I'm Ready to Reconcile with Uba - Ngige
From Charles Onyekamuo in Awka
Anambra State governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, yesterday in Awka expressed his readiness to forgive and re-unite with his enstranged godfather, Chief Chris Uba, and other principal characters fingered in the failed attempt to abduct and forcefully remove him from office on July 10, last year.
Ngige who made this known while addressing a gathering of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) state stakeholders and supporters at the Conference Hall of the Government House, Awka, said the olive branch which he was extending to Uba, his impeached deputy, Dr. Okey Udeh, and others who played visible roles in the failed abduction was in line with the terms of reconciliation spelt out for both groups at a meeting of the party's National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja last weekend.
Although Ngige said he would not hesitate to draw the" sword" again should the abduction scenario re-enact itself, he nonetheless said he was desirous to see that peace returns to the state chapter of the party. Ngige expressed his desire to see everybody, including Uba, Udeh, and others in the opposition camp talking with him with one voice.
He, however, reiterated his belief that some of the people in Uba's camp joined the rival group out of ignorance. He added that it was only less than 10 per cent of Uba's supporters that conspired to abduct him on July 10, 2003. He said he was ready to forgive everybody involved in the abduction saga if they showed genuine remorse.
He noted that his posture towards the Uba group and the challenges the incident posed were worth the struggle, because he was out to change the perception that politicians only come to destroy existing structures without creating wealth.
"July 10, 2004 will mark one year the struggle started. It is a worthwhile struggle. If the situation presents itself again, I will do just the same thing," he said.
Ngige was abducted from office by a police contingent led by then Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 8 in Owerri, Mr. Raphael Ige, now late. Ige acted at the behest of Uba and his group.
After the abduction, a resignation letter purportedly signed by the governor was taken to the House of Assembly which then acted on it in swearing-in the then deputy governor, Udeh as governor.
When Ngige was released, he rallied together his loyalists in the House of Assembly to reverse the swearing-in of Udeh. The House also impeached its speaker, Mrs. Grace Azodo, who presided over the decision taken against Ngige and later went on to impeach Udeh.
The crisis, however, took another dimension when a suspended state legislator, Nelson Achikwu, got an order from an Enugu High Court directing the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Tafa Balogun, to effect the removal of Ngige from office. The IGP then withdrew the security aides of the governor.
Another order from an Awka High Court and the Appeal Court, Enugu reversing the Enugu High Court decision has since been ignored by the IGP. Ngige is guarded by unofficial security group.
Several efforts by the PDP national secretariat and other interest groups to reconcile Ngige and the Uba group had been futile. The disagreements between the factions of the PDP loyal to Ngige and Uba has stalled the conduct of local government polls in the state.
Both groups could not agree on a common list of candidates.
In the lingering crisis in Anambra State, many individuals and groups had accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of giving support to the Uba group in its unlawful move to remove an elected governor from office.
Ngige who took time off to explain some of the decisions taken by the PDP NWC on the state chapter said the chairmanship of the party had been re-zoned to Anambra North Senatorial Zone, while elections into the council areas would be conducted after party structures had been erected at both the wards and local government levels.
The governor indicated that the former Acting Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Fred Oduah may likely emerge the new chairman when the congress holds. He, however, added that his group did not want to challenge the retention of Chief Ivy Obi-Okoye as the current chairman of the party at the moment.
"We didn't want to challenge that Obi-Okoye will continue to be the chairman. We could have successfully challenged that. PDP can be very accommodating . We can forgive people when they show remorse and repentance because we are loyal party members.
"We did not want to challenge the decision of the party.We could have actually successfully challenged it and say that they were expelled.But there is a lot to share here and a lot of work to do .We will not continue to fight over spilt milk", he said .
Ngige added that Obi-Okoye had called him to pledge his loyalty.
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