Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori, has hailed former Transport Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, who died on Wednesday, for bringing a “dash of sunlight and a breath of fresh air into Nigerian politics.”
In a statement signed by his media aide, Tony Eluemunor, Ibori said “only those who would look deeply, as opposed to skimming the surface, into Nigerian politics, would be in a position to truly evaluate the veritable contributions Chief Ojo Maduekwe made to Nigerian politics.”
Ibori is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Maduekwe served as Secretary, Board of Trustees (BoT) until his death aged 71.
“For instance, Chief Maduekwe could disagree with the multitude without keeping enmity with anyone. He could stoutly and lustily oppose a person’s position and yet openly express his admiration for his opponent’s independent stance,” Ibori continued.
“In a field of Nigerian politics, where disagreements with the powers that be at any given time would view any disagreement as akin to as dastardly opposition, Chief Ojo Maduekwe believed that he the best approach was to engage such a person in a healthy debate; and the more public that debate is, the more he would love it.
“This brings to mind another distinguishing aspect of him; he loved being, and playing the role of, the intellectual. You could spend hours with him on nothing but dialectics of Nigerian politics, dissecting and theorizing on the problems confronting Nigeria – a country much and truly loved by Ojo Maduekwe.
“Yet, he was a Johnny head-in-clouds sort of man. He would be at home when given any practical challenge. Thus, he gave his best whether as a Member of the House of Representatives in 1983, Minister of Culture in 1999, Transport Minister, Secretary-General of the Peoples Democratic Party, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Canada or … his last assignment as the Secretary to the PDP Board of Trustees.
“As Transport Minister, he began and concluded the first railway master plan for Nigeria to span over a period of 25 years. If the Nigerian leader of that era had believed in developing the railways, Nigeria’s rail system would have advanced considerably by now.
“Ojo Maduekwe was a polished politician who never forgot that his father was a Preacher in the Presbyterian Church”.
Ibori sent his condolences to the Maduekwe’s wife, Ucha, and their children, as well as to the PDP.
