By Anietie Akpan
The Nigerian left has lost one of its own. She is Professor Bene Edwin Madunagu who passed on, Tuesday at about noon sending shock waves to the marxists, radical feminists, the University community, family and many others.
Her husband, friend, activist and Marxist of the Nigerian Left, Dr Edwin Madunagu on Wednesday in their residence at number 9, Edem Edu close, off Jebs street in Anantigha, Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State in South South, Nigeria, confirmed the death of his wife saying “she died at about noon on Tuesday”.
Looking calm but in deep pains he said, “yes what you have heard is true. Bene is gone… Bene was a bundle of humour, warmth and kindness”.
Dr Madunagu, who apparently was not in the right frame of mind to grant any interview, managed to open up a little to yours truly whom he had known far back in the early nineties at a political convention in Jos and later in The Guardian Newspapers.
Recounting her last days and last moment, Madunagu, a Marxist who had introduced Bene to socialist revolutionary movement and Marxism far back in 1975 in the University of Lagos, said “unfortunately ill-health was waiting for her at retirement”.
His wife fondly referred to as Comrade Bene by the Nigerian Left and in the radical feminist politics, he said was “diagnosed of dementia as she suffered memory loss… leading to other complications. Yesterday (Tuesday) she died at about noon“ despite all medical interventions.
As custom demands, “I have sent people to inform her family at Afaha-Essang in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State that their Adiaha (first daughter of the family) has passed pending further arrangements for her rites of passage. They should be on their way back now’.
Comrade Bene according to him in his tribute during her 75 birthday in 2022, said, “in other spheres, she is called Bene, Ben, Mumsy B, and Aunty Bene. To those old enough to remember the name she was given at birth, and insist on calling her so, she is Benedict’s.
“Even in ill-health, Comrade Bene Madunagu has challenged herself on several occasions to remember several events, participate in the reorganization and authenticate several processes that made possible the transfer of ‘Our Combined Archives and Libraries’ to the Nigerian Left. She also continued to inspire the Leftist and Leftist-Feminist Movements…”
Bene who had taken part in several revolutionary movements in Nigeria like the popular “Ali Must Go” Nigerian Universities‘ students uprising, was born March 21, 1947. It is on record that her actual and purported roles in that movement cost her job in UniCal in 1978 and her PhD programme on a fellowship in University of Exeter, United Kingdom. She was stranded in London and subsequently repatriated back to Calabar by the Nigerian Embassy. However she challenged her dismissal by the then military junta regime in court and won, and was reinstated in UniCal in April 1981.
“We met in the University of Lagos (UniLag) as post graduate students. She studied Botany while I studied Mathematics”, Madunagu who holds a PhD in Mathematics and a professional revolutionary said recalling her days in a state of melancholy.
“She left UniLag in 1975 with her Masters to the University of Calabar (UniCal), continued teaching Botony and in 1983, she went to the University of Ibadan and in 1986 got PhD in Phytopathology (Botany) and returned to the UniCal. In 2003, she became a Professor and retired at age of 65 in 2012.
“We have been together on the left as socialists and activists. We were involved in campus and union politics”, he opined.
Comrade Bene as a one time Secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Calabar Branch (ASUU-UCB), and later the Chairman for two terms and considering her staling and fire brand resourceful tenures, members wished she could go for a third term but as a comrade , she had to adhere to the constitutional requirement of two terms.
She took part in the establishment of the Women In Nigeria (WIN) in 1982 and 1993 she and others founded Girls Power Initiative (GPI) with centres in Calabar and Benin.
Later she became the founding Coordinator and Chairman of the Executive Board until she retired at Unical at the age of 65.
Very active in women liberation front
at national and global scene and traveled wide to accomplish her goals but only stopped traveling on account of ill health, Madunagu stated.
Comrade Bene held a BSc degree in Botany from UniLag, MSc degree in Mycology (Botany) also from UniLag and a Doctorate degree in Phytopathology from the University of Ibadan.
Comrade Bene in a worm embrace with her husband, Dr Madunagu after her presentation.
