Posted by From Emmanuel Ugwu in Enugu on
Senate President Ken Nnamani was yesterday banned from using Enugu State as base to launch any criticism against the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Senate President Ken Nnamani was yesterday banned from using Enugu State as base to launch any criticism against the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The order was handed down to him by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a press briefing addressed by the state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ugulu O. Ugulu.
He said the party was 'shocked" by the comments credited to the Senate President in a radio programme where he featured as a guest.
In Media Link programme on Radio Nigeria Enugu last Sunday, Nnamani reportedly slammed the anti-corruption crusade of the Obasanjo administration, saying that it was characterised by insincerity and selective justice.
'In totality, he meant that the Federal Government was not serious in its entire efforts, even though government has received applause for its efforts in bringing trust and confidence in the polity," Ugulu said.
PDP spokesman said 'it is surprising to us that the Senate President will always choose Enugu as the place to cast aspersion on the Federal Government, when indeed, it is clear to all that as Number 3 political citizen of this country he has unlimited access to the Presidential Villa in Abuja."
He said Nnamani's penchant to use Enugu "to vent his spleen on the Federal Government" constituted 'an affront on PDP in Enugu State."
Ugulu said the Senate President stepped out of line by publicly criticising the Obasanjo administration, because PDP in Enugu State has since inception created an effective line of communication or advice meant for the Federal Government, adding that the line of communication 'is open right from the Coal City to the Presidential Villa hence Nnamani has no reason to deviate from that course."
'We therefore demand of Mr. Senate President to adhere to the noble course and not to appeal to emotion and never to play to the gallery to create dissension within our great party," he said.
However, he said if Senate President has chosen to be a rebel, PDP in Enugu would not allow him to use the state any more to fire any verbal missile against the presidency.
'If for any reason the course he has chosen are stage display, passion, unguarded utterance and outright rebellion, we most respectfully ask of him to look for another place to do that rather than coming into Enugu to create the impression that PDP in Enugu State, which is a loyal wing of the ruling party, would have to resort to cheap media channels to communicate to the presidency."
When pressed to spell out the sanctions the party has in store for Nnamani if he failed to toe the line, the publicity secretary was not forthcoming, but rather insisted that the Senate President has "the choice to follow the course of decorum and nobility of leadership by following the channels open to him or he shuts up."
On why PDP should be angry with Nnamani for expressing his personal opinion on a national issue, Ugulu said as a member of PDP it was the duty of the party to call him to order since he was erring.
'What has happened is serious one and we won't take it kindly. We don't want anybody to use Enugu State as a buffer to fight the federal government," he said.
The party spokesman said Nnamani has every reason to be grateful to the party in Enugu for using 'its intimidating structure" to send him to the Senate and eventually the president of the upper chamber of the federal legislature.
For that singular factor, Ugulu said, Nnamani should not indulge in criticising the government controlled by his party thereby bringing the Enugu PDP to a disrepute at the federal level.