By CHIEF RALPH OBIOHA
My attention has been drawn to a Press Statement titled: “PUBLIC ALERT ON NEFARIOUS AGENDA OF NADECO IMPOSTOR, LLOYD UKWU IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, dated 9th March, 2023 and signed by one Dele Alake, the Special Adviser to Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In my capacity as a NADECO chieftain and it’s former Head in North America, and having read this diatribe by Dele Alake and being aware of the ignoble intentions behind it, below therefore is my considered response to it.
1, First, Prof Wole Soyinka was never a member of NADECO. At the time, he had contemporaneously formed his own group which he called NALCO and which, according to Prof Soyinka, was aimed at forming a Nigerian Government in Exile. Soyinka’s role in NADECO was limited to occasional collaborations because NADECO saw him as someone who was generally pursuing goals somewhat similar to that of NADECO.
2, Attorney Lloyd Ukwu (the person disparaged by Dele Alake in his Press Statement) was a major pillar in the NADECO struggle, especially in the American continents, comprising the United States, Canada and some South American countries. When NADECO had no kobo, Dr Ukwu sponsored three air tickets to Ottawa, Canada, one to Haiti and costly outreaches to many countries, includingTaiwan.
3, Initially, Dr Ukwu donated a befitting office space for NADECO in the prestigious Georgetown area of Washington DC, USA and he went on to later secure an exclusive-use office for NADECO directly opposite the headquarters of the FBI. This was deliberately done to ensure that NADECO and its principal officers like my humble self were completely protected with proximity to the seat of United States apex security agency.
4, This Dele Aleke is a Johnny-come-lately who does not have any factual knowledge of what he is talking about in the said Press Statement. He cleverly but clumsily avoided talking about me, even as it is in the public domain that I was the head of NADECO USA and Canada. He did not even have the basic decency of mentioning Chief John Oyegun who, who like Lloyd Ukwu, played a diverse mix of pivotal roles.
5, In the same vein, this Dele Alake minimised the major roles of our heroes past, such as Chief Anthony Enahoro, Rear Admiral Ndublsl Kanu, Air Commodore Dan Sulueman, Chief Ralph Uwaechie, etc. Needless mentioning the names of high foreign officials who went beyond the call of duty to carry our burden for us and, through NADECO, helped us restore democracy in Nogeria.
6, For the record and because Alake was indirectly playing the ethnic card, let me state that Dr Lloyd Ukwu is married to a Yoruba lady by name of Remi, a prominent pharmacist in the United States. It is gross injustice to the contributions of Ukwu to our noble struggle to enthrone civil rule in Nigeria to suggest that he or NADECO, as presently constituted are working for Peter Obi. For the record, we worked for and are still working for enthronement of true democracy based on the popular will of Nigerians, as expressed through free and fair election.
7, In conclusion, let it be clear that Attorney Lloyd Ukwu is legitimate; his NADECO activities and credentials are legitimate; and he has the inalienable right to hold his political opinion, especially when geared to helping our democracy to flourish through a credible electoral process. We indeed need more activists like him.
Signed:
Chief Ralph Obioha
Former Head of NADECO, North America.