Mr. Fix It, Anthony Anenih, takes a bow

Tony Anenih

…His life, his politics

By UCHE CHRIS

How do you describe Chief Anthony Akhakon Anenih in death? This is a complex question that demands tact, diplomacy and truthfulness to navigate, because he was many things to many people. Understandably, the announcement of his demise has opened a floodgate of tributes and eulogies from the political class in the customary Nigerian fashion.

It is no exaggeration that he was a great politician, who piloted the affairs of one of the political parties, set up by the military as chairman and almost produced what would have been Nigeria’s greatest president in what has been generally agreed was the best election ever held in the country. During the former president Obasanjo’s eight year rule, the fear of Anenih was the beginning of wisdom.

As state chairman of the then National Party of Nigeria, NPN, in 1983, he made Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia governor by defeating the incumbent, Prof. Ambrose Alli, of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN, thus ending the influence of Chief Awolowo in the old Bendel state. This was followed with the election of Chief John Odigie Oyegun as governor in 1990 under the SDP as national chairman. In all he made three governors in his state and one president.

However, it was the fallout of the 1993 election presumably won by his party, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and candidate, Chief M.K.O. Abiola that showed the other side of this political juggernaut. It is a story told once, and has been hardly repeated; but it is one event that changed the democratic future of the country and arguably took the life of one of Nigeria’s most illustrious sons, Maj. Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua. And Anenih was the main dramatis persona.

Only a Shehu Yar’Adua could have told the story; needless to say, it cost him his life. Anenih was his protégé is the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, which he founded and was also deeply involved in ensuring his emergence as the chairman of the SDP. So the story was not told by a political opponent out of some malevolence.

In an interview with Concord newspaper, owned by the acclaimed winner of the election, Gen. Yar’Adua gave an account of how the June 12 election was betrayed and the mandate lost. According to him, the political class had refused to cooperate with Gen. Sani Abach, after he took over powerfrom the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan on November 2, 1993, to express their opposition to the coup.

In a series of meetings the two parties had managed to narrow their differences and agreed on common grounds of demands from the government. While the SDP had insisted that the result of the elections be announced, the NRC argued that the election was no longer valid and asked for a rerun. Eventually they agreed to present the two options to Abacha to choose which to implement within six months as a precondition for accepting his government.

On the day of the meeting with Abacha, Anenih spoke first as the leader of the party after a welcome address by the head of state. According to him, it was the worst nightmare of his life and he died many times during the speech.

To his shock and embarrassment Anenih did not mention their earlier agreement and demand; instead, he praised Abacha for his patriotism by saving the country from anarchy and asked for an inclusive government that would initiate another transition programme. Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, Abiola’s running also spoke in the similar fashion; needless to say, it was game over.

It was that day he knew that democracy has no future in the country and resolved never to participate again. After the meeting in Aso Rock, he simply walked away and did not speak to any politician. After the interview he was arrested and never returned alive.

Well, we can moralise about this story but the fact is simple: Anenih survived and lived another 25 years, achieving great personal heights; he, Shehu, died. We could never know why Anenih turned-coat and betrayed his mandate; may be his life was at stake like everyone else in those days. But being an astute and wiry politician, he was able to turn a potential tragedy into good fortunes. He played his cards as they say here!

The role he played under Obasanjo bears out this conclusion. He was Mr. Fix it, a sobriquet he earned after ensuring his election and reelection as campaign boss. When the furor over Obasanjo second term was at its feverish level, with some people insisting Obasanjo agreed for only one term, he made an intervention that there was “no vacancy in the Villa”. And it was so.

He had the ear of the president perhaps as a result of affinity by marriage; Obasanjo was married to his dear wife, late Stella, who hailed from Edo state, like Anenih. So it was not a surprise that he landed the works ministry as minister, a position that also brought him bad publicity and became the lasting image and testament of his political life – the N200 billion corruption scandal; it was alleged the money was for the 2003 election.

The hallmark of his performance as works minister particularly from the point of view of his people was the construction of the new Benin-Asaba road and the initiation of the East-west road, which however did not go beyond Ughelli and has remained a death trap since then.

After the tenure of Obasanjo and eventually the loss of the state which he had dominated politically as a godfather, to the APC, his political fortunes waned. Former Edo state governor, now APC chairman, Adams Oshiomhole had a running battle for supremacy with him ensuring that he never recovered politically.

Reactions

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo mourned the death of the former chairman, Board of Trustees, Peoples Democratic Party, Tony Anenih, saying he lived a fulfilled life and God had been kind to him in very many ways. Obasanjo said this in a condolence letter he sent to the head of Anenih’s family.

“He served the nation with devotion and diligence in his chosen profession. His service in the Nigeria Police Force was distinguished by high professional standard. He was an epitome of humility and dignity, both in service and in retirement, even though he rose to the rank of Commissioner of Police before retirement.”

The former president, who appointed Anenih as Minister of Works in 1999, added that, “in the course of a lifetime of remarkable contributions to the political sector of our nation, he (Anenih) became a national icon and authentic role model; one of the outstanding leaders of our generation.

“His political contribution to the Fourth Republic, notably as the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing under my able leadership as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was stabilising.

“Indeed, he was a patriot and a nationalist of no mean order, who belonged to that rare breed of Nigerians whose interests and associations cut across all sections — tribe, language, region, religion and social status.”

Born on 4 August 1933 – 28 October 2018 was born in Uzenema-Arue in Uromi. In 1933 he joined the Nigeria police force in Benin City. Working at home, he obtained secondary school qualifications. He attended the police college in Ikeja, and was selected for further training in the Bramshill Police College, Basingstoke, England in 1966 and the International Police  Academy, Washington DC in 1970.

He served as a police orderly to the first Governor General of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. He worked as an instructor in various police colleges, and in 1975 was assigned to the Administrative Staff College (ASCON), Lagos. He retired from the police as a Commissioner of police.

He was State Chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1981 and 1983, helping Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia become elected as civilian governor of Bendel State. However, the governorship was cut short by the military takeover of December 1983. He was National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party from 1992 and 1993, when he assisted in the election Chief M. K. O. Abiola as president. He was a member of the Constitutional Conference in 1994.

Anenih was a member of the PDM until early April 2002, when he transferred to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Anenih was said to have masterminded the 26 April 2002 declaration of President Obasanjo at the International Conference center Abuja.He was deputy national coordinator of Olusegun Obasanjo’s campaign Organisation in the 1999 and 2003 elections.

Chief Anenih was appointed Minister of Works and Housing in 1999. He subsequently became Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP.

In October 2009, a senate committee issued a report on their investigation into the use of more than N300 billion in the transport sector during the Obasanjo administration. The committee recommended prosecution of thirteen former Ministers, including Anenih, saying he had awarded contracts without budgetary provision. In November 2009, the Senate indefinitely shelved consideration of the report.

In October 2009, the Central Bank of Nigeria released a list of customers with major debt to five recently audited banks. It reported that, through Mettle Energy and Gas limited, Chief Tony Anenih and Osahon Asemota owed N2.065 billion. Tony Anenih said he had nothing to do with Mettle Energy and Gas Limited, and said he had written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Farida Waziri, urging the commission to investigate the matter.

He was married to Josephine Anenih, a lawyer, who was the chairperson of the Federation of Women Lawyers from 1994 to 2000, and also was the first National Woman Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from 1999-2005. She was appointed minister of Women Affairs on 6 April 2010, when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan announced his new cabinet.

On October 28th 2018, Anthony Anenih was pronounced dead. His death was confirmed by multiple sources including his son who said the family would release a statement later. Mr Anenih, 85, died at Cedarcrest Hospital, Abuja, where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.