Dr Alloysuis Aguwa was until Thursday May 2, 2013 a father, husband, brother, uncle, friend, including being a colleague to many people. However, today he is no more. He breathed his last when a Jeep he was travelling with other three occupants plunged into Orashi River, along Mbiama in Bayelsa State.
The accident took place on the notorious East-West road, which has defied completion even after Billions of tax payers money had been sunk into the endless project that is lasting for ages now.
Dr Aguwa is from the famous Aguwa family from Ezuhu, Nguru Nweke in Aboh Mbaise LGA, Imo State. He is the younger brother of Dr Anamelechi Aguwa, a Commissioner and Attorney-General in Imo State during the Chief Achike Udenwa era, and also Chief Okechukwu Aguwa, the President-General of the Ezuruezu Mbaise.
Alloy was a successful Petroleum and Environmental Consultant in the United States of America, until 2007, when he was persuaded by then Governor Dr Ikedi Ohakim to return home and help serve his people.
Out of patriotism Alloy Aguwa left his family in the USA (who are still there till date) and returned home to contribute his quota to the development of Imo State.
It was at the State Expanded Exco, which I was a member, that I first encountered Dr Aguwa. An unassuming character, straight and frank to a fault. A real Mbaise man, whose long sojourn in USA never affected his Mbaise dialect and mien, and hardly would you notice that he resides in USA.
It was at Nike Lake in 2009, during our Retreat that I began to like Dr Aguwa because of his social behavior. Immediately after the retreat, which was followed by a party, he pulled me aside and whispered “CPS, you know this night will be heavy? We are going to dance till dusk”
From hence, Dr Aguwa became my “friend”, and because of his nature, he bothered less about age, provided you are his friend.
Every Wednesday, Government House Press Corp always looked out for Dr Aguwa. This was the day for State Executive Council meetings and journalists around after the meeting which usually ends late in the night, will not go home “empty” handed as long as Aguwa was in attendance. Because of this, the Press Corp must wait until Aguwa leaves.
When we had another retreat in Tinapa, Calabar, Cross River, it was Dr Aguwa and Dr Kelechi Okpaleke (another America returnee) who kept the whole place bubbling. Aguwa lived life to the brim, without malice, and was a jolly good fellow. He hardly gets angry and uses one joke to dismiss what you thought could have been an attack on him. Idioms and jokes were his menu.
If the Commissioners came over to Government House to see the Governor, while they waited for his Excellency, they would not know how long they had stayed as long as Aguwa was there.
As the junior one, working in the Governor’s office, usually affords me the opportunity and privilege to enjoy these “senior jokes”. That was why, since the announcement of his death, there is no colleague of his that has remained the same. Dr Aguwa’s death hit every one like a Thunder Bolt.
I met Dr Aguwa last at the burial ceremony of Natachi, younger sister of Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha at Umuihi, in Ihitte Uboma LGA, few days before his death.
After the burial we all moved to Mbaise, where we sat at the open field in front of Hon Ihedioha’s House, and drank Palm wine, in company of his elder brother, Chief Okey Aguwa.
As usual, he gave me a poke by asking if I had collected my own Bible being shared to guests by Bar Ugbaja, courtesy Hon Ihedioha. Dr Aguwa implored me to collect the Bible, since I needed it for my car so that “Witches and wizards will dare not reach your car but when you get home your wife’s prayer will take over, because I don’t trust your prayers” I nearly fell down with laughter.
When I was leaving, I went up to him and said “Commissioner” (that’s how I address him) we shall see later. He still reminded me of the Bible. But I never knew I was bidding my “friend” a final good bye.
But Alloysius Aguwa would have been here now if not for wickedness of some of our Leaders. I even learnt that his second son would be wedding next month. So, this dutiful father will not be around to witness the wedding ceremony of his son, which is usually one of the happiest day of a father.
Alloysius Aguwa’s blood is on the hands of these Leaders who play politics with the lives of the people, therefore neglecting their responsibilities to the masses.
Unfortunately for Aguwa, when he was given the opportunity to serve, he did not only serve, but served well without air and pomposity around him. He had even written and concluded a book on Nwaorie River Owerri, on how to contain the pollution and health hazards emanating from that river, which is now serving as a dumping ground for all manner of refuse.
Aguwa is just one of the various deaths recorded on the contentious East-West road, which pitted the presidency against a lot individuals and groups.
Petro Tankers tumble on that road every day and each accident claims close to Two hundred lives (200). It got to a point that the Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi had to speak out.
He lamented about the state of the road which Crisis-crossed the entire South-South Region. Amaechi wondered why the road had remained uncompleted despite the Billions of Naira sunk on the project, with a president who is a son of the soil.
Amaechi therefore suggested that since lives were being lost on the road every day, it could be better for the South-South Governors to rally funds and complete the project, than stand and watch their people perish every day.
Instead of being commended, this rather began the cause of the face-off between President Goodluck Jonathan and Gov Amaechi.
Chief Godswill Orubebe, the Minister for Niger Delta, whose office is handling this death trap of a road that claimed the life of Alloysius Aguwa, ran to Abuja and reported to President Jonathan that Amaechi was inciting the people of South-South against the President.
Orubebe who should have been ashamed of himself for not completing a road that is important to south-South economy, even under the president of South-South extraction, got a pat on the back to launch attacks on Amaechi, who was rather speaking truth to power.
Instead of direct instruction to Orubebe to expedite action on the East-West road, for which Billions have been spent, the presidency allowed Orubebe to blackmail Amaechi, but forgot the importance of completion of this road.
It was this same road that made Asari Dukubo to say that President Jonathan is doing nothing and may not even win Bayelsa State if he runs again in 2015.
If I were President Jonathan, looking at the unfolding circumstances in Nigeria, I would have concentrated my attention on the South-East and South-South and dare the consequences.
The people of the aforementioned regions gave Jonathan the highest support before, during and after his election in 2011. Apart from Imo state, Rivers State gave Jonathan the highest vote in the whole Federation during the presidential elect.
But today the president is not in good terms with Amaechi, who made this miracle to happen. Even the PDP candidate in Imo, Dr Ikedi Ohakim who spear-headed millions of votes for Jonathan lost his election that many people say was manipulated from “above”. If not from there, where did the Military Tanks that invaded Imo during that election come from?
Therefore, instead of President Jonathan listening to the likes of Orubebe, who are just appointees, that were invited to “come and chop”, he should listen to the likes of Amaechi. What is wrong if the East-West is completed, as we approach 2015 elections? Is it not president Jonathan that will claim the credit? Will the completion of that road not sway the opinion of the region to the president and save the lives of people from this region? Now that that road has caused Mbaise clan, and the entire Imo State to lose one of their illustrious sons, do you expect them to start clapping for Government? Or you think the Aguwa clan would vote whoever kept that road in that shape to snuff life out of their father, husband, uncle and brother?
Rather than listen to these fair weather friends, President Jonathan should beware and work hard towards 2015. He has more task as the incumbent, than whoever may be his opponent. The reason is that while he must point at the achievements he has made these past six years as the yardstick to be returned in office, his opponent would just be building castles in the air, and the gullible masses may believe him or her.
It happened in Imo in 2011 when Gov Okorocha condemned all that his predecessor, Ikedi Ohakim did, but today in reality he is doing worse things. Ohakim never removed a bungalow, but today Okorocha’s administration is uprooting upstairs, warehouses etc.
So, Aguwa’s death on this East-West road at Bayelsa State is a scar that will not go away easily and the Aguwas of Mbaise clan, and Imo people are pained.
