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Ekweremadu: The man who ‘loved’ Nigeria
By Abimbola Adelakun
In the opening pages of his book, Who Will Love My Country: Ideas for Building the Nigeria of Our Dreams, Senator Ike Ekweremadu unapologetically declared his love for Nigeria saying, “I love Nigeria and will forever love it.”
The book contents, the regular sweet nothings Nigerian leaders preachify but which they cannot stretch themselves to live by, now take a new meaning in the light of his fall from the grace of deputy Senate presidency to a convicted prisoner.
When you consider the past 11 months when he and his wife, Beatrice, were tried in a London court for organ trafficking, you will understand why the man loved Nigeria as fiercely as a scoundrel raised by indulgent parents.
Hardly had the arrest of Ekweremadus been announced when sympathies poured in for them. From Senators Dino Melaye and Smart Adeyemi to the Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, they were never short of commiseration. Ebonyi State Government announced it stood with his family and asked the UK Government to be considerate of their children’s plight. Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila too requested the Nigerian High Commission in the UK to give him needed support (and those ones hired a lawyer for him shortly after). Colleagues in the Senate visited the Ekweremadus, and some even attended the court sessions to show support. Former president Olusegun Obasanjo the letterman wrote to the Chief Clerk of the Central Criminal Court of England to beg for mercy in their sentencing. Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Hon. Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis, and Head of Diplomatic Mission to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Duru Hezekiah, also appealed to the UK Government for leniency. Both chambers of the National Assembly also begged for mercy. Even the Chair of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who once advised Nigerians to shun crimes while abroad set aside her conviction and joined in the plea for leniency. Her disdain for Nigerians caught in the vortex of crime abroad does not seem to extend to the political elite.
In all the demonstration of anxieties by several highly placed Nigerians not used to seeing their fellow “big man” in jail was a glaring omission: some fellow feeling or even as much as a thought spared for the other Nigerian—the poor young man whose kidney would have been harvested— involved in the matter. There were times during the months of trial I wondered how that young man felt when he saw the overwhelming support from official quarters for the person who was going to rob him of his life. He must have felt lonely, invisible, unsupported, and inconsequential.
With all the high-powered support he received, it is understandable why Ekweremadu would love Nigeria with all his heart. Who would not love a country where the powers that be commit themselves to work in your favour? Why would he not love a country that sides with him against his victimised countryman? The demonstration of support that the Nigerian political class offered Ekweremadu against that young man proved how much our society lacks an appreciation of justice. If that young man had walked into a Nigerian police station to report that a big man wanted to harvest his organs, nothing would have happened. Apart from our lax laws on organ harvesting, our justice system abhors the idea of punishing a big man for an infraction committed against a lowly nobody. In a country where people buy human body parts for N50,000 or even less, Ekweremadu would even have been commended for offering N3.7m. He would even have been garlanded to assuage the shame of the allegation. He would be given the title of “Fiwajoye” or something similarly ridiculous.
Given what we know about the crime of the Ekweremadus, I am baffled some Nigerians think it was their parental instinct that went on overdrive. Even if you do not find their attempt to jump the long queue for organ donation immoral, how about the paltry sum they offered their victim? The boy is around the same age as their daughter. If the transaction had sailed through, it would have been tantamount to shaving off a part of the young man’s life to extend their daughter’s own. What would have at least been moral in such a shady transaction would be to make a willing donor an offer that can at least guarantee them a quality life. Imagine the victim had been returned to Nigeria and fallen sick sometime later, how would he have coped? Even with all the mad love Ekweremadu proclaimed for Nigeria, he did not entrust his child’s life to the dilapidated hospital system in the country.
One clown who labelled himself a “deep thinker” even blamed the Ekweremadus’ travails on the average Nigerian southerners’ tendency to pull down their own. He said if the person involved were a northern Muslim, he would have sought refuge from a mosque rather than inform the law enforcement agents. Such a mindset, reeking of the southern Nigerian condescension that serially stereotypes the average northerner as meek and lacking agency, is irritating and problematic on all levels. Why should the person whose life was undervalued hesitate to affirm their self-worth so that one big man somewhere would not be accountable to the law? The road that leads home might be far, but even the lowly-born slave has a father.
In a country like Nigeria where people with kidney disease and who can afford the expense have to go to India for medical care, what would have become of that poor guy if they had taken his kidney for a measly sum? The fact that the Ekweremadus priced the young man’s life less than the cost of a business class flight ticket from Nigeria to London shows they are depraved and wicked. Actually, what they proposed to do is what Nigerian leaders have done since forever. They take and take and take from the people, and that is all they know how to do. They have been robbing our society of the vital organs that it needs to function, and it is nothing to them to try to take a bodily organ just to shore up their own lives.
News
2027: Fubara declares support for Tinubu, Wike’s candidates, says time for war over
River State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reiterated his support for the second term bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the aspiration of Hon Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
In what could be described as a public declaration of peace and total cessation of hostilities in the political arena in the state, Governor Fubara said that as a loyal member of the APC, he has also become a member of the Rainbow Coalition, the political group put together by his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to advance the interests of the ruling party in Rivers State.

The Governor made his position known on Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Riven Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt and disclosed that the hitherto contending political forces in the state have resolved their differences and agreed to work together in the interest of the peace and development of the state.
According to Onwuka Nzechi, Chief Press Secretary to the River State Governor, Fubara charged his teeming supporters across the state to, without prejudice to the past, join him in supporting the ambitions of Tinubu, Chinda and all the other candidates of the APC in Rivers State during the forthcoming elections.
“We have made peace in the state and I am supporting our Rainbow Coalition. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our president, and is the one we are supporting. OK Chinda is the governorship candidate that I am supporting and anybody who believes in me will support him and every other candidate that is under the Rainbow Coalition.
” I’ve gone back to our family. So, please, whoever you are, give your total support to the Rainbow Coalition. We need to move forward. The time of war is over. It is time for peace and this peace is taking us to another level.
“I want this to be made clear to every body. So, don’t go anywhere and say you’re supporting Fubara …. No. No. No. My position is this: I have said it here and clearly for everyone to hear. If you’re not hearing we’ll, use cotton wool to clean your ears and let it enter well. I’m not party to anything that will bring any form of disunity in this state. I’ve done what I need to do and we are moving forward,” he said.
Governor Fubara described the Riven Medical Industries Project as a positive development for the state, but warned against a repeat of the ugly experiences in the past where some investors were given the opportunity to operate in the state only to renege on some aspects of the agreement, leading to litigations.
According to Governor Fubara, his administration endorsed the project out of the conviction that the new investors have the capacity and commitment to deliver on the mandate to revive the project, create jobs and boost economic development in the state.
He charged the investors to endeavour to keep to the timelines and ensure that the first phase of the project will be successfully achieved in the next three months. He also appealed to the host communities and the leadership of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, to give their maximum support to the project and avoid anything that could disrupt its smooth operation.
Governor Fubara pledged that his administration will continue to provide total support the project to ensure its success.
The Riven Medical Industries Project is a landmark Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the Rivers State Government and Enbay Pharmaceutical Industries Limited, and represents one of the State’s most strategic investments in industrialization, healthcare, and economic development.
The project is being implemented through Riven Medical Industries Limited, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established by Enbay Pharmaceutical Industries Limited to revive and redevelop the former Integrated Medical Industries (IMI) into a world-class pharmaceutical manufacturing complex.
When completed, the facility will manufacture pharmaceutical formulations, gelatine capsules, intravenous (IV) infusions, and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), significantly expanding Nigeria’s local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, reducing dependence on imported medicines, strengthening the nation’s healthcare value chain, and enhancing medicine security.
The project is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities, stimulate technology transfer, attract local and foreign investment, and position Rivers State as the leading pharmaceutical manufacturing and healthcare investment hub in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the beginning of a transformative journey that reflects the Rivers State Government’s commitment to sustainable industrial growth, economic diversification, improved healthcare outcomes, and strategic partnerships that deliver lasting value for the people of Rivers State and Nigeria.
News
PDP, APM Alliance: The New Dawn
The challenges we face today require more than just politics as usual; they demand a unified, strategic, and bold rescue mission. It is time to hit the reset button on our nation’s trajectory. It is time for the Reset Nigeria Movement.
To achieve the Nigeria of our dreams, we cannot walk alone. We need a synergy of vision, experience, and grassroots mobilization. This is why a powerful coalition has emerged: The Grand Alliance.
At the heart of this movement is the historic PDP and APM Alliance, a formidable partnership between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied People’s Movement (APM). This is not just a political coalition; it is a declaration of intent to rescue, rebuild, and restore the glory of our great nation, Nigeria.
The PDP and APM Alliance brings together the strength, structure, and localized reach necessary to unseat stagnation and bring true democratic dividends to the people.
The Reset Nigeria Movement is committed to policies that empower the youth, support local businesses, and alleviate the economic burdens facing everyday Nigerians.
This Alliance is built on the belief that every Nigerian voice matters. It represents a broad spectrum of our society, ensuring that leadership is accountable to everyone, not just a few.
The alliance is pooling our collective resources, intelligence, and political will to create a safer, more united Nigeria where citizens can thrive without fear.
Whether you are a student, a professional, a market woman, an artisan, or a patriotic citizen eager for a new dawn, there is space for you in this movement.
Stand on the right side of history.
Join the Reset Nigeria Movement.
Join the Alliance.
Join the PDP and APM Alliance today!
Together, we will rescue and reset Nigeria.
News
First Lady donates N2b to promote Akwete in Aba, receives traditional title
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has Remi Tinubu, has donated N2b to support Akwete weaving industry in Aba, Abia State.
She said the gesture was to support the development of the Akwete production site, with a view to creating more jobs and boosting the state’s economy.
She made the donation in Aba on Tuesday, during her visit to the state to celebrate and promote the historic Akwete weaving heritage.
The President’s wife explained that the gesture was to support the development of the Akwete production site, with a view to creating more jobs and boosting the state’s economy.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu praised the uniqueness and the richness of the Akwete fabric, crafted on vertical looms by women in Abia, using cotton, raffia, and silk and famous for its vibrant colours and intricate geometric motifs.
“I am in awe of all the richness of what the Akwete fabrics stand for.
”I love traditional outfits because our tradition, our culture, tells us who we are. The moment we lose that, we won’t remember where we come from.
“The craft was transferred from generation to generation. It is a sacred craft done with love, patience, and endurance.
“The tradition of the Akwete handmade fabric is dear to the hearts of the women who make it, and they should be encouraged to pass it on to the next generation,” she said.
She Tinubu encouraged the younger generation to embrace their culture, particularly cultural attire that connects the young with the older generation.
According to her, people should be proud of their cultural heritage and wear the African traditional attires with pride.
”We should not let our children forget that.
“To the women of Akwete, I heard your cry. I am here to announce to all Nigerians and the Igbo people that it is time to take Akwete fabric to the national stage.
”Therefore, all the notable sons and daughters of Igbo land should rise to preserve this culture. On my part, I am donating N2 billion for the project,” she said.
She promised Governor Alex Otti that if President Bola Tinubu wins the 2027 presidential election for a second term, she would wear a wrapper and “buba” made from Akwete for the inauguration.
Responding, Otti and his wife, Mrs Priscilla Otti, thanked the first lady for the gesture, saying, “it will significantly transform Akwete fabric production in the state”.
Mr Otti also pledged total support to President Tinubu’s economic policies, stressing that the reforms were gradually setting the country on the path of sustainable growth.
The Abia Council of Traditional Rulers conferred the traditional title of “Ugo Nwanyi Abia” (the Pride of Abia Women) on the first lady.
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