By Emeka Obasi

Roses are red, politics is ultra red signifying danger. It is a game that keeps you suffering and smiling while family and friends think you are on the highway to paradise. We keep pushing our politicians to do more than sanity permits.

Elections are here again. There is pressure on candidates as expectations touch the sky. Many of those who create noise around our orthodox politicians do not mean well, they are just after what they can gain from the loot which awaits a winner.

Chief Christian Onoh confided in someone I will choose to call my source about what he experienced as governor of old Anambra State for 91 days. The Ngwo multi millionaire had barely settled down when the Beret Boys struck on December 31, 1983 and foisted Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on Nigeria.

Onoh, son of a  billionaire, found an almost empty treasury, never passed a night at Government House Enugu and lost his beloved first daughter in circumstances that were equally painful. He never bargained for what confronted him.

My source said : “ Chief Onoh did not live in his official quarters. He prepared one room where he kept a few essentials. Official assignments took place at the governor’s office. He came to work daily from Ngwo, his hometown and after work, retired to his one room, changed into less formal attire and returned to Ngwo.”

Onoh was a lawyer, he was fearless and like other Administrators in Biafra wore the military rank of Colonel. The Civil War hardened him because carnage was served daily in a sea of red blood. Innocent civilians and refugees were not spared.

When Onoh tried to familiarise himself with Government House, Enugu, he was shocked to discover a shrine near the tennis court. He reported his findings to the relevant security agencies. Determined to uproot the unwelcome sight, the governor engaged the services of a Roman Catholic priest.

“The priest came, got a full bucket of water , prayed over it but as he tried to empty the contents on the shrine, he fell like Humpty Dumpty and the water spilled all over. Fright took the better part of the reverend gentleman. He quietly gathered himself and left”, the source said.

It took powerful juju priests to silence the shrine. They found assorted items like an old woman’s tooth, frogs, dog’s head and feathers. It was not an easy task as one far away onlooker, a teenager, was blown away by ill wind from the shrine. He was lucky to survive but it signified the desired destruction. Onoh was not moved. He continued to sleep in Ngwo.

The worst came when the governor lost his bright, brainy and bold first child Josephine, who earned a PhD from the University of Hull. She was on her way home to see the dad. The Nigeria Airways Forker 28 flight she boarded from Lagos crashed as it tried to land at the Emene Airport.

JoJo found her way out, just like the  Ghanaian pilot, Andrew Obeng,  Oluwole Adewumi and his daughter and Briton, Andrew Wimhurst. She heard the cries of children inside and went back to rescue them. Then there was an explosion. Dr. Onoh died with 50 others, out of 61 passengers.

Onoh was broken. He was more pained when he discovered that Anambra was broke. He had to borrow money to pay workers. This was a departure from his father’s Rock Onoh Foundation that never owed salaries. It was too much to bear. The Second Republic had its tales.

While Onoh mourned, there was rumour that he refused to vacate his father’s house in Ngwo because there was a special room reserved for all kinds of magic. The governor took my source round all the rooms in Ngwo to prove his enemies wrong. He had to build his own house to escape being taunted as a titled man who lived in his father’s house.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo also had a tortous political calendar. He fell out with his friend, Chief Ladoke Akintola, went to jail and lost his first son in a car crash which he heard on radio before the sad news was officially broken to him.

Segun Awolowo studied Law at Cambridge University.  He returned to Nigeria full of hope. On July 10, 1963, his sister’s driver was taking him on a journey. The vehicle crashed on the Lagos- Ibadan Highway. It was around Idi -Aba the same spot where popular Ibadan politician, Chief Adegoke Adelabu ( Penkelemes) died in 1958.

Segun and Akintola’s first son, Abayomi were friends. Akintola and Awo were lawyers and had media leanings. Akintola’s wife, Faderera was an Awomolo before she got married. The Akintolas also lost a child, Mrs Omolade Odunjo shortly before the Are Onakakanfo was killed in the January 1966 coup. All these happened in the First Republic.

Senator George Akume is one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministers. He was governor of Benue State between 1999 and 2007. In 2004, his convoy was attacked and lives were wasted. One of the victims was  former Managing Director of Nigeria Airways, Andrew Agom.

Agom sat with Akume in the same official vehicle. It remains one of the mysteries of the Fourth Republic how the governor escaped death.

Politicians are not free from danger and travails. All those who are planning to to use foul means to grab power should remember yesterday. Power does not guarantee safety.It does not always offer self satisfaction.

Supporters whose job  all day long is to hang around politicians pushing them to go steal our commonwealth should think twice. It does not bring a sweeter tomorrow. If Awo and Akintola could part ways, remember you are just nothing before those you want to die for.