It was the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president, that told the then East Central State Governor, Ukpabi Asika, in the 1970s that “no condition is permanent.” A maxim the late Asika got its full meaning few months later, as the then General Yakubu Gowon’s regime, which made him (Asika) governor was overthrown. Well, that statement is now playing out in the life of former Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa.
Chief Udenwa who was known as Onwa (moon) in his period in Government House, Owerri, was spotted in the economy class aboard Arik Air flight number W3 162 to Lagos from Abuja on Sunday, June 23. He was not the only ex-governor who flew the economy class with other lesser mortals like this writer. The flamboyant former Governor of Kogi State, Abubakar Audu, also did. And what kept other passengers stealing a look at the duo was the fact that they did not choose the class because when the desirable is not available, the available becomes the desirable; rather, they may have flown the class out of choice probably occasioned by the content of their pockets.
What made Udenwa’s presence in the economy class surprising to people is that there was a day, during his tenure as the political head of Imo State, he delayed a flight just because he wanted someone to be removed to create space for him in the first class. The flight was delayed for about 30 minutes because he and the person he wanted checked of the flight were mistakenly issued the same boarding pass number and the guy boarded first.
Interestingly, one of the passengers that experienced that show of shame on that fateful day was also on board the 9a.m. Arik flight in which Udenwa and Audu sat on seat number 19 b and c from Abuja to Lagos. The question most of the passengers were asking is, would Achike and Audu have sat in economy class if they were still governors?
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