When Senator Edward Kennedy breathed his last in 2009, Americans mourned the exit of someone every person agreed was truly the Lion of the Senate. Ted Kennedy was in the Senate for almost 47 years. He officially represented the state of Massachusetts, where I lived for decades while working as Distinguished Professor of Industrial Engineering and Director of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, but in reality, Senator Kennedy represented a large spectrum of the American population.
Despite coming from a very privileged background, he stood for decades in solidarity with the poor, the marginalised, the oppressed, and the minorities. He stood, in one word, for inclusion, diversity, and equity. Kennedy fought relentlessly for social justice. He was the brain and force behind the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986.
When Oyibo Chukwu approached me late last year and expressed interest in going to the Senate by contesting in the 2023 general election on the Labour Party platform, I had no hesitation in endorsing his ambition. I saw in him Nigeria’s version of Edward Kennedy. He was good-looking. He was charismatic. He was articulate. He was eloquent. He was informed and farsighted. More than anything else, Owelle Victor Oyibo Chukwu had an incurable passion for social justice.
A social crusader in the finest tradition, his sense of justice led him to national politics early in life. Thus he became a member of the Justice Anthony Aniagolu-led Constituent Assembly in Abuja in 1988 when he was only 30 years old. He was the administrator of Nkanu West LGA from 1994 to 1996. At less than 34, he had become the National Auditor of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which went on to win the famous June 12 1993 presidential election that was to be annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida administration. A great believer that politics should be an avenue to serve the people, rather than a few privileged people lording it over the people, Oyibo became the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary in Enugu State with the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999. But with time his interest began to wane in PDP’s brand.
Oyibo worked hard with people like Enechi Onyia (SAN) to challenge the status quo in Enugu State to enthrone a new and humane social order. Not enamoured of material acquisitions, most of the cases he handled were public interest ones. In other words, he handled the cases pro bono, free of charge. During the military regime when some generals did some bizarre things, Oyibo was in the forefront to challenge them vigorously, an example being the closure of a critical section of the ever-busy Enugu—Abakaliki Expressway by the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army. Oyibo was all over the place against the military authorities—in the media, in the streets, and, of course, in the courts.
Owelle Oyibo Victor Chukwu was the Lion of the Senate Nigeria never had. May the Good Lord welcome him in paradise.
–Professor Nnaji, CON, NNOM, FAS, was Minister of Power and is now Chairman of Geometric Power Group.