By Awa Kalu, (SAN)

Samson’s power was shut down by his dalliance with Delilah while Saul lost power due to disobedience – doing what he was not supposed to. David, Solomon and a host of others fell from the Olympian height at different times.

The abiding lesson is that all power comes from God and when you are entrusted with power, you most use it in a manner that edifies and not for pedestrian purposes. Ojo Maduekwe was charged to be an Ambassador for Christ and only in that way will Glory come to the country and to God.

A whole day of celebration followed the church’s send forth and it would serve no useful purpose to list the political and social juggernauts who turned up to wish the Maduekwe’s farewell. However, it would be apposite to merely recapitulate one or two instructive speeches that were made in the course of the celebration.

Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, ably surmised the Nigerian condition and was of the view that Nigeria can be rescued from the precipice if an internal regeneration process is designed and faithfully executed. The present crop of leaders, under whose watch the nation’s hopes are fast evaporating, must rekindle their spirit and speak out boldly when things are going wrong.

On the same line, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission recommended that Nigeria’s way forward is to develop a template for selecting our leaders at all levels. The cliché’s in this era of technology is ‘garbage in, garbage out Properly translated as a mantra for national development, only tested and trusted leaders should lead us in the management of public affairs.

On that premise, it is easy why Chief Ojo Maduekwe has successively shown up in the hunt for talent. He graduated with honours from the University of Nigeria in 1972 and was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme court of Nigeria in 1973. That was the beginning of a stellar career at the Bar, in politics and public office.

He served as a member of the National Boundaries Commission in 1997 and in the same year was appointed member/Technical Adviser, VISION 2010. He served as a member of the defunct National Assembly in 1983 before the military took over the reins of Government that year.

Between 1988 and 1989 he served as a member of the National Assembly and even though the 1989 Constitution never became the ‘grundnorm’, the Babangida step by step transition to civil rule which was designed to start at the grassroots and culminate in an elected President benefitted from the work of the Assembly.

Each stage of the transition programme was empowered by a Decree which extracted an appropriate portion of the 1989 Constitution to enable democratic tutelage. He was an Adviser to the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party between 1990 and 1992, Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1995.

He also participated in yet another constitutional conference in 1994-1995. At the dawn of the new democratic experience in 1999, he was appointed Obasanjo’s Minister of Culture and Tourism and was later appointed Minister of Transport, a position in which he proposed a bicycle riding culture for Nigerians not only as a means of transport but for fitness. When he left that office, he became the President’s Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and later served as National Secretary of Africa’s largest political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He was tapped from that position and translated to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2007 and 2010. When it was time for elections, he became the Deputy Director General of the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign –
the outcome of his sojourn being the election of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

That summarizes the career in public office of a senior member of the Nigerian Bar. Born to a Presbyterian Minister, Chief Ojo Maduekwe himself is also a ruling Elder of the church, just as his wife, Ucha. As the Prelate of the Presbyterian church, most Rev. Professor E.M. Uka said, Chief Ojo Maduekwe’s life of public service merely confirms that there is spiritual capital and it can provide a rich harvest.

I know that I speak the mind of his many admirers by prophesying that he will go to Canada and the Nigerian flag will be held aloft having regard to his pedigree. We look forward to eating Ohafia soup in his Residence once he settles down there.