imperialistic in their leadership style  than the colonial masters.

In total conformity with late Prof Ake’s political philosophy, he opted for a realistic socio-political and economic policies among African states  to promote sustainable growth and development.

“Africa needs strong. democratic institutions that will not be violated by rulers, we must encourage ourselves to fight against political corruption which is the highest manipulative process of disrupting the popular will of the people,”

Reflecting on the development experience in Botswana in sharp comparism with Rivers  State under Chibuike Amaechi’s governance, the guest speaker, said Rivers State had done remarkably well.

He said; “Botswana attained some modest development achievement because it committed its  resources for the creation of wealth for all through the provision of basic infrastructure and sustainable  environment for economic  activities”. “The democratic norms of Botswana  are rooted  in our long standing traditions, democracy should be accessed in terms of  better economic  development  of the people. The Rivers State Government has performed well in this direction and I urge Governor  Chibuike Amaechi  to do more”. Addressing the adudience, Governor Chibuike Amaechi said the memorial lecture would be sustained as a  yearly event as an enduring legacy for the fallen hero. While eulogising the late Professor, Governor Amaechi expressed a particular regret over a missed action; the late professor’s input and assessment of his  engine.

Vintage Amaechi, who described late Prof Ake as “a global citizen”, also made an incursion into Nigeria’s political development analysis.

He lamented the soaring  disparities in terms of privileges and rights in the Nigeria state  and advocated a response  to justice in the application of resources.

Warning against the consequences of injustice, the Rivers State Governor, said ‘when you democratise  poverty you democratise  crime”.

According to Governor Amaechi, the moderation of political leadership is a responsibility of an informed  citizenry which must be fully mobilised against the corrupt tendencies of the leaders.

One of the discussant Pof Dinelo said  Prof Ake was a “committed African intellectual who placed his knowledge at the service of his people and sacrificed  his life for the struggle of democracy in Africa”.

As a Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt,  he said, Prof Ake  achieved some noble objectives, such achievements include the introduction of community and field services among his students, with findings that created awareness on the impact of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta.

He said late Prof Ake’s theory of  Political Integration in African remains the most feasible to Africa political  crisis and called for a commitment towards the actualisation of his vision of CASS.

Commenting on Nigeria political crisis, another discussant,  Mathew  Kukah blamed the military for the stagnated political development in Nigeria.

He  recalled that the military coup of 1966 resulted in the convolutions Nigeria is faced with today.

Describing, the military as an “anthithesis” of democracy, he said an emerging crop of military rulers, driven by a “neurotic obsession for power” seized the country by the jugular leading  to decades of political   misadventure.

Kukah, who also aligned with late Prof Ake’s political philosophy as the recipe for Nigeria political crisis, decried the lack of a succession plan among Nigerian political leaders.

In his views, the sharp disagreements between governors and their deputies, presidents and their vice as exemplified  by former President Obasanjo and his Vice, Atiku Abubarkar has a practical cost.

The consequences of these, according to him, are not far fetched; inconsistencies in leadership and the personalisation of political offices which  lead to abuse of power.  Kukah also explained  the demarcation between  leadership and been in power. “leadership goes with ideals and good precedence, most Nigeria political leaders are accidental occupiers of power”.

In the final analyisis, Kukah, who spoke with a hypnotic eloquence that drew standing ovation from the audience, alerted that  political offices in Nigeria is fast becoming a ludicrous theatre for the display of unbridled affluence and swaggering influence that extols political banditry.

To Prof Mark Anikpo of the University of Port Harcourt, an associate of late Prof Ake, “No adoration for the late scholar  was exaggerative”. He said the late scholar, in his life time “impacted on the lives of  many people and the best way to immortalise  him is to live up to the ideals he lived and died for”.

A relative of the late Prof Ake, Chukwudi Ake, who spoke on behalf of the family, thanked the Rivers State Government  for  organising  the programme.

He said the late  scholar stood and died for the down trodden and appealed   to political leaders to always “ensure that the dividends of democracy trickle down to the masses”.

In his closing remark, chairman of the occasion, Dr. Shamsudeem Usman, commended Governor Amaechi for honouring Late Prof Ake. The Minister of National  Planning described the Rivers State Governor, as a ‘visionary leader who have ruled without the distractions of the trappings of office”.

He expressed optimism  over Nigeria’s political prospect, and encouraged the 36 states of the federation to initiate “ sustainable  development vision” as replicated by the Federal Government’s Vision 202020.

The visages of honour were indeed sign posts of a golden era.

Taneh Beemene