Long after their services to the country, they have been quiet despite being around. It is not clear where they could be at the moment, ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.
Kojo William
Anthony Kojo William is a former chairman of then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), now Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). His tenure did not last more than three months on account of what many said was his arrogance and high-handedness, for which he was impeached by the board. In the election that brought him to the NFA Glass House, William, who was the youngest ever to have occupied that coveted position, defeated a much older and experienced Col Abdulmumin Aminu (retd.) to secure the seat.
The man, who has been absent from the national scene since his removal as NFA chairman is described by a popular newspaper as, “A man of colourful character and vast means who is blessed with looks and a physique that belies his age. The only reputation he has left behind for his readers to read about him is that after he left the glass house, he walked out of his earlier marriage blessed with four children and remarried only to leave again.”
Years after, it was rumoured that this Lagos socialite quietly took another wife in September 2019. He is no doubt the toast of beautiful women because of his background as someone born with not only a proverbial silver spoon, but with a golden spoon. This lanky, handsome, but well-built former NFA chairman turned 60 some time ago.
Writing about him in its editorial, a Lagos-based popular newspaper said, “In 60 years, he has blossomed into a man of affluence and integrity. 60 years may be a tiny fraction of time, yet he looms large across generations into eternity. The story of his exquisite manhood resonates with a pleasant appeal. He has overtime carved his niche in the business and social spaces, a magnate and entrepreneur of immense worth. His place in the pantheon of Nigeria’s most successful businessmen undoubtedly is assured by the impact of his earthly endeavours as he made his grand entry into the league of sexagenarians.”
Almost 21 years after his removal, Dapo Sotuminu, a social commentator, disclosed how it happened, saying, “Barely three months after his ascendancy to the exalted position of the NFA chairman which was supervised by the federal government in a highly-controlled elections in Abuja, the same elements that saw to his victory which costs millions of government money ensured his speedy removal from office in a grand design well masterminded by top government sports technocrats who bowed to the pressure from within and outside to save the future of the country’s football following a despotic and obnoxious reign by the young NFA chairman.
“The impeachment masterminds used the opportunity of the Super Eagles’ preparation for the Nations Cup in Papendal, Holland, to strike and articulate the plans to dump the NFA chairman who had become uncontrollable. His harsh words for the staff of the NFA were unbearable.
“The harsh words also extended to other football stakeholders across the country as no-one was spared the rod. The masterminds also capitalised largely on the short temper of the chairman who believed so much on his aristocratic background as a yardstick for how he should be treated by members of the football family and Nigerians in general. Before the grand plan, it was gathered that the masterminds paid an official visit to the Presidential Villa where they met with President Olusegun Obasanjo to brief him about their plans. President Obasanjo gave his approval after he was made to understand that the continued stay of William in office would cause the country more harm than good.”
William has not recovered from this since then. His last known public appointment is as a member of the football governing body FIFA from 1998 – 2010. He contributed immensely as a member of the ad hoc committee responsible for the restructuring of African Football Administration under the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Since then, not much has been heard about him.
Lawan Gwadabe
Col. Lawan Gwadabe (retd.) was the military governor of Niger state under former Gen. Ibrahim Babangida from December 1987 to January 1992. While in service, he was one of those military officers often branded as IBB boys. Up till now, he is one individual still close to the former leader. Gwadabe was among the leaders who, in 2005, encouraged General Babangida to contest the 2007 presidential election which was condemned by many. One thing that however stood him out as an individual is the fact that he was one of the military officers implicated in the 1995 coup which allegedly sought to remove the late Gen Sani Abacha from office. Because of this, he was arrested, tortured and convicted of treason but after Abacha’s death, he was granted a state pardon.
Earlier, in his military career, Gwadabe was said to have been involved in the coup of August 27 1985. After the coup, he was appointed as chairman of Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), among other appointments. He was later appointed military governor of Niger state in December 1987.
During his tenure, he had to cope with a severe outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis which was countered with an emergency mass-vaccination in the state. Under Gen Abacha as head of state, he was appointed commander of the National Guards. Much later, for a brief period, he was principal staff officer to Gen. Abacha before he was posted to Yola as Commander of 23 Armored Brigade.
The last major appointment he had was in February 2009 when he was appointed chairman of the board of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). Since then, not much has been heard about this man again even though he still commands a youthful age that can be of service to the nation.
Olubolade Caleb
Olukolade Omoniyi Caleb was the military administrator of Bayelsa state between 1997 and 1998 under former head of state, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar. He was also a minister of special duties under former President Goodluck Jonathan as acting president in 2010 and a one-time FCT minister of state.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 1974 and attended courses in the UK and India before he retired in 1999. In April 2006, Olubolade was briefly arrested during a House of Representatives bye-election in the Ekiti South II federal constituency when he was the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate in Ekiti state.
In 2013, he along with other ministers, was removed from the cabinet because of their interest in politics. For him in particular, rumours had it that he had interest in the Ekiti state Government House which Ayo Fayose eventually took charge of.
In a long while, not much was heard about this former minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after he lost out in his bid to clinch the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Ekiti governorship seat until a suit brought against him in a controversial land matter came up in an Abuja High Court in 2015. It involved a landed property purportedly owned by the Oladapo family in Ondo town located on Plot 321, Zone A7 Wuse II, Abuja.
The plaintiffs wanted the purported revocation/withdrawal of the plaintiffs’ right of occupancy in respect of the land to be declared unconstitutional and of no effect. In particular, they asked the court for an order mandating Olukolade to vacate all the structure on the land which they said was duly given to their late father who was a former lawmaker in the First Republic. Since then, it’s not clear where this Ekiti-born former military officer has been.