Posted by by Chimex Ndubuisi on
Nothing has so embarrassed the country and portrayed it as a lawless nation than the Anambra scandal.
Nothing has so embarrassed the country and portrayed it as a lawless nation than the Anambra scandal.
Ever since the governor of the state, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige was sworn into office May 29, 2003, he has not known peace and the good people of Anambra have not known peace, either.
A bunch of political desperados are hell bent on destroying everything the state is known or, just to massage their selfish ego and boast of their high connections, while hoping for the dividends of democracy, which many people, especially Anambra indigenes doggedly fought for, all they could get is sorrow and heartache.
All of this is because of the obsession for power by some renegades in the state. The genesis of the Anambra shameful saga could be traceable to the mindless quest by the ruling peoples democratic party (PDP) to turn the entire Nigeria into a one-party state.
In the first place, Governor Ngige of the PDP did not win the governorship election in Anambra State. That fact is incontestable. Even the International Community attested to the fact that the April 2003 general elections were massively and fraudulently rigged.
That election incidentally was also what brought President Obasanjo back to power for the second tenure. The outcome is various stings of socio-economic and political upheavals we witness almost on daily basis. The PDP was so desperate to return Obasanjo to power that they deployed every dubious means to ensure that victory. And they got it, though they have not gotten away with it. In every state, they looked for life minds, those who would be ready to do anything under the sun, in order to be given the ticket to the State Houses of Assembly. But that was to provide the kingmakers the leeway to maintain a stronghold on the state treasury.
To ensure that any one who eventually was installed as governor danced to their tunes, the political kingmakers, also known as the godfathers, subjected the desperate candidates to some kind of oath-taking and fetish rituals.
Shockingly, it was revealed that his political godfathers took the governor to Okija shrine where some oaths were administered on him and an undertaking signed. Ngige did not deny this. He admitted being taken there, but in his words, "I did not enter the shrine". What a lame defence. The governor's traducers had insisted that Ngige actually took the oath and entered into an agreement with them, which he now reneges. He was even said to have taken the oath while naked. Not surprising! In politics, just as in law, morality is secondary and can be done without.
Ngige and Chris Uba became traditionalists in order to gain power. I am sure Ngige may have heard the saying that the devil has no free gift. It is only that which comes from God that can endure and it adds no sorrow. Infact all the governors should learn this useful lesson. You cannot serve both God and mammon at the same time. I hope the governors are listening and should learn some lessons from history. This message may be the least they might like to hear. God may be using what is happening now to teach some important lessons. That lesson may include the fact that it is only in righteousness can one be truly established. I want to state here that what happened in Anambra State can happen to any governor in the country.
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria described it as a local issue. Perhaps, it would have happened to Mr. President himself before he regards it as a serious national embarrassment. All those fingered in the unfolding drama in Anambra crisis, including the President himself have been denying their involvement as I wrote in my last edition. But history is recording and it is the best judge. A little bird in the middle of the road dancing must have a drummer somewhere near the bush. What many observers are still wondering is whether inter-personal squabbles between one person and another could be a reasonable justification for committing heinous crime against the state such as kidnapping of a sitting governor, arson of public and private buildings. All these have been recorded to take place when President Olusegun Obasanjo was the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I am not among those who look up to Obasanjo for solution to Anambra problem. The President himself deserves pity. After all, is he not embattled himself? Nigeria is in a very deep socio-economic and political morass today. It is a big challenge to Obasanjo. He should find realistic solutions to them. Does it not bother the President that Nigeria has lost so much value since his administration came to power, especially this his second term? Corruption has assumed a very monstrous dimension. Transparency International rated the country the third most corrupt country of the world after Bangladesh and Haiti. Infact, Nigeria is No 1 about 70 percent of Nigerians is living in abject poverty. The law is becoming respecter of persons. To get recognition and attention for any issue you may want the authorities to address, you need to pick up arms. Then, you will be treated the Asari Dokubo way, if you carry out your campaign in a non-violent manner, then you are counting trouble.
Salaries of some government officials are denominated and paid in dollars here in Nigeria.
To be frank, people in government did not have as much stake in Nigeria as millions of the masses. They are mere scavengers, feeding fact on oil money. All the nation's refineries had been totally ignored. Does all this jells into a purposeful and focused leadership?
Surely, Obasanjo's government has lost dear direction. We can only pray for God's divine intervention to take place. The year 2007 is fast approaching. It is another election year, another planting season. What we should concern ourselves with now is the kind of seed we shall take to the farm then.
This is the lesson all the governors in the country should learn in order not to fall a victim of what happened in Anambra State. But, if they fail to adhere to this instruction; calamity, disgrace and catastrophe will befall on them and their own case will be worst because they refused to learn from someone's mistakes and never to forget the adage that says, 'once bitten twice shy'
He who have ear, let them hear or face the repercussion which I have already exonerate myself, because he who does not have anything in mind, has nothing to explain.