On the first anniversary of the late John Moru who lost his life in the Bellview plane crash on October 22, 2005 at Lisa, Ogun State, Emman Ozoemena writes that Moru, a social activist and an anti-poverty campaigner, was the Secretary of the Steering Committee of the Nigerian Social Forum and would have been happy to participate in the 2007 World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.

On January 22 this year, the 2006 World Social Forum was held in three different locations, namely Bamako, Mali (Africa), Caracas, Venezuela (South America), and Karachi, Pakistan (Asia) in what its organizers termed ‘polycentric events’. This was the first time the event was organized in three regions of the world so as to focus on the developmental needs of different regions ahead of the World Social Forum slated for early 2007, which is expected to harmonize outputs of three regional forums.

It is pertinent to explain briefly what the World Social Forum is all about. It is a global network of civil society groups seeking to build alternative paradigms for development against the backdrop of the emergent conservative social, political and economic trends being pursued by forces of neo-liberal and colonial powers represented by the Brenttonwood Institutions (the International Monitoring Fund [IMF] and World Bank). Secondly, it was a response to the annual January meeting of world political and business leaders popularly known as World Economic Forum that is held in Davos, an exclusive resort in Switzerland.

Today, civil society groups in Nigeria participate actively at both the World Social Forum and African Social Forum. They have gone a step further to put in motion a process towards a national programme: the Nigerian Social Forum (NSF). There is no doubt that these forums have redefined the role of civil society and social action in development processes. They have continued to engage different levels of governance structures, institutions, citizens and groups on development issues at country, continental and global levels through advocacy and social actions.

The NSF has held two forums in the last two years, in Makurdi 2004 and Lagos 2005 respectively. The quality of the representatives and delegates from various nationalities and organisations attending these forums, and the issues and resolutions reached have created a new paradigm in building a humane and responsive environment where rights of the individuals are respected. Early this year when the Bamako conference opened, my thoughts began to wonder about my brother, friend and colleague, John Moru, the former Secretary of the Steering Committee of the Nigerian Social Forum and Governance Team Leader at ActionAid International Nigeria. John died in the Bellview air mishap on October 22, 2005 at Lisa Village in Ogun State. He was a young and talented Nigerian who had tall dreams for Nigeria, Africa and the world. Though he passed away in his early thirties, he lived light years ahead of his earthly age.

For any one who had the opportunity of meeting him, John was imbued with passion and commitment towards the poor and downtrodden, and committed his energies and talent towards changing the course of the people through his involvement in social action and advocacy. I had wondered what John would have said in Bamako about engaging the government on the changes in the communities across Africa? How would he have used the tools of engagement to impress on the leadership why it should be accountable and responsible to the people that elected them? How would he have advised that grassroots people use God-given resources in the community to improve their lives? And I know my bother John would have loved to have shared so many thoughts with his readers, including a couple of insights on how to proceed on the journey to 2007. But alas, he is no more around to do this.

In retrospect, my thoughts skipped to early September 2004 during the preparations for Nigerian Social Forum 2004, when our paths crossed in the course of my journalistic assignment. I had called the chairperson of the 2004 NSF, Priscilla Achakpa, to ask for an interview with her and the Secretary of the Steering Committee, John Moru at her office in Garki II, Abuja. I had read John’s writings on several occasions as he was a regular contributor to issues of public concerns. In fact, I had looked forward to an opportunity to meet him and maybe discuss some of the issues he had written about in the past that had caught my attention. The first essay I read of John’s was in early 2004 when he raised some poignant points on the desirability of a World Bank promoted macro-economic framework that claims to alleviate poverty through a heavy dose of private sector led economic growth under the guise of privatization. His treatise, in my view, was one of the best I ever read especially as an alternative to the Reform Agenda – the popular propaganda of the day. It was a well-argued analysis that I still keep in my file today.

So invariably, I looked forward to the meeting with NSF team of Pricilla and John. And your bet is as good as mine that the interview session with the team convinced me that the NSF project was one idea whose time has come. I was literally converted by the duo to buy in into the theme of 2004 Forum; “Another Nigeria is Possible!” We spent over two hours discussing issues of development and the challenges facing the Nigerian project, the governance framework, the poor and excluded at the grassroots and other related matters. We also veered into challenges faced by millions of African peoples, and other citizens of the global South. Frankly speaking, I left that day with an impression of having been in contact with a young man who, though he belonged to my generation, seemed to be light years ahead in terms of ideas and vision for a better world.

About a week after our first meeting, asked him if he would be available for another discussion, because we had left many matters unresolved. He obviously obliged me. We met at a joint in town where we explored issues ranging from how civil society groups and the media could build partnerships that will help in moving Nigeria forward, to practical ways of engaging leaders at different levels to respond to the concerns of the person in the street. This was a discussion between two individuals concerned about their community. The second meeting, which lasted for close to two and half hours, was more revealing than the previous one. From then on, John became a close confidant whom I could share issues with any time of the day whenever the need arose.

I had guessed that John had either been trained in the discipline of philosophy or imbibed philosophy as a hobby studied philosophy because of the methodical and analytical approach he employed in his writings. His logic was so well developed that even if you disagreed with his conclusions, you would agree that he had argued his position very well. To our amazement, I discovered that he studied philosophy just like the writer. From then on we shared several sentiments on issues even though our methods or approaches differed slightly at times. There was a kindred spirit between us as ‘professional’ colleagues in some sense. That relationship blossomed as we collaborated in several endeavours such as Civil Society/National Political Reform Conference Engagement Secretariat, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), and the CIVICUS Civil Society Index Project, among others.

John thought that every individual must use his or her God given talents and resources in the service of humanity and in actualizing a better world where poverty, disease, hunger and under-development would be a thing of the past. He believed that to achieve a world without poverty is possible if leaders became accountable at all levels. He was passionate about the Nigerian project and all his writings and speeches were devoted towards achieving this dream.

A day before the ill-fated flight of October 22, 2005 in which John and two other colleagues, Messrs Chinwuba Egbe and Justice Egware lost their lives I had gone to his desk at the ActionAid International Office in Abuja to see him. We spent a considerable time discussing the challenges facing the Nigerian State, as well as emerging issues in polity and the likely areas where citizens could reasonably input to achieve change in the nation. He shared his expectations for the upcoming second Nigerian Social Forum that was at the time scheduled for Lagos in November of 2005. He had told me that there was need to mobilize media support for the NSF. We drew up plans and strategies that we were to work on separately over the weekend and exchange notes again on the Monday morning. At the meeting, we reached consensus that the Nigerian people could if they so desired, take their fate in their hands through active participation in development processes.

That night remains indelible in my mind as John’s voice (though quiet) rose in pitch. “My guy, you know what we don’t need to waste time again. Just put pen to paper on these issues we have agreed on and lets meet Monday morning to tidy up the rest of the media plans”, he said. I can still picture the desk he sat on, the body language he employed to illustrate the urgency of the matter, and how, in between, he excused me and reached for his phone to put a call through to Justice Egware, the Coordinator of GCAP Nigeria, to confirm his appointment in Lagos the next day. “My guy, hope we are still travelling tomorrow?” he demanded. The answer from the other end was received with a smile. I asked him, yes, what did Justice say? His answer was, “yes, we are traveling tomorrow!”

And John travelled on that Saturday to Lagos for an anti-poverty campaign by GCAP Nigeria to raise awareness on how all segments of the society could join hands in eradicating poverty in Nigeria and Africa. I remembered that as I stood up to leave that Friday night at about 7:45 pm, he asked me in a strong tone, “I hope we are not leaving matters out of our discussions”. “My response was clear, “I think we have sorted out all matters at least for now”. I stood up to leave, extended my hand, said good night and see you on Monday morning. He responded with a smile.

Today, 365 days later, or if you may, one year after the death of John Moru and others, the Nigerian Social Forum, African Social Forum, and World of Social Forum, and other CSO coalitions in the forefront of providing alternative development paradigms still meet to review the state of development in Nigeria, Africa and the World. The lives of millions of poor and excluded people in our communities, counties, countries and continents are not better. Advocacy is still needed to give voice to the voiceless who toil the streets, hamlets, cocoons, cities and villages in Africa, Asia, and the Americas under debilitating social existential conditions fuelled by the neo-liberal and economic policies of the Brentwood institutions and their apostles in the third world.

While the political and business leaders would be wont to pop champagne in celebrating the rape of “the wretched of the earth” according to Frantz Fanon, civil society and non-state actors should continue to interrogate development processes. This includes increasing incidences of poverty; lack of access to basic health facilities; hunger and myriads of other challenges facing developing nations, especially Africa. It is time to evaluate the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS), debt crisis challenges, the World Trade Organization rounds and the challenge posed by HIV/AIDS to the world.

Last week, millions of people across the major cities took a stand against poverty! It was refreshing to watch world leaders make a fresh commitment to tackle poverty in the world. John, Chinweuba and Justice, all campaigners against poverty who laid down their lives for that course, would have loved to be around in this season to watch how the world have moved from “Make Poverty History!” to “Stand Up, Against Poverty!!” just like the slogan of the 2004 World Social Forum in Mumbai, India, “Another World is Possible”. A world where all children (no matter the circumstances of their birth) have inalienable rights to education; right to access anti-retroviral drugs for persons living with HIV/AIDS; where the rights of women and children and poor and vulnerable groups are protected.

I am sure that John, Justice and Chinwuba would have been happy to participate in the 2007 World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. May the voices of the social crusaders John Moru, Justice Egware, and Chinwuba Egbe continue to rest in peace. I want to tell you, my brother John, and others that “Another world is still possible!”

• Emman Ozoemena, a public policy analyst from Abuja, previously collaborated with late John Moru in the Global Call to Action Against Poverty Nigeria (GCAP) Nigeria. He can be reached on e-mail: [email][email protected]
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