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Anambra crisis:
Egwu panel unnecessary—
Ngige’s aide
Sir, there have been accusations and
counter accusations of who is behind the November mayhem in Anambra State. Some
people in the Chief Chris Uba-led group of PDP allege that it was the Governor
Chris Ngige’s faction that prosecuted the mayhem for them to curry public
sympathy and stop conduct of the council polls in December 18, 2004. What is
your own opinion?
Well, I want
to start by saying that if somebody tells lies, I will go straight to say so, I
do not want to say that the person is guilty of terminological inexactitude.
This is not a case of terminological inexactitude, that is not using the right
terminology. I think the Uba group has told blatant lies. There is no way the
state governor who had just come down from America and gone to Abuja to answer
the President when this mayhem started can be said to be responsible for the
mayhem.
I know Dr. Chris Ngige is not a saddist to
inflict this kind of unquantifiable injuries upon himself. Now, they said he
doesn’t want to conduct the council elections and that is why he probably
destroyed these things. Do they conduct local government elections in governor’s
office? Do they conduct local government elections in Anambra Broadcasting
Service (ABS) radio and television stations? Do they conduct local government
elections in judiciary offices? They conduct local government elections in the
wards and ANSIEC (the electoral body) offices. And you heard the governor saying
that he has released money to ANSIEC to continue to prepare and put structures
necessary for this election before he, Ngige travelled overseas.
Now, if the governor had gone to the
extent of releasing money to ANSIEC and put a date for that election how can any
right thinking man wake up to say that the governor woke up and decided to
inflict injuries on himself. These people said their lists had been changed. The
ANSIEC has not even published a list of those going for that election. So, it is
obvious that they reacted on hearsay, on rumours, they did not wait for the list
to be published so that they could properly hold on a particular proven issue
that the list of people going for the election had been changed as from what the
national executive of PDP said. The National Executive was said to have signed a
list and sent same to ANSIEC and I tell you the list has not been changed. So,
why did they act on rumours. You are in Anambra State, you saw in the Vanguard
newspaper of November 17, 2004. It was a full page advertorial. Those persons
call themselves local government chairmanship aspirants, 21 of them, they signed
that publication. They said they were the people who did these things, that they
are ready to do more. They said their grievance was that the list was changed.
So, who showed them the list? Who told them the authentic list to be used? So,
how can anybody turn around because of their wickedness, because of their
atrocities, because of their nefarious insensibility to the problems of people
of Anambra State and say it was the governor. They saw that the people have
subjected them to the court of public opinion and decided that they were all
going to be disassociated from the people of Anambra State and decided to blame
the governor. Shame is catching them. The Bible said the wicked shall bow at the
gate of the righteous. They are now coming to bow at the gate of the righteous,
but instead of showing remorse, it is unfortunate, unbecoming, it is
humiliating, it is even astonishing, overwhelming and stupid for them to ever
think that telling cock and bull stories will save them in this particular
issue. They have boxed themselves into a corner oh! So, let the governor
continue whatever peace they are negotiating, the perpetrators are going to be
subjected to the court of public opinion in Anambra State.
The answer, the judgment that will be
passed on them now from what I am seeing and hearing is total banishment from
whatever is of Anambra State. The people are calling for their arrest. First
they said the vigilante shot them, that’s why they reacted. Now they say it is
the governor that set up this, which one do we take?
The candidates you are talking about had
earlier said the plan to hold the election from December 18th-25th, the
Christmas day was unacceptable to them and that the choice of Cornel Umeh said
to be maternal cousin of Dr. Ngige is a ploy to rig the election in favour for
the governor’s choice candidates, what is your reaction?
Let me start with the dates for the
election. We have conducted elections in this country on December, 26th and
28th. During Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju era, the first election was on 24th December
and after that the run-off was on 26th December which was done at Ikenga Hotel
Royale. So, I left on 24th to do Christmas with my family on the 25th, on 26th I
was at Ubatal Hotel where on the 28th there was a run-off primary in Anambra
State. So, elections have been conducted during December. These elections, I
hope you don’t forget, merely demand your going to vote and get back to your
house. The politicians are the ones who vote and police their votes. In the
particular election we are talking about, the run-off according to the
guidelines should hold within seven days after the election. So it may not have
to be on 25th. Even there may not be any run-off if clear winners emerge. So to
rely on that to cause this kind of mayhem is unacceptable, it is inexplicable;
it is unheard of.
That the ANSIEC chairman is maternal
cousin of the governor is of no consequence if he, the chairman can do the job
very well. Remember in the time of Governor Ambrose Ali of old Bendel State, he
located the University of Ekpoma in his own home town, Ekpoma and people were
challenging him, then he said, show me another place that is better than Ekpoma
my town in the area in terms of availability of land and the environment
required for a good university. Now, show me another better than the man chosen
for his career and track record to do this election. Wait until he has
blundered.
So, they are only searching for where to
hook their flimsy arguments and excuses. They don’t hold water. Why not attack
the man’s personality and character and track record.
Politics is a game of number, if you score
2000 votes against 10 votes, it is obvious that you have won, anybody who tries
to shortchange you is doing that at the detriment of his life.
Sir, many people are blaming the police
command here in Anambra for failing to stop the hoodlums who effected the mayhem
while some people are saying that the command could have been working under
express orders, how do you place the allegation against the police command?
(Cuts in). Because they didn’t tell us
whom they took orders from, because we were not there we cannot all the time be
pointing accusing fingers on the Inspector-General of Police that he is actually
the one who gave them orders. If it was the Inspector-General that gave them the
order, why did Hon. Chuma Nzeribe have to come here? This is a case of name
dropping. Unless these people are not reasonable enough to know that injustice
is a serious sin against God and man.
If anybody gave this order such a person
or persons are not qualified to hold any position in this country. I am saying
that it has gotten to the level of name dropping.
Some people rush down from Abuja to this
state, mesmerize and confuse the people who are here, faking papers and trumping
papers that Inspector General of Police told them this or that, they can even
put a telephone call and say can you hear the IGP? Then the man will say
whatever he wants, do for him. How can an IGP give order that properties of a
state should be destroyed? So, I am still querying that story because each time
they tell us the order was from above people from the Presidency will wash their
fingers off. But where I will want to believe that their hands are not into what
is happening in Anambra State is when the culprits and their sponsors and their
organisers will be arrested and prosecuted. If the Presidency and the IGP effect
that, they would have clearly and unequivocally and crystally shown us that
their hands are clean. But where they fail to arrest them as instructed by the
National Assembly, by the people of Anambra State as the overwhelming public
majority have instructed, I will say oh! truly there is hand of Essau in this
thing, there is an unseen hand.
Hon. Chuma Nzeribe is from this state, do
you have any more reasons to think he was part of those behind the mayhem or you
are basing your allegation on the fact that the lawmaker was sighted in the
state?
Yes! Chuma Nzeribe even called a press
conference on Sunday after the mayhem. He said he was challenging Ngige to dare
come back to Anambra State. Today Ngige walked back to his state in a triumphant
entry and Hon. Nzeribe was no where to be found to now stultify and snuff out
life from Ngige whom he said if he dares to enter the state he would attack him
at Amansea. That’s an empty boast. I think he is grandiose and should be
subjected to psychological examination to know why he, Nzeribe has violence
tendencies.
But we learnt the governor came back
through Owerri. Was that a security measure following the threat by Nzeribe?
Well, if the governor came through Owerri
route, it is due to flight schedule. He isn’t afraid of Nzeribe or anybody, if
you look at him you know he is a solid lion, he doesn’t fear. There are three
things which go well, neigh, four things which are comely in going (Psalm 30
verse 29 and 30), one a lion strongest among the beasts and turneth away for
any. This governor is a lion. However, except the Lord keep the city in vain do
watchmen do. I know God is behind him.
Most people say that the crux of this
matter is that Ngige refused to yield to certain agreements with those who
helped him become a governor and that he, Ngige chose to work with technocrats
instead of party loyalists.
The whole thing has now passed that level.
It is now above political sharing formula. It has gone beyond symbiotic
activities of politics. From the beginning Eselu had nursed greed, if not they
could have settled behind close doors among themselves. But because they wanted
it too soon, too much, the problem broke out. Many things went wrong to the
point where they abducted the governor. That singular act of July 10, 2003
destroyed what could have been a symbolic political relationship. Every other
relationship that would have encouraged trust, companionship was killed. They
murdered sleep and they will sleep no more. Ngige can’t go back to such said
agreements that were made in the backyard because those who own the yams have
learnt of a plot to steal them. They are watching the governor.
What do you expect from the reconciliation
committee?
I don’t see any reason for the setting up
of the committee, because it won’t change anything. Somebody burnt your house,
instead of first seeing how your properties could be replaced, someone is
inviting you to a meeting with the man who set your house ablaze. It is not
acceptable.
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