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The man making the majestic entry was non other than Chris Uba. Yes, the same Chris Uba that we have all read about. The one that now wants to be the governor of Anambra state for six months to "recoup the one billion naira" he loaned to Governor Chris Ngige for his electioneering campaign. He wore a relaxed look on his face and seemed to be enjoying the antics of the policemen that surrounded him. Some of them were trying very hard to impress him by the way they were treating the crowd. Obviously, they were justifying the perks they got for following him around town, afterall, a dog has good reason for following a gourmand�

As soon as the host caught glimpse of Uba, he quickly rose from where he was sitting and rushed towards him, shook his hands enthusiastically and led him to his seat. That location seemed to have been prepared ahead of time for Uba who instantly took his seat just as his "protectors" took up strategic positions all around him. Watching what was going on around him, one would think that he was the head of state. By this time, many other "dignitaries" had recognized the August guest and it was pitiful to see how some were jockeying to shake his hand or even to be noticed by him. The policemen still prevented some from getting access to him while some were allowed to get through and pay their "respects" to the man that allegedly turned the state into a war zone not too long ago.

As is now the vogue during traditional marriage ceremonies, it was soon time for the young man and woman who were getting married to dance. They stepped out and to the tune of Oliver de Coque's music, began to dance. Of course, people surged towards them, plastering their foreheads with as much naira notes as one could imagine. Chris Uba watched for a while from his seat but later rose and again with hands in his pockets, began to make his way towards the dancing couple. Of course his "protectors" quickly sprang into action, surrounding him again and beating back people who deigned to get close to the man from Uga.

Closely following him was a man carrying what looked like a box. As soon as Uba got to the location where the couple was dancing, the man with the box stepped forward and held it close to him. Gleefully, Uba dug his hand into the box and retrieved a fistful of wads of naira notes and began to "spray" the couple! He was relentless as he retrieved wad after wad of naira notes from the box. Sometimes, he just grabbed a handful of the money and threw it in the direction of the couple.

Out of curiosity or otherwise, the crowd had again moved towards him but as if to keep them at bay, he grabbed a fistful of the naira notes and threw it in their direction. It was a perfect picture of a master throwing a bone to a distracting dog. The trick worked because as they jostled to grab some of the money, he again resumed "spraying" of the dancing couple. People watched with a mixture of shock, awe, surprise and disgust. They wondered why the man whose fate was being deliberated by PDP, the man that had been called the villain of the year was still out and about as if he owned the world. Looking at Uba's disposition, one could tell that he was least perturbed by all the attention on him; he was simply having the time of his life and his beneficiaries seemed to be loving it.

After exhausting the money in the box, another box was made available to him and he shifted base as his "protectors" followed. This time, he headed towards the resident musician, Oliver de Coque. As soon as the musician saw him approaching, with a sheepish grin on his face and an air of giddiness, he changed tunes and ratcheted up the volume a few notches. "Ana enwe obodo enwe�" he sang. The lyric of the song, which means, "some people own the land", was obviously in reference to Uba's influence in Anambra state and the nation as a whole. Of course Uba loved it all. He stopped in front of the musician, grabbed several handfuls of naira and relentlessly started "spraying" him. The musician was energized. "Eselu Uga", he crooned. "Ochiagha Uga", he praised the man that was now pouring thousands of naira on him. Some people were appalled. They began to wonder aloud if the man that was being serenaded was still the same man that was said to have torn Anambra state apart.

It is noteworthy that the retinue of policemen around Uba guarded him so jealously and with utmost zeal and vigor. The looks in their eyes showed that they were willing to lay down their lives in defense of the man. This gets one to wonder if this same men, who were primarily recruited to serve the nation, would be willing to lay down their lives for the nation? This writer doubts it and it is indeed a pathetic irony.

The spraying of the musician continued for a while. One funny thing that happened at this time was that when Uba threw a handful of money in the direction of the musician's backup singers and instrumentalists, some of them seemed to forget that they were supposed to concentrate on the instruments they were playing. They surged forward to grab the money and for a split second, the music seemed to lose its beat and tempo. They quickly recovered and continued to extol the man from Aguata to high heavens. Finally, the money in the box was exhausted and as Uba began to walk away, Oliver de Coque retorted melodramatically, "keneelum baba"- "greet baba for me". Apparently, he believes just like every other Nigerian, that Uba has unfettered access to Aso Rock and its chief tenant. On that note, Uba and his entourage left the compound. For the next couple of days after that performance, the town was abuzz.

On New Year's Eve in Nnewi, during a private dinner hosted at the house of my father's friend, the issue of Uba's superfluous display of wealth came up. I merely told them that I was now convinced that it was only Nigerians in Diaspora that were unhappy with Uba and his handiwork in Anambra state. I sarcastically added that judging from the royal treatment he was given, especially by the musician and the surging crowd, I had concluded that he was a "well liked man" in the state. Of course many disagreed with me. They opined that the people surging to grab the money were displaced and disadvantaged people who needed succor and would take it regardless of where it came from. As for the seeming complacency of the people, they attributed it to the fact that the man has so much security that he was untouchable. They pointed out how his security detail pounced readily at any one that attempted to get close to him. Collectively, many blamed the musician for acting as though he had not been reading the newspapers. Extolling the man that seemed to be tearing the state apart, because he was dishing out naira notes, was not the right thing to do, they concluded.

As for this writer, I came away with the sad belief that the seeming intractable problem in Anambra state will remain so. It will remain so because the people of Anambra state and indeed the Igbo race have become exceedingly complacent, timid and resigned. Those that roared like tigers in the past, to the admiration of many, have suddenly become as meek as the lamb. They have turned deaf and dumb to the travails of the state. But for the principled and pragmatic stand of Chinua Achebe and very few others, the land of Zik, Akanu Ibiam and Michael Okpara is suddenly lacking in men of conviction. Dr. Ekwueme has expressed a sudden desire to get back into the PDP and politics. While I still respect him as an elder, I wonder why he refrained for so long from unequivocally condemning the abomination in his state. It beats me that other men of honor in the state have kept silent while the state continues to go down the tubes.

Because of the seeming silence and "see no evil" stance of the Igbos on this issue, Uba has become more brazen. He recently asked the Oyinola tribunal to find a way to make him the governor of Anambra state for a while so he could recoup the one billion naira he supposedly loaned to Ngige! Many, especially in the Diaspora, may think of it as pipe dream. However, after what I saw in Nigeria during the Christmas period, and judging from the backing that this man is getting from the central government, I will not be surprised to see him installed as governor of the state. Along that line, I deign to prognosticate that there is really not much hope for the salvation of that state. The only hope will come when the central government serves out its term and leaves. Hopefully, a true statesman that understands the meaning of honor and legacy will emerge at that time and right the wrongs that this tyrannical central government has been perpetrating and condoning for so long.

Many people in Anambra state rejoiced when it was announced that Chris Uba had been suspended from the PDP. In their opinion, that singular step would curtail his disastrous influence on the state. It would also mean, they surmised, that the governor of the state would have some breathing room to get a few more things accomplished, even though he was also suspended from the party.

While this writer would have liked to identify with these optimists, it would be more prudent to toe the line of realism rather than mere optimism. Uba's authority and influence do not and never did derive from his mere membership in the PDP. It is an open secret that he has direct connection to the powers that be in Aso Rock. That is what makes him "powerful". It is unfortunate that he has chosen to use that power in the most irrational and selfish way. In light of the aforesaid, one can unequivocally state that with or without the PDP, he would continue to be a sacred cow, terrorizing the people of Anambra state at will and getting away with it. For how can one explain the fact that while the PDP was deliberating his fate during the last Christmas period, he was busy driving around the state like royalty with a retinue of more than 16 well-armed mobile policemen and giving out money with reckless abandon? The policemen followed him wherever he went and did his bidding at the expense of the Nigerian taxpayer. It still beats this writer that a private citizen is being guarded as though he were an important national treasure. Would it not make more sense for those policemen to be stationed elsewhere in the state, where their mere presence would act as a deterrent to men of the underworld and help save the lives of honest Nigerians that are falling every day under the guns of bandits? Happy New Year and May God help us all.

HERE I STAND