Joseph Ebi Kanjo 

“Let us rise in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). They are on strike; they are not fighting for themselves, they are not fighting for their pockets but for all of us; for a better educational system in our country; for a better education for our children,” said 80-year-old labour activist, Comrade Jonathan Ihonde as he handled the microphone to narrate to the younger generation his experience, betrayals and persecutions he faced in the cause of fighting against social injustice and for opposing privatization of government establishments. It was the third edition of Learning from the Wise series organised by Health of Mother Foundation (HOMEF) held at Comrade Ehonde’s residence in Benin on Saturday, July 23.

As Pa Ihonde let the cat out of the bag, initiator of the programme and Executive Director, HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, told those who were seated at the feet of the 80-year-old Playwright and author of Hotel De Jordan series on NTA years back, to learn from his wealth of experience, that the programme was a deliberate platform for forging a just and sustainable future through intergenerational dialogue with elders and knowledge holders.

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Bassey, however, added that the third series with Comrade was not just the usual series as he said it was meant to celebrate and honour Comrade Ihonde on his 80th birthday and learn from his revolutionary wisdom.

In his quest for social justice, Pa Ihonde, a playwright, unionist, progressive political organizer and teacher, was arrested and detained because he stood against the privatization of government’s establishments under which over 17,000 worker were earning their daily bread in the then Mild-West Region and later Bendel State under the Military government. This human rights activist arrest was so much that even his wife almost abandoned him. Her belief was that only armed robbers could be arrested continuously the way the 80-year-old activist was arrested.

Narrating his experience to the younger ones he said: “The man I helped to become the governor of Bendel State then arrested and detained me because I was fighting for social justice. I was not fighting for my family; I was not fighting for my children but for the common interest of the public. In fact, the arrests got to a level that my innocent wife had to go and tell her father that she never knew she was married to an armed robber. According to her, only armed robbers are arrested that way.

“The enemy of progress went to tell the authorities that Ihonde had started a red revolution, so I was arrested at Dawson Road, Benin because I told the authorities that they cannot privatize a public organization that is very viable and profitable. It was during the military regime. When I was in detention at Oko Prison, the media world over including Voice America aired my arrest. The man who arrested me went to Urhonigbe Rubber Estate and said, ‘your stupid leader has been arrested; now resume your work, but they told him the man that called for the strike was yet to come and until he comes, they will not resume.”

He continues: “Why was I arrested? We had in the then Mid-West and later Bendel State, one segment of our organization called MNDC now dissolved. The organization had Urhonigbe Rubber Estate; Ughelli Glass Factory; Ewohimi Oil Palm Plantation and Tenboga, Benin with more than 17,000 workers. Foreigners came from abroad to buy from these companies in hard currencies. With all these benefits, somebody just rose up and said he was going to sell these companies to private individuals, I then told my friend that that was not possible, I resisted it.”

The 80-year-old who was trained in the Soviet Union and a frontline leader in the Radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) warned the younger generation that government’s claim that privatizing public establishments would make such establishments do better was a lie, just as he urged the public to resist such a move .

He warned: “Please be very careful. They will say the public establishment cannot manage its corporation well. Please resist it. It is a big lie. Please resist it.”

Comrade Ihonde was not just arrested and detained for fighting the government over social injustice, but was demoted as a civil servant from Grade level 12 to Grade level 4.

He further narrated: “At the end of the day, after my long stay in the prison, I was released. But because they were not satisfied, they sanctioned me. I was demoted from Grade Level 12 to Grade Level 4. They insisted that they were going to make me an example for fighting against the government.”

He urged the younger generation not to be deterred by his ordeal but to always be upright and fight for the interest of the public.

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He added: “As young people, don’t be deterred and don’t do negative things. Be careful. You cannot be fighting for social justice and you are morally corrupt. If you want to fight against corruption and oppression, you must not engage in those vices.”

The octogenarian, however, said despite his fight for the interest of the common people, he was not appreciated by many including his immediate family until recently, noting that they felt disappointed that he did not use opportunities and connection he had to acquire material wealth.

He added: “People including my children are of the belief that I wasted my time fighting for social justice. They believe that I did not use the opportunities I had to accumulate wealth. It is only recently that my children and some people started appreciating me and my works.”