Uzokwe's Searchlight

A good question to ask is why the people of the state shudder at the prospects of Andy Uba becoming their governor. The reasons are clear: many argue that for a man that had the ear of the most powerful man in Nigeria, he did nothing to help develop the state.

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Tuesday, March 6, 2007



Alfred Obiora Uzokwe

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THE EAGLE MAY HAVE LANDED, BUT...?


ate last week, Anambra state was agog! The news was that Dr Chris Ngige, the former governor of the state had indeed made good on his promise. He was back in the state as he promised many months ago. The reader should recall that he unceremoniously left the state last year after his tenure was cut short by a court ruling. Eye witnesses describe how emotionally-charged citizens rejoiced on hearing the news of Ngige's return. One person told this writer that the jubilation in her family was indescribable. "People were dancing and thanking God for bringing back our savior", she told me enthusiastically.


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A few days ago, I devoted some time to reading some newspaper and internet reactions of Anambra citizens about Ngige's return. I came to the conclusion that while there are still a handful of people who may never forgive the man for "denying Peter Obi a full term", many were for the most part very enthused by his return. They see him as a God-sent that would deliver the people of the state to the "Promised Land". One particular internet reaction caught my attention. It was a one-liner that simply said of Ngige's return, "The Eagle has landed!" That one liner informed this commentary entitled, "The Eagle may have landed but�?

Many are of course aware that Ngige has not been certified by INEC to run for the governorship position. From what one has read so far, he is not only being disqualified, but may be facing arrest. The reason, they say, is because of the so called EFCC indictment for offences yet to be made public. If the disqualification stands, it means that the hopes of majority of Anambra citizens will be dashed. It means that the jubilation and outpouring of encomiums on the streets of Awka may be premature. It means that the eagle may have landed but has effectively been neutered.

Just this morning, the Daily Sun [March 5, 2007] quoted the Public Affairs Director of INEC, Pastor Segun Adeogun as saying that "no party submitted Dr. Ngige's name as a candidate for any election and neither did he come for verification as done by other candidates". As far as one is concerned, if the reason why INEC does not recognize Ngige as a governorship candidate has to do with the non-submission of his name by Action Congress, then that is a serious problem occasioned by party ineptitude. That type of error of omission is unfortunate and INEC cannot be blamed. On the other hand, if he is being excluded because of the so called EFCC indictment, then the whole exercise wreaks of a political witch-hunt geared towards the enthronement of mediocrity anchored on illegality in the state.

The EFCC has failed to clearly marshal out the reasons why Ngige was labeled corrupt and for which his name appeared on the black list. At this juncture, this writer joins other well-meaning Nigerians in demanding that EFCC charge him to court if it is convinced that he is corrupt. A court of competent jurisdiction stands a better stead to determine the man's guilt or innocence not Ribadu and his one-sided hatchet job. For the avoidance of doubt, it is this writer's opinion that if found guilty by a competent and unbiased court, Ngige should not be allowed to stand the election. The same goes for Andy Uba who has many charges currently stacked against him in the courts. As they say, in the interest of equity and fairness, what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander.

One must state, though, that one no longer reposes any confidence in the EFCC's neutrality and hence integrity. Nuhu Ribadu seems like a decent man that wants to sanitize the nation but that is beside the point. His excessive and almost servile deference to the president on matters where he should be truly independent has compromised his integrity. Furthermore, the anti-corruption body does not seem to be following the age-old mantra that guides investigative bodies elsewhere around the globe. It has jettisoned the principle of "trust but verify" and taken to the use of mere hearsay and innuendoes to found its cases. I say this because of the sloppy job it did in the case of governor Nnamani of Enugu state. The reader should recall that in Nnamani's rebuttals, it turned out that some of the houses which the EFCC used to build its case against him were mere vacant lots. The anti-corruption body merely relied on the complaints from the enemies of the governor and never tried to cross check and verify the facts before making them public. This is why one does not trust the fleeting statements that EFCC is making against governor Ngige and frankly many other politicians. Until an unbiased court intercedes and makes a ruling that supports the EFCC stance, Ngige should be allowed to exercise his democratic rights.

Since the ban on political activities was lifted for the 2007 election, a political irony of sorts has been playing out in the state. Andy Uba, the man that most indigenes love to hate, has gradually made unbelievable inroads into all nooks and crannies of the state. When I was in Nigeria, I observed that he was the only governorship candidate that had real presence in the state. The only posters I found, of any gubernatorial candidate were those of "Dr" Andy Uba. He was everywhere, even as the citizens continued to express their dislike for him. As I write this, the other governorship candidates have been so lily livered and in awe of Andy Uba that they have deserted the political arena for him and became mere spectators in a sport that they were supposed to be participating in. They stand around and watch Uba's political train rolling through the state, bludgeoning and bulldozing the opposition. This levity, on the part of other gubernatorial aspirants has been a source of displeasure to Anambra citizens. They have been worrying that Uba may just be coasting home to victory without any real opposition. This is the reason why they poured out into the streets on hearing that Ngige was back. They believe that if there is any one that will stop the Andy Uba train, it is Ngige and they do not want INEC or EFCC to unfairly stand in Ngige's way. One thing is clear: frivolously denying Ngige the opportunity to vie for the governorship position could actually set off a disturbance of unimaginable proportions in Anambra state. The citizens may not take it lightly unless there is compelling and incontrovertible evidence that he is a very corrupt man.

A good question to ask is why the people of the state shudder at the prospects of Andy Uba becoming their governor. The reasons are clear: many argue that for a man that had the ear of the most powerful man in Nigeria, he did nothing to help develop the state. They also believe that even though the man hails from Anambra state, he was an opportunistic carpet-bagger that never visited his state when he was in office. He spent his time in Abuja singing lullaby's to help the president go to bed at nights and wake him up in the mornings. Most of all, they argue that while Anambra state burned, he kept mum. Some even see him as part of the problem. All these have put a very bad taste in the mouths of the citizens about Andy Uba.

Not too long ago, Mr. Peter Obi was reinstated as the bona fide governor of Anambra state. It was welcome news to many, including this writer. Before then, most lovers of the state sadly watched as his mandate was cut short again because of a senseless, unwarranted and illegal impeachment exercise. With the hope that justice would eventually prevail and he would be reinstated, it was the belief of all that when reinstated, he was going to jettison the many mistakes he made and do things right. They also thought that he was going to give Uba the run of his life. Obi is back in the saddle but the story seems to be the same! A look at what has happened so far shows that he may not have learnt much! The most unnerving part is that rather than earnestly begin to challenge Uba in the political arena, for the governorship of the state, come April, he wants the governorship of the state to be handed to him on a platter for the next four years. He is fighting a meaningless court battle to extend his tenure for 4-more years. The Ubas are very aware of the futility of Obi's quest in the courts and are working even harder to consign him to the limbo of non-entities. Someone should tell Peter Obi to begin an earnest campaign for the governorship if he is interested in it. If he is not interested in campaigning for the position, then he should step aside for his more tactful deputy to squarely step in as the gubernatorial candidate and along with Ngige, give the Ubas a run for their money and make the race an exciting one rather than a bastardized coronation. I realize that INEC is still playing hanky panky with certifying Peter Obi as APGA's candidate for the state. However, a wise politician should have a two-pronged approach to the problem. While challenging INEC's stance, he should simultaneously be campaigning vigorously so that if eventually certified, he would not have lost too much ground.

The governorship position for a state as important as Anambra must not be allowed to be hijacked by external forces especially Aso Rock. It must be a determination made solely by the good people of the state. The idea of using the EFCC or INEC to scuttle the ambition of other candidates, so as to make way for Uba, must not be accepted by the citizens. Even with his political shortcomings, Peter Obi means well for Anambra state and is well liked by many, including this writer. He should therefore be given the chance to present himself to his people if he so desires. Suffice it to say that Ngige is also liked by the people. His popularity rose out of adversity. In the midst of persecution, during his tenure, he built a solid shroud of resilience around himself while extending the dividends of democracy to the people of the state. Inspite of the federal might that descended on him like a ton of bricks, he stood tall and challenged the people that feasted on the state treasury and won. For the first time, the citizens were made aware of the federation account and how it could be used for the benefit of all rather than a few. He showed that teachers and pensioners could be paid regularly. Although the roads he built may not be perfect from my engineering eyes, they were the best the state had seen so far. His remarkable courage, laced with political astuteness withstood the destructive elements of the state before. The people of the state believe that he could do it again. They want him to be afforded the opportunity to present himself to the masses.

As I conclude this commentary, there is still no closure to the one liner that gave birth to it. The eagle may have landed but EFCC, INEC and the president are bent on clipping its wings and rendering it immobile. They do not wish to respect the wishes of the people of Anambra state in their quest to entrust governance of the state into the hands of a clueless set of Aso Rock lackeys. The eagle may have landed but the president seems bent on actualizing his statement that the election is a do or die affair by enthroning his erstwhile servant. I however hasten to caution that you can fool some people sometimes but you certainly cannot fool all the people all the time. The mood in Anambra state is tense as citizens await information on the fate of the man they want to lead them. They have had enough of the divide and conquer politics that has almost made the state a pariah. Only time will tell how all this will play out in April and we are all watching.

HERE I STAND