Sam Nujoma, enthusiastically celebrated in Nigeria, By Owei Lakemfa

Samuel Shafiishuna Daniel Nujoma was on the verge of an historic victory on 11 November, 1989. The votes for the primary democratic elections in Namibia, his lengthy struggling nation, have been being counted. The colonial South African Apartheid regime was billed to grant independence in March 1990.

It was evening. Out of the blue, the lights went off. Nujoma and the South West Africa Individuals’s Organisation, SWAPO, liberation motion he had co-founded, have been far forward within the vote depend and it appeared that the Apartheid regime was bent on scuttling the method.

Among the election monitoring groups, together with Nigeria, instantly organised all vehicles obtainable to change on their lights and beam them on the counting centre. Additionally, the contingent of Nigeria policemen produced their torch lights to test any potential rigging and, allow the counting to go on.

A member of the Nigerian delegation, Ambassador Joe Keshi, then walked as much as the chief of the Apartheid regime on the centre and warned that with Nujoma and SWAPO in a snug lead within the vote depend earlier than the lights went off, it should stay so in any other case the regime would have severe hassle in its arms. The Apartheid chief protested his innocence, saying the sunshine failure was merely coincidental.

After the depend and clear victory, Keshi went to see Nujoma in his home. He was not conscious that Nujoma had been briefed about him confronting the Apartheid chief. As quickly as he entered the sitting room, the well-known guerilla fighter, in pleasure,grabbed Keshi and tried to carry him off the bottom. Each males virtually fell. That was the very heat, hospitable, respectful and humane Nujoma.

On the Wednesday, February 26, 2025 celebration of the lifetime of Nujoma held within the Rotunda Corridor of the Nigerian International Affairs Ministry, retired Assistant Inspector Basic of Police Ezidinma Ifejika recalled the lights out incidence. He had led the 183-man Nigerian police contingent to Namibia. Instantly the lights went off, his males had produced torch lights to forestall any hanky-panky. He mentioned Nujoma later despatched for him and personally thanked him for the short intervention of the Nigerian policemen.

After the elections, the brand new authorities requested that the Nigerian, Irish, Pakistani, Ghanaian and Indian contingents stayed for one more three months to show the Namibian Police higher policing.

The Apartheid regime had conceded to Namibian independence for 1990 after the Cuban army had travelled 11,032 kilometres to Angola and inflicted a crushing defeat on its army forces. The unrelenting Cuban forces had pushed again the invading Apartheid army into Namibia. To keep away from a catastrophic capitulation, Apartheid South Africa signed a truce agreeing to Namibian and South African independence.

On the Abuja programme for Nujoma, Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero who met Nujoma quite a lot of instances, mentioned the comradeship of Cubans and Namibians was solid on the battlefield. She mentioned Cuba awarded Nujoma the Jose Marti award for his contributions to human liberation. Palmero, a former World Youth Chief, recommended Nujoma for making youths an integral a part of decision-making in Namibia.

The Angolan Embassy mentioned in Nujoma we now have misplaced a Pan Africanist who devoted his whole life to the reason for freedom. It recalled that Nujoma lived a part of his exile life in Angola the place SWAPO additionally had a base which was partly accountable for the invasions by Apartheid forces.

International Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar paid tribute to Nujoma whom he described as an African large who was not a vacillator. Nujoma, he mentioned, was a voice of the unvoiced and champion of the marginalised who helped to unite the various teams of Namibia. He praised him for giving precedence to schooling and healthcare.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCON, Secretary Basic of the Commonwealth of Nations, 1990-2000, mentioned it was with disappointment he heard that the nice Iroko tree of Namibia had fallen. He recalled that Nujoma was so appreciative of the position he performed within the independence battle that he conferred Namibia’s nationwide honour on him.

Senator Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu, a retired Main Basic who was Nigeria’s International Minister in 1990, the 12 months Namibia secured independence, recalled that once they met, Nujoma wore a well-groomed beard and a meek look that camouflaged a troublesome fighter. He mentioned Nigeria was fully devoted to the liberation of Namibia and that other than redeeming all its pledges to that nation, it additionally established a N100 million Namibia Solidarity Fund. He mentioned Nujoma was a person of character who was prudent and selfless and a real Pan Africanist.

Ambassador Bagudu Mutle Hirse, former Minister of State, International Affairs, was in common session with Nujoma when he was Nigerian Larger Commissioner to Namibia from February 2000. He revealed that the late liberation fighter used to inform him that what Namibia bought was political, not financial independence. Nujoma, he mentioned, regarded Nigeria as his second house.

Ambassador John Kayode Shinkaiye, who was Chief of Employees to the Chairperson of the African Union Fee, mentioned Nujoma was an distinctive and memorable African chief who rallied worldwide assist for Namibia’s independence.

Shinkaiye who was one of many African diplomats who noticed off Nujoma on the airport on his final go to to Britain as a freedom fighter, mentioned the late Namibian President was recognized for his candid opinion. He mentioned out and in of workplace, Nujoma was a good friend of Nigeria. Regrettably, he added, identical can’t be mentioned of another nations Nigeria supported within the liberation struggles.

The Director Basic of the Nationwide Institute of Worldwide Affairs, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, who described Nujoma as an important African liberator, recalled that quite a lot of outstanding post-colonial leaders in Namibia have been educated in Nigeria. He gave the instance of Professor Peter Katjavivi who attended Authorities Faculty, Umuahia from 1963-1966 and went on to turn out to be the founding Vice Chancellor, Namibia College and later, Speaker of the Namibian Nationwide Meeting.

The Zimbabwean Embassy which spoke on behalf of the Southern African Growth Neighborhood, paid tribute to liberation leaders like Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Kenneth Kaunda and Sam Nujoma all of whom, it famous, clocked at the least 95 earlier than departing. It thanked Nigeria for supporting the liberation struggles within the continent.

The Namibian Excessive Commissioner Humphrey Geiseb mentioned from an early age Nujoma recognised the injustice completed to his folks, needed to go on exile and have become the image of hope. His administration, he mentioned, championed schooling, land reform and laid the premise for financial improvement. He thanked Nigeria for standing by Nujoma and SWAPO from 1960 and that in appreciation, the main street on which the Nigerian Excessive Fee is located in Namibia is known as after Murtala Mohammed, a former Nigerian Head of State.

Nujoma handed away in Windhoek on 8 February.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary common of African employees, is a human rights activist, journalist and writer.