By Eferovo Igho
Between September 25, 1942 and September 12, 2011 he was here. He lived a child prodigy, with rare academic excellence his badge at Government College, Ughelli. He survived many life-taking incidences growing up. But that he lived you knew the Creator’s Eye was not only greatly set on him, but that he also has sweeping success waiting to unfold. So, always putting his back to anything he has elected to do, he came clear as a genius in his overseas undergraduate and graduate schools, had enthralling time in his spell at the World Bank, dazzled his compatriots with his onerous feat in the Nigerian Steel Industry and earned legendary status in political sagacity. His, was a good run in life-journey showcasing ceaseless marvels. From a weak prefacing of Fred Aghogho Brume’s narrative, we can go now to the body.
Scintillating sportsman, Brume was a sport man to watch, whether at the Government College where he left with a fantastic ‘A’, or at Maine where he was member of 1963’s University of Maine pioneer soccer first team, with another Nigerian, Kay Oluwole, also starring. Reading chemical engineering, he combined work and play so well again, leaving that University with one of the best First Class in the history of the school. It was equally an enthralling story at Stanford where he did his graduate school, studying Industrial Management. This believer in ‘all works without play makes Jack a dull boy’ was always student-crowd puller, academic model, lecturers’ darling, a reference point any school he passed through. At work, he thought ahead of his peers, wont to leaving trailblazing records behind in his bits. So he was when the World Bank understandably needed his service. His brilliance and strides there were soon to pave way for him to lead industrial revolution in Nigeria.
STEEL CUM BOARDROOM GURU
Believing he must have the magic wand to take the steel sector off ground, apparently being the leading Nigerian star in that firmament home and abroad, the Federal Government in the first instance detailed him to start from ground zero the Aladja Steel Project and understandably made him the Project Coordinator, which project design probably was to be the first project of such gargantuan dream in African Industrialization history as at the time, and which was also to be the signpost to lead the way for Ajaokuta Steel Complex take-off. The Research that went into the project construction, the construction itself and its astounding completion was all the ingenuity of Brume and a supportive team. Headed, inspired and driven by Brume, it was a team that consisted of the Animashauns, Greens et al, a team I was privileged to be close to from the late 1970s when I related well with them as the most informed African worker at Gardenia Hotel, Warri, the Hotel of their choice whilst raising up the Aladja project. Completed, set for real action, Brume was expectedly appointed the General Manager.
Of course, Brume’s real stuff spurts to the full glare and amazement of all and sundry with many a mouth agape, hand akimbo. It was a compelling watch of this African marvel. Yes, he had begun a new phase of exploit at his new Delta Steel Company assignment, and having in the first place quickly taken it from ground zero to Olympian height, its newsy bubble and wave surged back to the rest of the world! Nigeria has become poised for development. Brume has soared to dizzy height of stardom; a brand at home, a marvel beyond our shores! The world was waiting and watched the sleeping Africa Giant taking her two legs off the bed and arm-pressing the mattress to get up. Alas, The Nigerian Factor came in! The then Nigerian government in a wave of maddening arrest swept many a top politicians and national actors, including Brume, into prison.
Space will not allow Brume’s dazzling story in the Steel sector to be well told here, but suffice to add that since the Nigerian factor (which Brume apparently may have invited though) plucked him out of his so endearingly pioneering feat in the steel industry, a feat that earned him the epithet of Nigerian Steel Guru, the Nigerian steel industry has only known flood of woes, with no remedy in sight, even after decades of his exiting that industry. O Aladja, Ajaokuta, Itakpe et cetera – tell the story not on our streets! Decades have rolled by, the country have not only returned in situ: that is, full-back to bed in this case; but worse still, even now fully blanketed head to toe and heavily snoring away. O that Nigeria had good insight to know that with the pulling out of Brume from the steel sector, Nigeria was pulling the plug on that sector and walking out of the industrial stage!
NIGER-DELTA ACTIVIST PER EXCELLENCE
He loved Nigeria dearly and it was his dream to see it beacon of hope to the developing world. Yet, he loved Niger-Delta far more, and resolved to make Niger-Delta start that course of lightening the developing world, which can only be when it (Niger-Delta) first shows Nigeria the way. As a Senator, he had far better offers in the Senate, including being a principal officer, but he elected to serve as Chairman of Niger Delta Committee of the Senate. He was one of the closest Senators and South-Southerners to Obasanjo, sometimes stooping so low because of the Region, and for which reason he worked against the impeachment of Obasanjo at the Senate headed then by Anyim Pius Anyim. For this, Anyim ostensibly made him to forfeit the Chair of the Senate Steel Committee which Brume chaired from February 2001 after the Niger-Delta Committee.
Whilst he lasted as Chairman of the Steel Committee, he vouchsafed to pursue the onerous goal of reviving the Steel Industry. On this he was, therefore, all hands on Obasanjo’s neck. There was huge talk and effort to get Ajaokuta, Itakpe back on line, Aladja started getting some lifeline. The rail line to link them up and by it to supply items to them and evacuate their products was rolling out. I remember Brume pulling me in to join that Senate Committee’s entourage to Ajaokuta, Itakpe and Aladja using that Railroad when the Committee went on oversight tour of those facilities: the Steel complexes, rolling mill and rail line. Brume’s dream and drive were high, and you could sense the industry was at last poised to notch up victory again. Then Anyim cut it all down!
Never one to put himself off the stroke till he sees astounding result, Brume before now had singularly masterminded what is today Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). That is just for the mention, this being public knowledge and accepted fact. His ingenuity, visits and penetrating chats with Obasanjo gave rise to it. Again, Brume was the key brain behind the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun. And it was he who got Obasanjo’s nod and gained government approval for same. Strangely, how largely unsung a great masterstroke! Later, his outcry for proper funding of the same University may make up a volume. Indeed, if the initial story of FUPRE is to be well told by Obasanjo, the role of Brume will spark all through that chronicle; never mind what his detractors are saying to the contrary. They are merely sounding out blindly. Individual trips by Brume to Obasanjo and group trips led by him to Obasanjo with yours sincerely, at least being part of one of such in this wise, cannot be well told here.
Yes, Brume’s love for the Niger-Delta is nonesuch. What with his NIDOCODO? O how he criss-crossed the entire Niger-Delta region with that, seeking peace in the face of ‘volcanic turbulence and eruption’! You can’t forget his lectures across the region talking peace and development to the citizenry. And when peace was ushered in at last, you must extend credit to the chief catalyst of that: Brume. His position on the Petroleum Industry Bill and the Liquefied Natural Gas Project which have been merely recycled overtime by some are always evergreen. From his Urhobo nation so dear to him to the Greater Warri of his dream to Niger Delta, Brume set up talk platforms like no other man did, and his works or lectures in these areas will always be research materials any day. His advisory roles in major Niger-Delta stakeholder-bodies and pressure groups like TROMPCOM, HOSTSCOM etc., and his meetings with them that became catalysts of many of their actions and influence on governance across the Niger-Delta will always be written in bold letters.
At some point Brume desired the chairmanship position of the NDDC, being his brainchild. Knowing the pains that informed that, this also being his driving force in giving being to it, thought he could drive it better, but he was sidelined by the same clique who also maneuvered the way for another of theirs though far more urbane than them. But not being the carrier of the vision he and others after him in that office have woefully failed to bring home the bacon. You thought they would’ve come to Brume for guidance. Perhaps, that’s not in the character of Nigerians. And they have kept rubbishing this rare interventionist organ in the Region!
COMBAT WITH SOCIETY’S SPOILERS
A far worse thing also crept up: Resource Control! Resource Control: What is it? What approach? Who will listen to see beyond nuances and into the vast difference in ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ stances? Should the bad, worse still; the ugly, take on the stage as James Ibori and his boys did with it? Brume answered in the negative.
So brilliant, soundly logical, deeply thoughtful and, or far reaching in thought, hardworking, result driven and stubbornly focused on a good course, Brume may be sometimes picky, especially with lazy and un-thoughtful people. But generally, he was always driven by results. Once he stood against a bad course especially that which will take society backward, he pulls out anything in his disposal against it. And billion rancid voices can hardly stymied him.
A case in point was the Resource Control tomfoolery. Brume believed in Resource Control too well, but not one bit of the self-serving type. He saw the need for constitutional amendment to achieve that. Until that and in the absence of an arm struggle which the Niger-Delta Region cannot engage in, he being a democrat and knowing too that we don’t have such arms to wage any war, canvassed for gradual increase in the derivation fund whilst we continue to multiply our podiums, platforms and daises and our lobbyists and campaigners en route constitutional amendment. Thus he thought of irresistibly selling true Federalism to the rest of society eventually.
So, none of these self-seeking Resource Control promoters ever love Niger-Delta than Brume. NONE! Having foul up governance as a rule, and now wanting further gain of that in their self-serving Resource Control hoax, Brume reasoned it’s time sanity prevailed, and the actors in this long stretched sickening political panorama now climaxing in pretentious and deceptive Resource Control hype be stopped. To him theirs was portentous theatricals, a take hugely informed.
But Brume’s approach to that stoppage was progressive: Seeing Ibori and other of his (Brume’s) boys in Ibori government slipped off his (Brume’s) hands and ran riot and Ibori’s government gone haywire, Brume felt a responsibility, first to advise, then to caution and lastly to confront them, never minding the undercurrent of resentment that greeted his position because he knew the insincerity of the dramatists (these his strayed boys) in the matter. But he was soon to meet a lion’s den in these avowed State Treasury bandits. At Okpe Hall, Sapele, a hall filled to all four corners with half that number outside surging to cram in, political rascality soared to new heightened abnormality.
When Brume suggested I should go with him, though bad I knew this would be, I never knew we were to drive into an assemblage of ruffianish folks. What a sad concourse of like skewed-minds, conference of birds of the same feathers; all, turned consummate profligate! O the fate of the two strangers and odd men around that day– viz. Brume and yours sincerely! Goose-necked, eagled-clawed, and tiger-faced, as it were, and all poised and readied to trounce any moment, you suspected admixture of hard drugs, strong herbs and harsh spirits including sapele water or ogogoro could turn humans such. Somebody somewhere orchestrated all that, and through his proxies, railroaded this sea of his fellow looters into uncouth affronters and attack dogs, and Brume was at the receiving end of it all. Leading this infamous throng were so-called commissioners, MPs, Council chairmen/members et cetera, all acting exactly as proceeding from some lions’ colony – what a political class! It was the greatest show of incivility and shame I ever witnessed in life. I have seen what takes place in our motor parks etc., but this was the worst of raw deal I’ve seen. Too howling, mindless and bestial, its reminiscence stirs to near throw up. But we got out of the very nauseating and sickening lion’s den with primitive attack force and deafening Babel anyway. A good riddance that upped my resolve and readiness to clean the Augean stable from the media front! I wished never again to see such a motley gang with brains exercised to going-over an illustrious personality as Brume was.
The good thing was that the Okpe Hall squalid show gave them away and undressed their pretext; a fool could see into their foolery. You clearly didn’t see among them a Martin Luther King Jnr, Isaac Boro, Ken Saro Wiwa or Nnamdi Kanu, but drainers of our commonwealth who, considering the 13% derivation not serving their lust and insatiability enough, that being too little to drain off now going by their new status both in thievery and its resultant wealth, see in their brand of Resource Control avenue to tunnel a rail track through to that commonwealth to ride home in droves; strangely dangerous and wicked types of Oliver Twist they are, a ‘chop and quench’ host. Just to say that Brume lost no sleep over the actions of these strange breed at Okpe Hall, but rather saw a towering ground to run his course to Everest, even as I resolved to buoy up the distinguished Senator in the fight against bestiality and extreme profligacy in government.
STRUGGLE TO RESTORE SANITY
And so, I made my full media machine available for the course, and from thenceforth Brume knew he had apparatchik in me. And yours sincerely rolled scores of revealing and well-articulated write-ups that the media world and the reading public was to feast on. The first of those I did attracted 2page Congratulatory Letter from Brume, a word master himself. I crave your indulgence to take a sip from it: “Yesterday, upon my return from my Overseas trip, an article was brought to my attention … which article was entitled “Time and Posterity Will Vindicate Brume”. The article was authored by your good self. When I read through, I was over-joyed and over-whelmed by the strength of your analysis of the goings-on in the PDP set-up in Delta State, the quality of scholarship and research demonstrated in the article, and the very outstanding way in which you have succeeded in recalling and articulating the happenings orchestrated at Sapele-Okpe Hall, on that faithful Sunday of the so-called PDP leaders meeting of Delta Central. The quality of the article was simply outstanding and it manifested an intellectual worth in you that had previously not been recognized by me …” In it all, Brume seemed to know he will be laughing.
This said article published by several newspapers including Vanguard and ThisDay, became the precursor of scores of others by yours sincerely in a media battle that blew the lid off bad governance in Delta State until the huge threat it attracted took one underground, a time I was privileged to be briefly housed in Lagos within that period of concealment by Brume and his wife, Lizzy Brume. What a woman, what blend of humility and intelligence, simplicity and well-earned reputation, what a mother, what a blessing she was to the distinguished Senator, and still is to the children: Just a parenthetical peep into the home front!
Yes, others properly alerted by those aforesaid works joined the trail not too long after, and the vindication of Brume soon rocketed to the sky, and with that his standpoint which barely attracted laudatory comments from Niger-Deltans crystallized at home with many a critics and sundry folks. I remember Pa Edwin Clark in the presence of Pa J. P. Clark telling me at the Clark’s Kiagbodo ancestral home long before this, that Brume has met his waterloo because of the festering grudge, cacophony and babel of words coming from Asaba. But not too long he, Clark, was to start bashing these people from all visible angles on other related subjects.
RETURN OF THE PEOPLE’S GENERAL
One was thus squarely occupied to see these misfits off Asaba when Great Ogboru, the People’s General, flew in from exile. He and Brume were evidently talking before that. So, when Brume brought the struggle under this childhood friend of mine who himself has grown to become a towering marvel, I nodded readily. And expectedly too, I brought my media desk, though working as usual from a distance, under Great Ogboru. Needless saying dozens of other equally brilliant write-ups found their way out.
It was in-between all that Brume passed on September 12, 2011. And about three and half years afterwards, I packed up my media apparatus when I thought I began noticing increasing bungling of the struggle by the Opposition, especially with unchecked infiltration (from Asaba) of those wanting to contest election under Ogboru’s canopy and with his wings. Indeed, it became a huge influx. Though the leadership of the Opposition remained under the radar in this matter, I thought this has or will compromise and rubbish the struggle knowing fully well that Ogboru won all elections he hitherto partook in as contestant up to that time without these boys and will always win any election without them, even as Independent candidate if constitution allows. So, rather than give these people a wide berth, they streamed in, simply taking the edge off the struggle. I felt it was a very disturbing way of weakening the only organized bastion of the struggle.
I must own however, that Pius Ewherido, the early quitter of that heinous nest and who came over to the Opposition relatively did well in the Senate before he left earthly folks abruptly. Ovie Omo-Agege who also later joined the Opposition, was a key spoiler among the top spoilers – and of course, I did several pieces against him. He has since confirmed my sundry write-ups over time to the effect that they have all the while been stealing the several mandates of Ogboru. And he appears now a changed man and like Brume and Ewherido is doing some good jobs at the Senate. Rather be late turning a new leaf than never! I am enlivened. But my new fondness of Ovie actually started when he fought hard and sent packing a worse man and rogue Senator from the Senate. By that he saved our dear Urhobo nation immeasurably.
The Brume’s benchmark at the Senate may have been a challenge for Ewherido, a performance which ostensibly was his spur, apparently knowing that the Senator in-between them blew up those precious years of Urhobo in the Senate having, in the first place, been installed by the clique who care nothing about result, to spite Brume. Though Brume initially blew a fuse he was soon to roll a very bad stitch-up behind for the sake of his beloved constituency. Now, I see Ovie doing a good one with the baton he took over from Pius. Of course, it cannot be otherwise. That is what Brume would have asked for if he were still here.
STILL ON BRUME’S OBASANJO NEXUS, POLITICS
Brume, Obasanjo: What about it! Two brains, workaholics, ‘turners-to-Christ in prisons and professors of Christianity in affluence (outside prison): There was much that bound these fellows. Tied to what has been earlier said already, Brume’s closeness (as a Senator) with Obasanjo, the then President, was never in doubt. It was understandable therefore that he was often now and then with or representing Obasanjo in political, Christian and other fora at home and abroad. Some think that ate into his senatorial task. Far from it! If anything, that was his huge plus, and was a matter of jealousy with other senators in Senate.
Brume was ostensibly privy to many an executive subject matters and files of very sensitive nature begging for his good attention by way of his usual sound commentaries, informed views and sound inputs. Being the eagle beaver and workaholics he was, Brume was to do so much delegated works from the Presidency. Though not a loud mouthed one in the Senate, his sagacity, forthrightness, insight, eloquent logic, calm, avant-garde roles, stratagems and maneuverings in Senate and exceptional way he weaves his way to the Presidency with their attendant results in the Senate and his constituency were all well noted, respected and emulated by his colleagues in Senate. Indeed, his relevance to the then Government of Obasanjo, the Senate and his constituency cannot be overemphasized.
As a Senator he lightened up the Senate from time to time. What do I mean? If you ever heard ‘Gboza’ sounded out from that chamber in his days, then you may wish to know who owns the ‘proprietary right’ to that. Brume, of course! As believer in blending some play with hard work to make Jack his best, as already mentioned, ‘Gboza’ for him was acknowledgement of excellence, easing of stress, calming of emotion and promotion of conviviality in the Senate. If only governance in our clime knows continuity: Sooner or later ‘gboza” would have made a good sell to Africa and you never can tell, the rest of the world. And by the way, from democracy to politics to governance to everything: At what point should Europe. America and the rest of the world copy us, or must it always be eternally otherwise?
Of course, having what it takes – the heart-throb, brilliance, knowhow, focus and sincerity – to rule Nigeria, Brume stepped out as aspirant to the candidacy of the 2007 presidential election. A matchless technocrat with intimidating grasp of statecraft like none I know in our clime , you were getting set to hear the national applause this would trigger, but he was quickly denied that at home: The South-South People’s Assembly Presidential Search Committee thought they had a better candidate. What undoing that was to Niger-Delta and the larger country may not be well known in time. Suffice to say that the agony the Region and the country are still passing through today, may have well been a yesterday’s thing if Brume’s consuming knowledge of the place of Industry in development of a country and his avowed resolve to drive that, coupled with the Asian Tigers examples he is well abreast with, it would almost certainly have been a different (acceptable) tune resonating everywhere by now. That is to say, causes of all these present national turbulences would have been well arrested, and the turbulences turned into national sinuous courses, thus making us sitting pretty by now among African, nay developing, nations.
BIOGRAPHY THAT WAS NOT
Anyhow, few years before Brume passed on, he had wanted his life adventures and exploits told by way of quality and telling biography. Knowing this is my turf and wanting real literary ‘justice’ with journalistic bent, he thought a work as this, may necessarily revolve around me. This he hinted me. But because he has around an old secondary classmate who has become something like associate professor at the time, he nominated him the lead author or editor, apparently as placatory gesture, with me as co-author or co-editor. I was ready to acquiesce with that. But this man never wanted co-authorship or anything like that, even though everyone, including Brume and his classmate, knew the whole thing would indeed revolve around me. Yet, this Brume’s classmate just wanted a man who has been highly contributing to national discourse since the old Daily Times days, well published by each of leading national newspapers and a former columnist in one of them to be a research boy feeding him, even though you try to Google him and finding clean-zero work to his name.
Yes, he is a brain in his own right, and ran on scholarship as a student. Yes, he is abreast with classics, music and majored in Economics. But here was Brume, the politician, looking for something else – a journalistic bent, a selling angle – which he must not get! The gross false academic pride and unqualified arrogance exhibited by this man was so disgusting, causing my swift flight. That unavoidable exit was the end of a potentially extra-ordinary biography. The next thing I heard was that our man has gone to be in the bosom of one of the new era private universities which ownership is linked to Ibori.
Well, Brume is since gone. And what should September 12, 2011 mean to Nigeria? Methinks it is a challenge to fill the many voids the exit of this star created.
Igho writes from Nakuru, Kenya