Enwerem: Dishonouring the Dead

Comfort Obi

The funeral of His Excellency, Senator (Chief) Evan Enwerem,former governor of Imo State, former President, Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, goes down as one of the most scandalous events in Nigeria in the year of our Lord, 2007. It goes down as one of the most humiliating treatment ever given to a dead man. And the ultimate scandal is that it was his family, led by two women, both of whom he married with his money, and maintained, his children, whose school fees he paid and invested in, that humiliated him in death.
Everybody treated Enwerem like a hero in death. Everybody tried to send him off to the world beyond with his honour intact. The government of Imo State, led by his former commissioner, now Imo State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, rolled out the red carpet to give Enwerem a befitting funeral. He set up a burial committee, with a national outlook, befitting the status of the late Senate President. The respected Senator Ike Nwachukwu, himself a former military governor of Imo State, and former Foreign Affairs Minister, was the chairman. On the day of the “Night of Tributes” for Enwerem in Abuja, Ohakim was there. When it was his time to pay a tribute, he was so overwhelmed with grief that he couldn’t say much. But he made that up in his very touching tribute in Enwerem’s funeral programme (brochure). At the Night of Tributes, many prominent Nigerians, including the Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President, David Mark, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, Senators, Honourable members, Ex-Senate Presidents, governors, and many more were there.
The Senate over which he presided as President, and the National Assembly which chairman he was, treated him like a hero in death. They honoured him to high heavens. Enwerem was an impeached President of the Senate. Meaning: At death, his body ought not have been taken to the National Assembly to lie in state. But a couple of days before his body was due to leave Abuja, since he died at the National Hospital, Abuja, the Senate vacated his impeachment, and paved the way for the honour given him at the National Assembly. It also bought a beautiful casket, befitting a former Senate President, for him. The House of Representatives adjourned for a day in Enwerem’s honour.
In Owerri, Enwerem’s body was received at the Airport by almost every who-is-who in the state on Thursday, September 27, and taken to the multi-purpose hall for a lying-in-state ceremony. Thereafter, it was taken to the Dan Anyiam Stadium for a church service. Imo people and their friends were there in their hundreds. The next day, it was taken to the Imo State House of Assembly for more tributes and, thereafter to the Imo State High Court. A renowned lawyer, his colleagues too honoured him in death.
On Friday, the day of his burial, Ohakim declared a public holiday in Imo State. That was the day his body proceeded to his home town, Atta, Ikeduru. His casket, of course, was draped in the Nigerian flag – the highest honour any country can give its own in death. In his home town Atta, his people trooped out in their hundreds, lined up the roads and streets to bid farewell to their own, and to set eyes on the hundreds of dignitaries who had descended on their town to honour Enwerem. And boy, there were many people. The Vice President, the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, ex-Senate Presidents, Senators, Governors, ex-Governors, Honourable members of the House, Traditional rulers, Industrialists, Academics, just everybody. And as the icing on the cake, the Bishop of Owerri, Anglican Communion, His Lordship, Dr. Cyril Okorocha, decided to preside at the funeral service. More on this later.
But it was on this day that Enwerem’s family chose to disgrace him, dishonour him, embarrass him, and in the process, embarrassed the hundreds of people, including the Vice President and the Senate President who couldn’t believe what was going on. How did Enwerem’s day of honour turn to a day of dishonour? Simple.
Enwerem had two wives, Cristina, his Portuguese first wife, and Vivienne, his second wife, who was the First Lady in Imo State when he was the governor. Given the benefit of hindsight, trouble started as soon as Enwerem died on July 1, 2007. The first official statement, in the form of an obituary, as put by his first son, Miguel, pointed to the discord. He identified everybody by their "title" – first wife, second wife, first son, and so on. That was the day yours truly knew Enwerem had a first wife.
But let's fast forward this story. On the eve of Enwerem’s burial, the body was carried, straight from the stadium, to be deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri. That was where the sign that there could be a public disgrace showed. On getting to the mortuary, scores of angry young men had invaded the place with an intent to hijack the body. It took the intervention of soldiers who threatened to shoot anybody who dared to scare them away. On Friday, the burial date, as soon as the body touched his house, it was seized by the children of, allegedly, his first wife. Enwerem’s body was locked up in a room, and so all the dignitaries who had gone to his house to pay him the traditional last respect were not allowed to do so. A good number of them left for their various destinations from there, in shock. But that was just scene two. Scene one was the mortuary bit above. You know, the disgrace came in scenes.
Scene three was at the Church. All the dignitaries including the Vice President, Senate President, ex-Senate Presidents, Senators, governors, ex-Governors, traditional rulers, the high and mighty, the not so-high and mighty from all over Nigeria were all seated. Bishop Okorocha was presiding. There were tens of priests. And the choir. But the shock: Enwerem’s body was not in church. For three hours, the congregation waited. Na lie. His body was not brought. So, led by the choir, the congregation began to sing from the funeral programme. The Bishop started the church service. Still, no Enwerem’s body. The church service kept progressing. Nothing. The Bishop mounted the pulpit, and began the sermon. Still nothing. Embarrassed and nervous, Senator Chris Anyanwu, along with a few Igbo sons, left the church service for Enwerem’s house to find out why everybody was being held hostage in the church. Former Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa, was already there pleading. The first inkling that perhaps the emissaries had succeeded was when Vivienne walked in, straight-faced, alone, into the church. She did not accompany the body. Unconfirmed sources alleged that she was pushed out when she stood directly behind the casket, and asked to line up behind the first wife if she wanted to accompany the body. Twenty minutes later, 3.30 p.m, the body arrived. By that time many people had left, and the Bishop was almost done with the sermon. But he brilliantly managed, while preaching forgiveness, to condemn polygamy and the men who sow wild oats all over the place. He called them hooligans! He made the point that he should not have come to preside at that funeral, given the polygamous status of the dead, but he had to do it after praying to God, in order to preach forgiveness, and to tell some Nigerian bigmen that they will continue to reap what they sow. I don’t want to interpret this as regards Enwerem’s case. Let me proceed to scene four.
After the church service, there was nobody to carry the casket out of the church, inspite of the Bishop’s intermittent announcements “Come and carry the body, let’s go and bury our brother. The service is ended.” Every, body stood up for the body and the dignitaries to file out. But nobody came for the casket. At a point, since there was nobody to do that, it was announced that because of the condition of the Imo Airport (no facilities for night flights), some of the dignitaries, including Vice President Jonathan would have to leave so as to be able to travel. But Jonathan and others felt it was disrespectful to leave the church before the body. So, they said they would stay until the body leaves. But after over 10 more minutes of “no-show,” they were forced to leave, followed by the governors and all other dignitaries. Enwerem’s body was abandoned in the church for the Bishop, the priests, the choir, his disrespectful family members, and a few other people. A staff of Ebony funeral home was to say later that security men stopped the pall bearers from entering the church!
Question: Why did Enwerem’s family drag him in the mud the way they did?
Answer: They were fighting for the spoils of war. They were fighting for the toils of the man. They were fighting for the things the man left behind . They were fighting for houses, cars, shares, bank account balances. And yes, I remember: Death certificate. They alleged that Vivienne, who was by his side when he died, took the death certificate and refused to release it to the family. They alleged that she had documents to other things, including choice properties. So, the condition: All that must be thoroughly discussed, or no burial. In deed, the state government and the burial committee had been mediating in all that to no avail. At the end, they thought that the family would allow reason to prevail, and so respect their father and husband. But the family members didn’t care. They didn’t care about the disgrace they were giving to their head of family. All they wanted were the spoils of war. But you know my answer to all that: Stupid. And you know why?
They disgraced themselves, nobody else. Was Enwerem the only known polygamist? Two wives only? How many children? The late MKO Abiola had over 50 women who claimed to be his wives. He had over 100 children clinging to his name. Yet, at death, they hononoured him. They didn’t start fighting over his will and properties until much later.
The actions of Enwerem’s family members are, to put it mildly, irresponsible. So what if Vivienne had the death certificate and other documents? Were those of any priority at that point in time? Why didn’t they play along, and give their father the honour others had bestowed on him, and then kill themselves after the burial ceremonies? Why didn’t they wait and hold whoever was holding the cursed documents hostage after the burial? Why didn’t they wait and exhume the body after everybody had left? Why did they choose to disgrace, and dishonour their own? What do they think Nigerians are thinking of them now? It is a shame. But it is a good lesson for the Nigerian “big man.” They must learn to put their houses in order at any point in time. It is important.
But back to the Enwerem family. There is an irony here. In her tribute to her husband, Cristine, the first wife, had written: “My best tribute (to you) is our pledge that we will honour your name….” Question: Was that pledge kept? It was broken even before the man was buried. His name was dishonoured by petty family wranglings.
Vivienne, the second wife, had in her own tribute written: “You made me the First Lady of Imo State, and the Third Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I could not ask for more.” My response: Such frivolities. First Lady! Third Lady!! Such egocentric pronouncements!!!
As the governor of Imo State, a very mischievous opposition had dubbed Enwerem, for whatever reasons, “Ozu Urban,” literally meaning “Urban Corpse.” That was long before a more postive title, Mature, was given to him. In death, he was not even treated like an Urban Corpse. He was treated like a local corpse. And his family members were so immature in their behaviour. So sad. For such a national figure, it is a shame.