ABOUT a month ago, the nation woke up to the shocking
news of a devastating attack on Anambra state resulting in the burning down
of radio, and television stations, hotels, vehicles, Assembly quarters, the
residence of the State Chief Judge and finally, Government House, Awka.
Dynamite was even applied in the exercise and all or nearly most of these in
the full glare of our own police force as shown on Nigerian Television
Authority (NTA) for the world to see. The operation lasted three days.
That week in all churches and mosques, we, our party, and
you as Head of Government and Leader of this nation came under the most
scathing and blithering attacks. We were singly and severally accused of
connivance in action and so forth. Public anger reached its peak.
Reconciliation
You set a reconciliation committee headed by Ebonyi State
Governor, Dr, Sam Egwu, and we all thought this would help calm nerves and
perhaps bring about some respite. But quite clearly things are no where near
getting better.
While the reconciliation team attenped to inspect damaged
sites in Anambra, they were scared away by gun fire, further heightening
public anger and disdain for us.
Bomb explosion in Government House Awka
On Tuesday, November, 30, 2004, another shocking
development - a reported bomb explosion in Government House Awka., Since
then, the media public-discourse within and even outside of our borders,
have beendominated by themost heinous and hateful of expletives against our
party and your person and government. It would appear that the perpetrators
of these acts are determined to stop at nothing since there have not been
any visible sign of reproach from law enforcement agencies. I am now
convinced that the rumours and speculations making the rounds that they are
determined to kill Dr. Chris Ngige may not be unfounded.
The question now is what would be the consequences of
such a development? How do we exonerate ourselves from culpability, and
worse still, how do we even hope to survive it? Mr. President, I was part of
the Second Republic and we fell. Memories of that fall are a miserable
litany of woes. We suffered, escaping death only by God's supreme mercy.
Then we were suspected to have stolen all of Nigeria's wealth. After several
months in prison, some of us were freed to come back to life penniless and,
wretched. Many have gone to their early graves un-mourned because the public
saw us all as renegades.
I am afraid we are drifting in the same direction again.
In life, perception is reality and today we are perceived in the worst light
by an angry, scornful Nigerian public for reasons which are absolutely
unnecessary.
Mr. President, if I write in this vein, it is because I
am deeply troubled and I can tell you that, an overwhelming percentage of
our party members feel the same way though many may never be able to say
this to you for a variety of reasons.
But the buck stops at your table and in my position, not
only as chairman but also as an old friend and loyal defender of your
development programmes which I have never stopped defending, I dare to think
that we can, either by omission or commission allow ourselves to crash and
bring to early grief, this beautiful edifice called democracy.
On behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party, I call on you
to act now and bring any, and all criminal, even treasonable activity to a
halt. You and, you alone have this means. Do not hesitate. We do not have
too much time, to waste.
A.I. Ogbeh, OFR, National Chairman PDP.
