Posted by By PETRUS OBI, Enugu on
The dust raised by the recent interview granted Daily Sun by former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani's henchman, Prince Sam Ejiofor in which he referred to former governors, Senator Jim Nwobodo and Chief C.C. Onoh as deadwood and accused them of being the masterminds of trouble in Enugu State has drawn the ire Nwobodo's son, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo who says the former political adviser has no respect for elders.
•Nwobodo's son fires back at Ejiofor, Chimaroke's henchman over Ebe-ano
The dust raised by the recent interview granted Daily Sun by former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani's henchman, Prince Sam Ejiofor in which he referred to former governors, Senator Jim Nwobodo and Chief C.C. Onoh as deadwood and accused them of being the masterminds of trouble in Enugu State has drawn the ire Nwobodo's son, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo who says the former political adviser has no respect for elders.
In this reaction to that interview, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwobodo who was a commissioner under Chimaroke and whose appointment Ejiofor said was the cause of the rift between Chimaroke and Jim came out smoking, insisting that Ejiofor is a 'nobody' that his father should join issues with.
He described Ebe-ano, the political group of former governor Nnamani as evil, adding that instead of sermonizing on how the group would bounce back in Enugu State, Ejiofor should concentrate on the criminal charge preferred against him in court.
Excerpts of the interview below:
Ebe-ano philosophy
I have to look at these things from two points of view. He said that Ebe-ano is a philosophy, that it produced a senate president, three national secretaries of the PDP. It produced this and that. First of all, I want to say that Ejiofor doesn't know what philosophy is. He was a games master at Central School Agbani before being appointed Political Adviser. And it's only now that he is doing his mature programme in ESUTH, which was built by my father. So, he doesn't know what philosophy is. But let us even assume that Ebe-ano has a philosophy. The philosophy of Ebe-ano is quite different from what he was talking about.
The philosophy of Ebe-ano is disrespect for elders, looting and thuggery. Ebe-ano philosophy is one that does not obey law and order. That's why after a man has built a house, they go and pull it down. Nana Ogbodo is one of them, Senator Fidelis Okoro is one of them. Ask them about their experience. Ebe-ano philosophy is a philosophy of evil. It promotes mediocrity. It is that kind of philosophy that encourages brigandage, looting, disrespect for elders and he claims Governor Sullivan Chime is a product of Ebe-ano. It cannot be. Sullivan's pedigree doesn't allow him to be a product of Ebe-ano, because he respects elders. He has a pedigree. His father was a minister, so he cannot be a product of Ebe-ano.
Ken Nnamani cannot be a product of Ebe-ano, Okwesilieze Nwodo cannot be a product of Ebe-ano, its only people like Ejiofor that can be products of Ebe-ano because I have told you his mediocrity as a person; a games master. I graduated from the medical school more than 10 years ago and he is just enrolling in school at his age. The governor of Enugu State has an elders council. They meet periodically and tell him what to do. That is a product of good parentage. Let me tell you the truth, Senator Jim Nwobodo has never insulted C.C. Onoh in spite of their political differences. Ken Nnamani has not publicly insulted my father. He has never done that, in spite of their political differences. The tragedy of Enugu State politics is that somebody like Ejiofor could become a political adviser and the press would even grant him an interview. A man with 128-count criminal charge hanging on his neck in court over the looting of local government funds is talking because they have granted him bail. The looting in Enugu State from 1999 to 2007 is unprecedented. EFCC Chairman, Farida Waziri should do something fast so that people that will go to jail will go to jail and people that will be free, will be free.
Is it true that Chimaroke sponsored both his election and that of Jim?
You know in Igboland there is a way we judge people. The only way you can judge one's financial strength is if one has a house in the town where he lives and a house in his village. These are two fundamental things in Igboland to judge the financial strength of a man. No matter where the person comes from, these are the two major factors in Igboland, to determine if the person has 'arrived'. In this case, both of them had nothing; how could Chimaroke have financed the man's (Jim Nwobodo's) campaign? Do you get money from the moon? Onyemuche Nnamani is there to confirm all these. Senator Jim Nwobodo financed Chimaroke's election 95 per cent. Onyemuche Nnamani is the custodian of all the cheques.
For both his primary election and the general election he did not have one kobo. He (Jim) even went further to finance local government chairmen in the state and councilors. It during one of the meetings that Uche Nnaji told him (Jim) that these people may deny you one day, that you didn't give them anything, why don't you write an agreement. It was then an agreement was written for N20 million. Chimaroke has the agreement, Onyemuche has the agreement and my father has the agreement. And Onyemuche was in custody of the money, just a portion of the money, just to have a proof, because it was envisaged that this thing will happen. So how can he begin to say that he financed the election, where? Ejiofor was a primary school teacher before he started living in Chimaroke's Boys Quarters in Ihiala Street. How could he have financed the election.
At least, he admitted that in Nigeria if you win a primary election that someone needs to protect your votes. But I am talking of my father financing his election 95 per cent. There were minor contributions from people like Chief Gabriel Nnaji and the late Chief Ede from Nkanu East who was father of Anayo Ede, member of House of Representatives. They made minor contributions, but 95 per cent of his election was financed by Senator Jim Nwobodo. You can't lie over such things; people know the truth, because one of the philosophy of Ebe-ano is also distortion of facts.
After Chimaroke's election in 1999 he granted an interview in one of the dailies where he said that after God he attributed his victory to Jim Nwobodo. How come Ejiofor, who is he, I told you the man does not have a pedigree.
He said you almost lost your life during the election and Chimaroke wanted to compensate you; but your father refused, and that caused the problem?
Yes it was on election day. Quite true some thugs threatened me but nothing came out of it. I am still alive. The truth of the matter is that what they did to me is worse than the thugs would have done to me. They nearly killed me on NTA Road. They nearly killed me; that was after I had resigned. My car was shot to blazes. So, whatever the thugs could have done cannot be compared to what they did to me. They put me in detention with criminals for three days and I didn't do anything to warrant that treatment.
Did your father object to your appointment?
He did not. But, what he was saying is that…because in my family we believe in live and let live, we don't grab everything. When my father was governor, he did not make any of his brothers commissioner, his in-law commissioner, he spread everything around. That's the kind of person he is. He was saying (to Chimaroke) take care of the other people that worked for his victory. I can take care of my son. So, it's not as if he objected for me to be anything but there were other people involved. He said don't use my son's position as a reason, he will always get something if you want, but take care of these other people first. So, what he then did was to make all his relatives commissioners, special advisers and managing directors, that's the truth. So, half of the appointments in the state came from one local government.
My appointment was not the cause of the rift between my father and Chimaroke
That was not the issue. Rather, he asked Chimaroke to take care of the people who worked for him during the election and the governor refused and started bringing people that were in opposition when he was campaigning for governor. So, it was not my appointment because it would have come on merit, because I actually worked for the PDP. My appointment could also have come because my father is Senator Jim Nwobodo. I would have got my appointment no matter what. So the issue of me being the problem is a lie, it's a big lie. And that is part of the philosophy of Ebe-ano, distortion and lies. Take care of the people that worked with you; Ugo Agballa was his campaign manager where is he today? In Imo State Achike Udenwa's campaign manager was made the SSG. In Delta State Ibori's campaign manager was made commissioner for works, today he is a senator.
But no, Chimaroke didn't want it, he wanted mediocre. He wanted people like Ejiofor. That is the problem and that is the tragedy of Enugu State. His mother-in-law was the chairman of a local government and at the same time chairman of Enugu State Housing Corporation. That's what he was doing. His sister was chairman of Health Systems Fund and chairman of the Pilgrims Board. So we cannot begin to talk about Ebe-ano as a philosophy. No reasonable human being would want to be part of it. Even the Governor (Sullivan Chime) went to the Okpara Square and denounced Ebe-ano. How can he be part of it? Because the governor believes in fairness, he does not believe in looting, That's why you can see roads and houses being built everywhere in the state. I never believed that such money is available to build roads in Enugu State for one year and he was there for eight years, he didn't do anything.
Why I resigned?
It was there in my resignation letter. I said that what we had was a government of lazy men. That the rate of political assassinations going on was incredible. Just before then Sunday Ugwu died because of political differences. These things were happening. I don't want to go into all that. What I want to talk about is what Ejiofor said in that interview.
Today there is peace in Enugu State. There are no more thugs parading the whole place. Thugs are no more commissioners and special advisers. Development is going on at an alarming pace.
Deadwood
That is part of the Ebe-ano philosophy; insulting elders. Let me tell you Onoh is my godfather, and Senator Jim Nwobodo is my biological father. So, Ejiofor has entered my 18-yard box, and I can't spare him. The problem with people like Ejiofor, I have told you his story. So you can compare him with the people he was insulting. Onoh is taunted as the father of Wawa land for the fact that this state was created primarily based on his efforts and Senator Jim Nwobodo, because he is the first Wawa man to become governor. And Ejiofor call them deadwood; men of wisdom, and you call them deadwood. I hope Ejiofor will reach their age. Isn't Rimi still playing politics, and Solomon Lar? Aren't they playing politics, aren't they Nwobodo's mates?
The problem is that he, Ejiofor, a nincompoop should determine when people like Jim Nwobodo and Onoh will leave the stage. It's not for him to determine that. People play politics for a short time, others play for a longer time. People have been president at the age of 29, Gowon was one, John F. Kennedy was president at the age of 43 and Reagan was president at the age of 70. So, it's not for him to determine when somebody should play politics. Well, when you give somebody a position that surpasses him, three things will happen. Either he brings the position down to his level, which is what has done or he rises to that position or he brings himself to a certain level with that position.
Jim does not know Ejiofor one-to- one
In the interview he also said that he was a political associate of my father, but I tell you the man doesn't know him. He doesn't know Ejiofor. If he sees him on the road today he can't say this is Ejiofor. He can't identify him, how then would he say he was his associate and that he worked with him?
Chime is trying to rectify the damages done by Chimaroke's government
That is what Chime is trying to do, trying to put the round pegs in the round holes, so that people who have something to offer will be incorporated into the government. It's not a matter of thuggery and mediocrity that was the highpoint of the past administration. Today, you can see the difference between life and death; you see infrastructural development all around the state. I never knew the state had such money. All we heard in the past was 'there is no money', that he was managing the resources very well. But now it is obvious that there is enough money to develop Enugu State, build infrastructure, and there is enough money to pay salaries. Because Ebe-ano philosophy does not also include paying salaries, because by the time he left office there were four months to 15 months of unpaid salaries of all kinds of civil servants in Enugu State. That's part of the Ebe-ano philosophy.
Why do you think Ejiofor was denied the governorship ticket?
Because he is a crime suspect. That's the truth of the matter. And the constitution says you don't give a crime suspect gubernatorial ticket. I thank God that he was not made deputy governor, because he would have become governor. Ejiofor would have become governor by now. The EFCC came to Enugu and found out that local government funds were passing through him and the accused him that somehow he was looting local government funds.
Chimaroke's government people-oriented?
The period between 1999 and 2007 was a dark era in Enugu politics. It can only be compared to what Hitler did between 1933 and 1939 before the Second World War where he dismissed all opposition. The ones that were stubborn he killed. Today, there is peace because of the character of the person in charge. Go round and ask the people how their lives were touched by Chimaroke. He was not even releasing local government funds. When local government fund came he would not release it. Today, Sullivan releases their funds to them and they use it for development. Chimaroke was not doing it. So, how could he have touched a larger number of people.
There are things being done now to touch the lives of people directly. People are being paid their salaries as at when due. Disengaged workers have been recalled and they are being paid their salaries promptly. These are structures of government, it's not seeing somebody and dashing him N20,000, then you say you have affected his life. It is structure we are talking about, not on individual basis. So, the issue of touching the lives of people is not true. Chimaroke didn't touch anything, he only touched his own life and that of Ejiofor and his cronies. How can a man have 172 houses? Those are the ones that are determined now, when he didn't have one before. If he was doing what he was supposed to do, how can he have that number of houses? And Ejiofor has up to 50, how can that be? A man that was living in a Boys Quarters in 1999.
You see God works in mysterious ways and what one sows is what he reaps. The same Chimaroke he is trying to defend is even a better person than himself, because Chimaroke realizes… You see, he has gone to my dad. He has gone to Senator Jim Nwobodo and apologized over whatever he might have done to him. But a mediocre like Ejiofor is still talking nonsense. That's what I am telling you that pedigree matters a lot. Chimaroke is a medical doctor, Ejiofor is a games master.
Sullivan has done well
You live in Enugu and you can see that he has done very well. There is massive infrastructural development in the state. The urban roads that were bad are being rehabilitated. It's not a matter of talking, you can see it happening. His four-point agenda is being worked out. There are housing projects going on here and there, local governments are almost autonomous because they release their money to them promptly and they are working. The last group of chairmen, the transitional chairmen, the amount of development that they did surpassed imagination. So, when you put a good man in a good position, he does well. Everybody was praying for Chimaroke to leave government, for another person to take over. God brought in Sullivan Chime and he is really doing well.
Why Sullivan fell out with Chimaroke?
I don't know what happened. I was not in Chimaroke's campaign. But you could imagine if Ejiofor and Chimaroke were controlling Sullivan today how Enugu State would have been. I leave that to your imagination.
Any Hope for Ebe-ano in 2011
They say they are re-strategizing. Let them come we are waiting for them. Whenever they finish their boardroom, let them come out and we shall see what would happen, how they will do it. It's just a pity that people who should be in jail are still planning how to take over power in 2011, it's very unfortunate.
Do they have the followers?
Apart from their thugs I don't see any reasonable person that will follow Ebe-ano.
Are you saying Chime has no serious opponent in 2011?
No, if he continues with the pace of what he is doing now will there really be any need for opposition? I went to Nsukka at a ceremony to mark his victory at the Supreme Court and in his speech, he said if at the end of the day all he has done is not worth it that he will not even contest. So his challenge is to make it worth the while for the people of Enugu State and so far he is doing well.