The Return of Late Dr. Stephen Makoji Achema

By

ACHIMUGU JULIUS AROME

( A.K.A Juliaro KING) as Executive Chairman Dekina Local Government COUNCIL...

Twenty (20) years ago precisely 6th of November, 1999 the painful fangs of death had its bite on the Igala race.We lost our gem Dr Steven Makoji Achema in a ghastly motor accident on the Murtala Mohammed Bridge at Koton Karfi along the dreaded Lokoja-Abuja road.

He was on a mission to actualizing the Igala dream of producing a governor in PDP. The game plan was to first install an Igala man as the State Chairman of the party taking a lead from the Kayode Ige experience when as State chairman he made his kith and kin the flag bearer of PDP in the 1998 election. Before then, so much horse- trading had taken place in making the stake holders zero down on the choice of Chief John Odawn the Igala man to do the big job.

This task is not without treachery from his kinsmen. They went into an unholy alliance with the Okuns to undo the Igalas. Like the proverbial Old Major in George Orwell’s Animal farm, Dr. Achema never lived to see the actualization of this dream. It was realized four years later when in April 2003 Alhaji Ibrahim Idris became the governor of Kogi State under the PDP.

One remarkable thing about the many struggles of Dr. Achema was that he succeeded using the down trodden and the trivial-many in the society. The “high and Mighty” or the elites did not so much identified with his course until his demise. They considered him too radically minded or that he is not in the comprador class of bourgeoisie’s. He had no stint in the business of primitive wealth accumulation as compared to his political rivals. He identified very much with the Common man and maintained a low profiled life style typical of most men in the popular struggle. It is not uncommon for people to assume that he had confrontation with the traditional institution. His radicalism did not call for his being conscripted into the league of title holders in Igala land.

He turned down the offer of being beaded a chief in 1976 alongside Senator Dr Ahmodu Ali by the Ata Igala.Yet he revered the institution so greatly. The formation of ICDA was his brainchild together with late John Urah Ajibili. He mobilized the entire Igala people to close shop during the undignified treatment meted on the Ata Igala by the then Military administrator in Benue State Col. Abdulahi Sheleng when he placed the Ata on house arrest in 1976.

He was the most influential grass root politician among the Igalas . No politician enjoys overwhelming genuine support from the Igala people like Late Dr Steven Achema. They believed so much in his Ideals. He lived sacrificially among his people showing empathy to their plights many see him as a problem solver. He had unequaled political machinery that covers the entire Kogi State. He maintained a dynamic leadership structure among his ranks creating what he refers to as intermediary leadership cadre as part of his succession plans for the future. He had an informal political school were he sensitizes his followers on his ideological style of micro politics. So many politicians in Kogi State owe their rise to fame and success to Dr Steven Achema.

He was a founding member of the PDP in 1998 and served in the national steering committee of the party at that time. He was a great confidant of the Likes of Professor Jerry Gana Late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi Chief Solomon Lar and ex President Olusegun Obasanjo. He used these contact to advance the Igala course. He was completely selfless in his voluntary service to the Igala people taking up worthy causes even at his own peril. A landmark instance is the 1998 governorship tussle which he prefered an Igala man on another platform to his party man from another tribe.

Dr. Steven Achema was appointed Senior Special Assistant to the President on Professional Bodies and Labour matters by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999.He used the position to enhance so many Igala people. He was extremely accessible while serving in that capacity. So much was his accessibility that his room at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja had high human traffic made up of mainly Igala people. It is a common phenomenon to meet Igala people either at the lobby or in the elevator at the Hilton Hotel Abuja all seeking to meet with Dr Achema .He died just four months in that Office.

It is very disheartening that despite all his sacrifices and investment to the development of the Igala race no body has taken the initiative to immortalize this symbol of our struggle for emancipation, that's why I Julius Achimugu Arome has decided to kick Start and continue to ride on the good work of my political icon late. Dr. Stephen Makoji Achema I called Him  the "Hero".

Conclusion

Am coming to take us back to those days of politics without bitterness with focus on mutual love, an all inclusive government, gender equality in a safe and secured environment.

I have a dream of a prosperous Dekina that works for all.

We grew up to see Late Chief John Urah Ajibili play politics of love, togetherness and progress. That is the brand we are promoting as we venture into the murky waters of politics.

Never again will our youths, Men, Children and Women be killed for political reason.

I see Dekina at the forefront of love, progress and togetherness on the political turf. Together we can 

We will inculcate into our people a brand new political experience with utmost safety and progress not undermining the need for unity.

Juliaro cares....

Support ACHIMUGU JULIUS AROME ( A. K. A Juliaro KING) as Executive Chairman Dekina Local Government COUNCIL...

Together we can!

God Bless Achema of a Blessed Memory 

God Bless Igala Land 

God Bless Dekina LGA

Together We Can

Published

By

Comr. Tijani Tahiru 

07059092563