DIMGBA IGWE, TINUBU'S SAD COMMENTARY?

Icheoku has been reticent in writing a commentary on the deceased Dimgba Igwe, principally because we know little to nothing about him and also because we do not want to join the retinue of pallbearers that have been thronging the deceased home ever since. Icheoku did not want to become part of the spectacle that is these Nigeria's heavies, who have been doing acrobatic somersaults since the demise of the journalist, struggling for who will pay the most moving eulogy. Icheoku says where were these people when this "economically struggled" journalist was alive and what did they do to prove that what he stood for and wrote about impacted them rightly in the way they live their lives? Suddenly the guy is dead and now he is the best thing that ever happened in Nigeria since telephone became within reach of the poor; thanks to the Senate President and then Communication Minister David Mark who derided Nigerians for being too poor to have telephones? 

It has been more than two weeks since that fateful morning when an errant motorist struck and killed the journalist in a hit and run accident, yet no arrest has been made. Icheoku says whether he was a victim of a deliberate hit man sent to do the ax-job because of some local politics in his home state of Abia or some business gone wrong; or because of what he possibly wrote or caused to be written; or somebody just took him out as a warning shot or to get at some bigger fish and/or in order to undermine a business, Nigerians are yet to find out from the investigators. But suffice it to say that the ever encumbered and cumbersome Nigerian Police Service is so stretched thin that determining what truly indeed happened on that wee hours of the morning resulting in his fatality might never happen? The Nigerian police is trying but they are always being asked to do too much and to perform investigative magic with little or no forensic tools to work with. Icheoku says the coincidence of the journalist jugging and the killer-vehicle confluencing at that particular point and at that wee hours of the morning is rather too surreal? But hey it is Nigeria, so give it up to the ever inventive hired hands who have more tools in their sack to do their job than Home Depot could muster.

Anyway, a check of the condolence register shows names of the who is who in Nigeria, the high and the mighty, especially politicians, who are now falling over each other to express their "heart-felt" sympathy for the deceased family. Needless to say that some of these politicians would have established emergency trauma centers during their heydays in power but didn't; some of them could have established ambulance services and functioning emergency dial numbers and rescue squads, but didn't; some of them could have established helicopter medics and medical evacuation teams but didn't;  some of these politicians could have also made sure that well qualified medical professionals were always on duty to manage such traumatic circumstance but failed to so do. 

Now they are pretending to love and care for the deceased more than his own family would in fact do? They are pretending that their love for Dimgba Igwe is more than the pope's love for the Catholic Church?  Icheoku asks why would these crop of sympathizers seem to cry more than the bereaved? The answer seems to be politics, politics and politics. It is the silly season of politics and suddenly the death of the journalist has become a not to be missed photo-op to shed that proverbial crocodile tears and lament how Dimgba would be sorely missed? Tales by the moonlight by Gentleman Mike Ejeagha and his minstrels one would say?

Icheoku says of all the moving eulogies so far written about this journalist, Bola Tinubu's in-situ commentary and lamentation about the sad state of affairs in Nigeria caught Icheoku's attention more. According to Bola Tinubu, the majority shareholder of APC Plc and the man who calls all the shot in APC, Dimgba Igwe died a poor man because Nigeria disappointed him. Nigeria failed to honor their promise to keep their part of the social contract bargain which they ordinarily ought and should have had with Dimgba Igwe and his ilks in Nigeria Plc. Listen to Bola Tinubu speaking about Dimgba Igwe, "Here is a man’s house; simple. When you hear the name of Dimgba outside there, you will think he is wealthy. You will think he is living in affluence. On his part, you will see sign of someone still struggling economically in this environment. Is that the type of Nigeria we will continue to build with sentiments, emotions and wrong assumptions?" Icheoku says the thing that stood out is that this journalist despite all his best effort to make it honestly, still died "struggling economically?" Recall that but for the purchase of Reuben Abati's silence by Aso Rock, may be he too would still be struggling economically at the Guardian Newspapers? 

Icheoku says Dimgba Igwe, a man who vice-chaired and is a founding director of Sun Publishing company Plc should not have died in a "sorry financial state?"  Icheoku wonders whether Nigerian businessmen are indeed that heartless as to merely be cashing in on the very stiff job market to milk Nigerians without adequately compensating them for all their hard grinding work? Query:- how could a man so highly positioned in a profitable newspaper not be problem-free financially? Does it mean that the publisher Orji Uzor Kalu is not treating his employees and gooses that lay his golden eggs responsibly? If a man that rose to that level in an establishment which he helped found, was still under water financially, what type of man is the man who signs his paychecks? Is it possible that he purposefully put him where he was just to maintain a stranglehold on his life and ensure his perpetual servitude to the big boss and to continue mining his brains for less and without adequate compensation? If a vice chair was pauperized how about the little underlings doing the real heavy lifting in the publishing house? 

As Icheoku disclosed earlier, we do not know this journalist nor do we pretend to know what he did in his life's career to elicit all these lethargic encomiums. However, Icheoku makes bold to state that it appears that he was not treated fairly by his employer who left him holding the bag despite helping turn Sun Publishing Plc very profitable and into a multi billion Naira publishing stable. Icheoku says Dmigba Igwe was also not treated well by Nigerian politicians especially those in charge of Lagos State, both past and present, who denied him the opportunity to fight for his life through the provision of a functioning health care system that works. Dimgba Igwe  was also not treated well by Nigerians who ignored him while he toiled to foist a decent functioning society using his pen or rather keyboard and mouse only to now turn around and mourn his loss as irreparable? What morbid, vulture society Nigeria is that only sees the good in dead Nigerians ONLY. The dirge is always in the past tense "he or she was the best Nigeria ever produced or never had" and you wonder why not listen to Mike Ejegha and praise these Nigerians while they could still hear. 

Lastly, the only hope Icheoku has is that his mourning spouse loved him enough while he was alive and was also able to kiss him goodnight the night preceding the tragic morning he departed from this sinful world. If they had an unresolved fight or quarrel, it is the bereaved who will now have to bear the pain since the departed has since moved on. Icheoku says may his soul now rest and may all these face-time seeking politicians allow the bereaved family to grief. One final note, Icheoku saw Orji Uzor Kalu make a promise to the family that they will "NEVER LACK" and that the Sun Group will take care of them financially and in any other possible manner. This is commendable, coming from a financier who most likely shortchanged Dimgba Igwe while he was alive and now using the opportunity of his condolence to make a remorseful amend for depriving their breadwinner? Our promise is that we will monitor the implementation of this promise and commend or condemn same accordingly as either may become applicable. Adieu Dimgba and now go wrestle on the other side.