2015: IFEANYI UGWUANYI CAN BRING ENUGU DICHOTOMY TO AN END

 

The festering dichotomy in Enugu state politics is on the verge of coming to an end if the analysis of the situation developing in Enugu by Nigerian political watchers last weekend was anything to go by. The in-fighting between the juggernauts of Enugu politics – Governor Sullivan Ihenacho Chime and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu (both from Enugu West Senatorial District) was threatening to overspill into a major political crisis, but the announcement of the preferred candidacy of House of Representatives’ Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the Governor of Enugu in 2015 by PDP stakeholders in the state might just spark off a peace initiative to calm the dangerously frayed nerves of the combatants.

Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is simply the politicians’ politician. His toothy smile is another name for magic. He can end the dichotomy in Enugu by talking sense into the principal combatants and if Governor Chime means business in this endorsement, the whole state will rally around him as we are witnessing in Anambra State where Willie Obiano is taking the state to another level following the passing of the baton by former Governor Peter Obi in the APGA government. But one must sound a word of caution straight away, and that is that endorsement should not mean that the endorsed must be subservient to the endorser in the long run.


Historically, political endorsement or ‘god-fatherism’ does not work in Nigerian politics. Starting with the immediate example in Enugu, former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani who endorsed Chime for Governor lived to regret that endorsement as both don’t even talk to each other these days, let alone does Chime appreciate the gift. Jim Nwobodo endorsed Chimaroke Nnamani who charmed him with his Americanese on the return of the ‘foetal’ surgeon to take a shot at the Government House, Enugu. We all knew that the great Zik blessed Governor Jim Nwobodo and never expected anything in return, which is as it should be and Jim had all the free hand to run the old Anambra (Ebonyi, Enugu and the present Anambra states). It will be noted that as soon as Jim endorsed Chimaroke, campaigned for him and installed him as governor, their relationship ended dramatically on a very sour note. At the federal level, Obasanjo endorsed Yar’Adua who but for his death was going to probe the Otta general. Examples abound everywhere.


But why this endorsement should be supported by all is that gubernatorial candidate Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is a good candidate that can be sold easily to the other two senatorial districts of Enugu – that is Enugu West and East. Those who know Rt. Hon. Ugwuanyi say that he is humble and works really hard which has reflected positively in his brief at the House Committee on Marine Transport. His leadership in his constituency is revered and the rest of Enugu state will benefit from his dogged approach to legislative governance.


We ran into each at the PDP Presidential Campaign Office once and he disarmed me instantly with his friendly smile before we could even say hello. I told him that his billboards on the Enugu – Nsukka road was a constant reminder of the love he has for his people. Never have I seen a politician who after winning an election, bothered to thank the people that voted for him. I cannot remember exactly what the billboards read but it was to the effect that Representative Ifeanyi, alias Gburugburu, thanks all for voting for him. Those bill boards remain in place as you pass through his constituency of Igboeze North and Uduenu Federal Constituency in the neighbourhood of Oboloafor and Enugu Ezike in Enugu North senatorial district.


God has a way of looking after the people of Enugu state. When Chimaroke Nnamani concluded his tyrannical rule of Enugu, the Almighty gave us Chime who used his four point programme of roads and infrastructure development to wipe out our tears during his first term as governor. Today, Enugu can be said to be a developed state, though there were sour tastes here and there as the Udi born Chime conclude his eight year term of office. Although it should be left for historians to assess the merits and demerits of the Chime government, many contemporary writers have tried to make their quickie assessment. Writing in last Sunday’s ThisDay newspaper, Okwudili Edeh painted an uncharitable picture of Sullivan Chime which to a large extend was over the board. Yes, Chime may look ‘Hitlerian’ by adopting the Furher like moustache and looking like a dangerous dictator, but it has not made the state “slide into dangerous anarchy and impunity” as Edeh’s piece suggested. By his reference to the incident concerning the governor’s marital situation it was totally unnecessary because there is evidence of rapprochement within the family following two newspaper advertisements placed by the estranged Enugu First Lady who has not only apologised for the unsavoury incident but placed adverts in the Sun congratulating the husband ahead of his conferment of the national honour by President Goodluck Jonathan this week with the Commander of Nigeria honour CON.


Among other charges by writer, Okwudili Edeh, he points out that “Chime’s dislike for the media was perhaps most pronounced by the ban on media from covering the chicken impeachment trial. Despite protests by Onyebuchi’s counsels, the media, and the civil society pointing out that the Nasarrawa impeachment trial was broadcast live, Chime’s kangaroo panel went ahead to sit in camera”.


Okwudili continued his diatribe against Chime: “Currently, the government decides what the people read. Its agents cart away from distributors every edition of newspapers and magazines meant for Enugu and environs that carries items government considers offensive. The press muzzling is directly connected with Chime’s obnoxious game plan for 2015. Besides wanting to singlehandedly anoint his successor, he has decreed that Enugu NASS members doing second term and above must retire in 2015. The media and political analysts have lampooned it as a dangerous expropriation of franchise. It is also seen as self-serving since Chime himself wants to move to the Senate after doing two terms as governor”.


I do not hold brief for any governor and I know that every leader has his own style of governance as all leaders have the penchant for their use and abuse of power and Chime is certainly not an exception. I do not agree with the so called policy of disenfranchising current members of the National Assembly from re-contesting their seats and I made this clear in my comments on the issue published in the Daily Sun and Sunday THISDAY some months ago. In fact for most Nigerian governors heading for the Senate at the end of their two year terms obviously is a symptom of abuse of power.


They will eventually fail as I also pointed out because successful governors never make a good career in legislative affairs and I did not hesitate to say so about Chime. I gather that the Chief of Staff to the Enugu governor Mrs. Ifeoma Nwobodo is also going to the Senate just as the governor is planning to do. The ‘Iron Lady’ as she is referred in Enugu government circle, I gather is the de facto Chief Executive in Enugu because of the tough way she has successfully managed the government in the long absence of the governor during the period of his health challenge. Grape vine reports insisted that this was the genesis of the impeachment of the former deputy governor though I agree with former Senate President Ken Nnamani’s grim assessment of Onyebuchi’s chances in his Senate bid as a non starter. The Enugu East senator, Gilbert Nnaji is doing a good job in the senate and does not deserve to be changed, so is Enugu North’s Senator Ayogu Eze though he is targeting Enugu Government House. I can attest that Nnaji has empowered many graduates not just from Enugu East, but North and West and have always given a good account of himself in the House of Representatives before moving to his current senate seat. What makes the current Chief of Staff think that she will make a better senator than Gilbert Nnaji is another question of abuse of power that is certainly condemnable.


I also believe that former Information Minister and Nigerian Economic Summit group’s Frank Nweke is dreaming of a senate berth in the same Enugu East and his former boss, Chimaroke Nnamani, can’t wait to return to his former hunting ground in the red chamber. That too could be a disaster because Frank’s performance in the Summit group as well as the World Economic Forum Africa seems more rewarding than wasting his hard earned resources trying to get to the senate. Chimaroke is better off running his huge new hospital in Abuja’s Area 11 and save Nigeria the foreign exchange that would rather go into medical tourism as I know the hospital will be one of the best in the continent.


I urge Enugu state politicians to learn from its elder statesmen, Senator Jim Nwobodo, and the amiable former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani , who should both be getting ready for a 2019 shot at the Presidency and stop seeking irrelevance in the National Assembly where they will end up as misfits.


–Amadi writes from Abuja