PETER OBI; a pinhole peep

The journey to Agulu Anambra State began with a distress call from Mrs. Anulika Obienyem. I have known her from my hay days in Abuja and she has been a faithful friend. The message from the call was simple, “my father-in-law is dead. We had to bury him immediately according to his wish.” I was dumbfounded that the Igbo man could bury his deceased relation in record time. To confirm this sad story, I got a call from Valentine Obienyem, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State.

I have known Val. for over ten years, as far back as in our undergraduate days in Lagos State University and a fraternal friendship is still blossoming over since. I cancelled all my engagements to make sure that I attend the final burial rites of his father, Ozo Bonaventure Obienyem, who died at the age of 78. Apart from Val. being a reliable friend in the university, my first child was actually conceived in his house at Lugbe, Abuja.

Having put my relationship with Val in perspective; let me regale you with the journey to his father’s burial that ended up in an unforgettable encounter with the democratic phenomenon of Nigeria’s democratic experience, Mr. Peter Obi.

I took off from Abuja my economic exiled base to Biafra (South East Nigeria) and anchored in Owerri. The conversation in the bus was centred on the marginalization of the Igbos in Nigeria, despite the”no victor no vanquished” declaration by the Gowon administration at the end of the 30- month civil war.

As an afterthought, the passengers zoomed in on the non-performance of the South-East governors. While these arguments raged, all the passengers were in agreement that the Amanbra State governor is in a class of his own and a trail blazer in the enforcement of rule of law, firm belief in the due process and integrated approach to development. Why won’t he, I belched, after all it was the judiciary that restored his stolen mandate. It should be remembered that Governor Peter Obi ran through the judiciary gauntlet to reclaim his mandate stolen by Dr. Chris Ngige of the PDP, after the former had spent 3 years in office.

Ever since Peter Obi regained his mandate, he has stuck to the rule of law and due process, with little regards to whose ox is gored. Despite these pass mark given to Peter Obi in the bus, I still remained a doubting Thomas. My pinch-of-salt faith in the accolades showered on Peter Obi, sprang from the numerous newspaper advertorials by governors, brandishing what they have done during the past one year. Yet in their states, there is nothing to show for it. The dividends of democracy and good governance to their people are on the pages of newspapers and the crafty imagination of their image makers.

As though one passenger read my mind, I was reminded that the ongoing stalemate with the PDP dominated state House of Assembly is nothing but the governor’s stubbornness that the interest of the Anambra people must prevail against party and selfish interest. With great skepticism about reports from bush telegrams and Nigerian arm chair investigative journalists, over the super performances of the governors, I proceeded to Agulu via Ideato North.

To my greatest shock, the road from Urualla is as smooth as the Abuja-Keffi road. When I passed my Alma Mater, St. John Chrysostom Seminary Osina, pride swelled up to a bursting point in me. It was in this school, under steady hands of Rev. Sam Ilo that my faith was shaped. It was also there that my first baptism of rebellion was born. I protested the forceful banning of vernacular by Mazi C.C. our form master in Class 2B. I still have fresh memories of my brief stay in that school.

Akokwa to Ekwulobia was a pleasure to travel on and once in a long time, I was proud of the South East roads. Another interesting observation was the absence of bill boards advertising the governor. A trip round other South-East states, in fact the whole federation, you will have the faces of their governors welcoming you to squalor, unemployment and insecurity.

But that was not the case in Anambra. As we cruised across the border of Imo and Anambra, no nuisance bill board was welcoming me to Anambra. I started feeling there is something different about the state. But my pride knew no bound when I got to Obe Village, Agulu, the venue and Val’s village. There was electricity, which I understand has been there since the seventies. One could feel the fresh air exhuming from the green trees and virgin vegetation.

I was minding my beer, discussing Barack Obama’s half chance in November, reinterpretation of Andy Uba’s empty mandate and the failure of the opposition parties to challenge the foisting of Rotimi Amaechi at the Rivers State Election Tribunal with Barrister Emeka Ikedigwe that I paid no attention when the Governor’s presence was announced by the master of ceremony. But when Peter Obi appeared, with little fanfare, my pride did a somersault and at once I longed to be a governor in the shoes of Peter Obi.

Peter Obi came with the most skeletal security out-fit I have seen in modern times. Coming from Abuja, where a common minister intimidates road users, it was a cultural shock for me to see a governor at close range and his security details were not over -zealous, not wearing Abacha-like goggles and scaring electorates. I cannot remember the last time I was this at ease in the presence of security men.

To crown it all, Peter Obi ate in public glare. No special venue was arranged for him to eat. This simplicity touched me that I could not help but think, how better Nigeria will be if all governors will borrow a leaf from Peter Obi, make themselves accessible and not build wall of Jericho with Policemen around the governor. You may also wish to know that the convoy used by Peter Obi had about four cars; there was no dispatch rider or a lorry load of Mobile Policemen.

The siren was not at full blast. The governor mixed well with the people and was accessible to all who wanted to chip a word into his ever listening ears. With a wide smile and gentle voice the governor nodded to the praise singers and cheerfully made himself available to all and sundry. Read more

APGA Loses Appeal To PPA

By Ashimole Felix with Agency Report.

The appeal of All Peoples Grand Alliance (APGA)’s gubernatorial candidate in Imo State, Martin Agbaso, was yesterday dismissed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt and the court affirmed Governor Ohakim’s victory against APGA.

Agbaso had appealed, praying the court to compel INEC to release the result of the cancelled April 14^th Election in Imo State, which Agbaso claims he won. The court of appeal held that INEC was right in cancelling an inconclusive election for non compliance of a Supreme Court judgment in favour of Senator Ifeanyichukwu Ararume as the authentic PDP flag bearer for the election.

 INEC had excluded Senator Ararume and substituted his name with Charles Ugwu as the PDP candidate for the said election. In a bid to cure this defect, INEC cancelled the April 14^th Election and ordered and conducted a fresh election on the 28^th of April, which APGA and Senator Ararume contested.   

Meanwhile it is not yet uhuru for the PPA in Imo State, as the court of Appeal is yet to rule on the appeal of Hon. Uche Onyeagocha of Action Congress (AC) and Senator Ararume challenging the Imo State Election Tribunal that entered judgment in favour of Governor Ikedi Ohakim.

 

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WHO IS AFRAID OF OHAKIM?

Written By: Che Oyinatumba

The executive governor of Imo State, south-east of Nigeria,Chief Ikedi Ohakim in a state wide broadcast, alleged that some politicians are out to assassinate him.

From the text of his message, one can not but have sympathy for Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, who with naked innuendos the governor accused of being behind the plot.

I am not an Ararume loyalist. In fact if its only my vote that will swing the election in favour of Senator Ararume and this running mate Barrister Bethel Nzimako, I will cast the vote into Otamiri. You know the taste of an excretion from the smell of the fart.

These duo by their antecedents are not fit to rule Imo State. Barrister Bethel was one time Owerri-West Local Government Chairman. And while his tenure lasted, there was no significant project in Owerri-West. Same is applicable to Senator Ararume, who as chairman South-East caucus of the Senate, kept criminally silent during the raging third term issue. Furthermore, the immediate past President while endorsing Charles Ugwuh as the PDP gubernatorial flag bearer said unprintable things about Senator Ifeanyi Ararume. These utterances should be of concern to every eligible voter in Imo State.

Be that as it may, the latest attack on Ararume and the PDP, to the extent of importing militias from outside the state to cause mayhem during the welcome back into PDP rally. This phobia by Ohakim, gives one a sense of de javu. As such antics was used by Orji Uzo Kalu, when he ran out of steam in his battle with President Obasanjo before he decamped to form PPA, which true to call, is cloning a millipede of Kalus. If not why should a chief security officer wake up with this fear for his life?

Ohakim’s ill-advised broadcast has shown him as a weakling who can not hold the state. Who is Ararume that the governor should loss sleep? Or more aptly, who is PDP in a PPA controlled state? If the governor knew all he bared at the broadcast, what is stopping the Commissioner of Police from arresting Ararume? Leadership is not friendship, it takes men of courage to take a decisive decision and do that which is for the greater good of the majority of the ruled.

I guess I am getting senile, how could I have forgotten that Ohakim became governor by default and by the lingering crisis in PDP between Onongaono and Abuja PDP. With the arrow head of Abuja PDP in Imo, pacified with an ambassadorial appointment and Onongaono in firm control of all the structures in Imo State, Ohakim’s insecure feeling is manifesting in his reasoning. After all he who rides on the back of the tiger, often ends in the belly of the tiger.

Governor Ohakim, if you want to discredit Ararume, do not fan the ambers of insecurity in Imo State. If your fears are hinged on the out come of the electoral tribunal, don worry, re-present yourself in the fresh election and see whether it was the people of Imo that gave the mandate or was it a mid-night underhand dealing, presided over by the PDP war dogs now in the camp of Ararume, lapping and panting for a taste of your political blood.

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