Semi-OT: Article re: Anambra politics with Offor mentioned.
In Anambra, the Demons are Back
Simon Kolawole Live!, Email: Simonkolawole@thisdayonline.com, 10.22.2006
True, there are some things one can understand in life and there are some things one cannot. I can never understand the trouble with Anambra State. And to play safe, I would rather think the state is operating under a curse. It looks as if one irreparable and irrevocable curse has been nailed on the state. It is as if someone has locked the door to peace and progress in the state and thrown the key into the Atlantic Ocean. The state takes one step forward and immediately takes ten backward. Pronto, a directory of impeachable offences was rolled against Mr. Peter Obi, the state governor.
Knowing fully well that if Obi is impeached, his deputy, Dame Virgy Etiaba, would take over and keep APGA in government, the House decided to drag her to the impeachment guillotine too. That way, the Speaker, Mike Balonwu of the PDP, would become “acting governor” and hold fort. What a shame. If the people of Anambra are not ashamed of themselves, they need to employ the services of other Nigerians to be ashamed on their behalf. As one crisis is quenched, another is born. The state lives in perpetual crisis. The demons tormenting the state appear to be insatiable. They eat flesh, they drink blood and yet their burning hunger cannot be extinguished. Right from the time of Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju and Emeka Offor, to the time of Dr. Chris Ngige and Chris Ubah, the demons are crying: more blood, more blood.
I don’t know how many states in Nigeria can boast of a better collection of authentic heroes than Anambra State. Not just authentic heroes, but men and women who have distinguished themselves in their fields and can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their contemporaries anywhere in the world. Check out the list, if you are in doubt: the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a genuine African hero and patriot; Dim Odimegwu Ojukwu, though seen as a rebel by outsiders, but a rebel with a cause; Chinua Achebe, probably the best African novelist; Professor Dora Akunyili, a giant among equals; Chief Emeka Anyaoku, diplomat extraordinaire; Dr. Alex Ekwueme, an uncommon politician; Philip Emeagwali, Africa’s foremost scientist; the late Dr. Pius Okigbo, an accomplished economist, and several other distinguished people I dare not try to list if we are to finish this discussion today. Why is Anambra so blest? Why is Anambra so cursed? What makes it possible for touts—both the educated ones and their street counterparts—to hold the state by the jugular all the time? Why do these demons always have their way?
The latest crisis—a storm, you would say, in the teacup—has again brought out the vulnerability of democratic principles to manipulations. The House of Assembly has every right and duty to impeach Obi if he is found guilty. However, on the surface, it would look like the House is actually trying to discharge its constitutional duty. After all, according to the impeachment merchants, they want to fight corruption. “Anti-corruption” is the hit song in town and it is very common nowadays for everybody to fight corruption as conveniently as possible. If you want to commit murder and get international recognition, just say you are fighting corruption. If you want to commit rape and get a national honour, just say you are fighting corruption. If you want to assault the constitution, ridicule the judiciary—the last hope of the common man—and get applause from eminent constitutional lawyers, just say you are fighting corruption. The anti-corruption war has been so politicised, so bastardised and so cannibalised that even respected people in the society are ready to applaud a glaring assault on the rule of law just to get at their opponents. Anybody who queries the warped anti-corruption moves is automatically classified as supporting corruption.
Those who have been watching the latest Anambra horror movie will know for sure that the devils are back to work. Between 1999 and 2003, it was the gory dance between Mbadinuju and Offor. While states like Bauchi and Jigawa were making progress in infrastructural development and Information Technology, Anambra was under the spell of Bakassi Boys and other demons. Godfathers and their grandsons were strangulating the state. It got so bad teachers were owed salaries for months and they went on strike. Anambra students couldn’t take their school certificate examinations because of this. Those who were rich enough relocated to neighbouring states to register and take their exams. But the demons were smiling to the bank while the state was rotting away. They would not give a damn. Then, you ask yourself: Is this the same state that produced the Great Zik? What’s going on here?
As if that was not enough trouble, Dr. Chris Ngige of the PDP was anointed by the demons to take over the state in 2003, even though it was glaring to the blind that the election was won by APGA. However, Ngige became a hero. Not because of any outstanding achievement, but for his refusal to hand over the state treasury to the demons who openly said they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over the keys of the treasury to them. In the most bizarre incident, he was abducted by his traducers who made no secrete of their actions because of their closeness to “Abuja”. They flaunted this morbid credential. The police became their accomplice. Yet, Ngige stood firm. And for that, I will continue to doff my heart for him any day. The height of the insanity was in November 2003 when, in a bid to force the Senate to ask Obasanjo to declare a state of emergency in Anambra, the Abuja-backed tormentors organised a three-day mayhem, under the watchful and protective eyes of men of the Nigeria Police Force, in which property worth billions of naira were destroyed. A Senate committee was “mobilised” to go and write a damning report calling for the declaration of state of emergency in Anambra. Again, Ngige survived. In all this, the state security agencies did not deem it fit to invite these demons for questioning, even if for the records. Instead, they watched blissfully. When an antelope is dancing by the roadside, the drummer is somewhere in the bush. We all know the drummer in this case.
When Peter Obi won his case at the Court of Appeal, I felt a sort of relief. Not that I had anything against Ngige, but my reasoning was: if this would finally bring peace to the state, then it was a sacrifice worth the while for Ngige. But, obviously, I was mistaken. The demons can never be appeased. They are back in full force. They want more blood. Despite the fact that Obi has articulated a clear development agenda for the state, despite all the goodwill he is beginning to generate for the state from far and wide, despite his attempts at transparency with the publication of quarterly programmes with clear time-table for implementation, despite his efforts at creating law and order in the state so that the environment can be conducive for development, the demons are out for him. They want power at all costs. They want more blood. I even understand he has been accused of non-performance. In six months? If governors are to be judged by six months in office, I bet there will be no governors in the world again.
In the last two weeks, events have rushed themselves. Just before Obasanjo’s visit, the rumour mill rolled out stories that impeachment was on the cards. A female APGA member of the House decamped to PDP, apparently in preparation for the impeachment charade. (Ironically, INEC is yet to declare her seat vacant and fix a date for bye-election, unlike in the Plateau State case. Of course, we know who issues instructions to the “independent” commission. We know whose interest they are serving. They are all fighting corruption.)
Suddenly, the motion to impeach Obi was moved and seconded. To align the move with the anti-corruption gimmick, all sorts of charges were brought against him. I want to re-iterate for the 1000th time that I fully support any genuine efforts to fight corruption. However, if the move against Obi is a sincere anti-corruption effort, then I am the Queen of England. The game is just too clear for anybody to play games with our sensibilities. We know the motive. We know the masterminds. We know them through and through. We have seen all this before. Obi can defend himself, so I do not intend to defend him here. He has said: “If any kobo belonging to Anambra State has been embezzled, I should be held responsible. I am ready to pack my suitcases and leave the government house.” Offences have to be contrived and infringements have to be manufactured in order to hang an innocent man and pave the way for the demons to take charge of Anambra State again. Every Anambra indigene should be worried. Every Igbo person should be disturbed. Every Nigerian should be concerned.
I blame Obi for one thing. Is this not the same House of Assembly that withstood the Abuja-backed gangsters for three years under Ngige? How come they are now glove-in-hand with the same demons? I think the first thing Obi should have done was to court Ngige rather than fight him. They have common enemies who are bent on capturing Anambra for selfish purposes. But Obi allowed this opportunity to slip through his fingers. It is inconceivable that the same House of Assembly that stood firm against these tormentors is now working with them shamelessly. Something is terribly amiss. It is easy to say it is because Obi has refused to “settle” the House members like Ngige did, but I think it is much more than that. I just cannot put my finger on the reason for this U-turn.
Let me try to picture what will happen next: the House will instruct the Chief Judge to set up an impeachment panel. They will give him a list full of Ubahs. If the CJ uses a different list, he would be accused of not appointing people of “unquestionable” character. He will be suspended. An acting CJ will be appointed. His own list will be full of people of “unquestionable” character (which means the governor’s opponents). The panel will sit for one minute and declare Obi guilty. Balonwu becomes governor. Bayo Ojo will kick against it. The president will declare a state of emergency and appoint a sole administrator. But, as we all know, even the best-laid plans can go wrong. Woefully.
