Nsima Ekere in His Anonymous Cocoon

Things are heating up in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 presidential elections. Analysts used to think that this preparatory period would be used to target and divest influential politicians of power. Who knew that even the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere, would slip and fall into the hands of the watchers? However, the man has grown weary of the ups and downs of public life and now leads a peaceable and quiet life.

It has been a while since the old MD of NDDC showed up at a public function. He has taken refuge in the safety of his house, convinced that the EFCC might find new reasons to come after him. If the anti-graft agency has taken a fancy to any individual from Akwa Ibom in the last nine months, that person might just be Ekere. But no amount of hiding away is enough to remove the records of his dealings from the history books.

Although he is still very healthy, Ekere’s disappearance was once assumed to have something to do with his well-being. However, not a few are aware that he was simply reacting to the threat that a rejuvenated EFCC poses to someone like him, someone with reported records of corruption allegations against him.

Last May, Ekere was detained by the EFCC on account of these corruption charges. Insiders reported that the former NDDC MD had surrendered himself to be questioned, suggesting that he was aware that the anti-graft agency was hot on his trail. Perhaps, as a result of his compliance, Ekere was eventually released. Since then, he has lived on the low.

One must admit that going low profile is doing wonders for Ekere. Any other day, he would have been up and about, risking his reputation for one presidential candidate or another.