In the year 1996, a young medical doctor Chimaroke Nnamani resident and practicing in the United States of America returned to his home state to seek for his people’s mandate. He was about 36 years, he floated DPN and became their Governorship candidate in Enugu State. He traversed the length and breadth of the State with message of hope and his message resonated. From Isiuzo, to Udenu, Igboeze North and South, Udi, Oji River, and Nkanu. That same year, Sen. Jim Nwobodo, Anyanwu na Awara Oha and Sen. Ken Nnamani were senatorial candidates of both GDN and UNCP respectively. After the election, Ken Nnamani won the senatorial election under UNCP and his party was on its path to victory in the Governorship election, until Abacha coup struck. One significant thing about that election was that young Chimaroke’s party won 4 seats in the State Assembly; Okechukwu Itanyi and, Dons Udeh of Igbetiti and Nkanu West Constituency are notable names that we know till today as Deputy Governor and Commissioner. DPN won in four Constituencies in that election.
The formation of PDP gave birth to renewed interest in politics, young Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani realigned and joined the party with support of ordinary Enugu people and locals he clinched the ticket against the elites; Onoh, Nwobodo and Nwodo. Who supported Nduka Agu, and Richard Nnamani respectively. The victory of Chimaroke brightened the hope of larger Enugu people and Nkanu people, the stakeholders saw their son on the path of becoming Governor 19 years after another of their son Jim Nwobodo had emerged.
They all rallied behind him, in their umbrella association Nkanu People’s Assembly they insisted that Chief Jim Nwobodo endorse Chimaroke. Jim did that immediately and supported the campaign until victory in 1999.
History is important because it gives clarity to the events of the past. However, our society in the present times are bereft of this core element of social justice. This is because, when you’re not aware of your history, strangers could force down dangerous narratives down your throat.
Did Chief Jim Nwobodo bring Chimaroke back from America? No. Were they political associate in 1996? No. Did Jim support Chimaroke in the 1999 election? Yes. And we’re happy he endorsed him at the time. For those ignorant chaps who were either not born as at the time or have not been careful in the study of Igbo political and Social History, let me be clear, Chimaroke Nnamani’s journey in politics is what every young person today should emulate and understand because that was an exhibition of faith and courage in the face of uncertainty.
His ascendancy in office as Governor liberalized politics and demystify the exclusivity that the Nwodo three and Chief Onoh made politics be in Wawaland. If Chimaroke were to be in a society where the people regards their illustrious son’s, majority of the people would celebrate the uncommon leadership he displayed in office. However, I do not deny that as a human, Chimaroke is not infallible. He has blood and water running through his vein.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi didn’t do any favor for Chimaroke Nnamani in 2019. The reason he begged Sen. Nnamani to run for Senate was to stop him from defecting to APC when the party had already made overtures to him in 2018 to become their Senatorial candidate. Aware that Sen. Nnamani joining APC would automatically stop his re-election.
Ugwuanyi, one of the worst Governors in history sent delegation to U.S to pacify Sen. Nnamani not to join APC and pleaded Nnamani to support him for re-election in PDP. It was on the basis of this that ebeano collasped his structure for the ungrateful Udenu man whom many ebeano men had warned Nnamani that he’s only doing this because of his reelection. Many defected to APC as a result of the decision to support Ugwuanyi in 2019.
Many of you who are saying Ugwuanyi brought Chimaroke back should go back to 2003, when Ugwuanyi was hustling for a meal ticket. Chimaroke Nnamani, in his usual rare style of benevolence invited him and sent him to House of Representatives where he spent 12 years without offering nothing to his Constituents. He headed the House Committee on Maritime and Ports, but you cannot count five persons he gave employment in NPA,NIMASA and NIWA. A know glutton, he was severally accused of corruption by the Chairman of NPA and NIMASA board.
In 2014, then outgoing Governor of Enugu State, was shopping for an incompetent politician who would never betray and destroy him, and mete out the same treatment he did to Chimaroke. The wobbling Fatso, Nwa Ugwuanyi became his preferred candidate, endorsed by the Okwy Nwodo because of his maternal relationship with their son in-law Edeoga Chijioke and seconded by Fidel Ayogu who see’s him as a willing tool. The mediocre later emerged as Governor, unsurprising to many of us, he became the worst Governor in the history of politics in Nigeria. Like many predicted, the enormous task of Governance subdued him and he became confused. The entire 8 years, he delivered nothing, divided Enugu people along clannish lines, and amassed ancestral lands to himself. He finds it convince to to attend birthday parties, and Child dedications, abandoning the core responsibilities of a Governor.
Enugu bled while Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s incompetence was celebrated by political sycophants whom he had assembled as SA’s. He pocketed media Houses, that he doles out Millions of Naira to main stream outlets and housed some in the Government House. Many Enugu youths became social media influencers because it was an easy path to getting appointed into government, and today, the job many Enugu youth do, with all due respect to hardworking and intellectually mobile youths is social media influencing. Many are in WhatsApp groups etc.
The disastrous outing of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has not been spoken about. In the entire 8 years, Federal Government officials Commissioned nothing in Enugu, but he was always at the Airport to welcome the President or Vice President enroute Ebonyi State to Commission projects. The noble question sound mind should ask is, did Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi do anything that Enugu people should appreciate? He absolutely did nothing. The flyover he erected was at the most uncritical place in Enugu State. The bridge had cracked before completion, Ugwuanyi unceremoniously took people’s lands beside the Bridge and converted it to his own property. No wonder the road were not properly dualized. To Enugu people Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was an affliction that should never happen to any state.
What baffles me, is how such distasteful man was allowed in our Lion Building. He desecrated the Enugu Lion, a revered symbol of power and authority when his colleague Governor rode on that symbol. Signifying total subjugation of Enugu people. Aru meru anyi!. When a man without political will mounts leadership, neighboring states who had feared and respected his state will find opportunities to spit on the government and people of the state. That was our fate in the last 8 years. Chimaroke Nnamani, made Ugwuanyi and the entire political class in Enugu.
In Lagos State, Fashola was Governor and has since moved to becoming a Federal Minister, Femi Gbajabiamila was a speaker of the House of Representatives and is currently the Chief of Staff to the President. Sen. Solomon Adeola, Rauf Aregbesola, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and the entire Lagos known name’s except Ambode all were loyal to Bola Tinubu and today are leading players in the presidency. But in Enugu State once they become Local Government Chairman or Commissioner they will throw away every form of loyalty and decorum, the next thing is wanting to take the place of their leader in their lives instead of being soothing balm in the lives of others. Give them five years post office, they will return back to begging and penury. A terribly sad situation in Enugu politics.
Ndi Enugu, what’s the progress of your State since Sullivan backed by Sen. Ekweremadu attempted to destroy Chimaroke? We were rather below radar, not regarded and has continued to sunk below every political and economic indicator of Governance. Since, it’s convenient for kids whose fathers wouldn’t have access to public office if not for Chimaroke to come to disrespect him, it’s fair to say that elitist politics is best approach to building and sustainable democracy. The poor are the ones quick to destroy the elites, because they do not have anything to loose, and they were raised in the most unprivileged homes without morality. That’s why I commend Barr. Peter Mbah for appointing refined individuals who have strong backgrounds in their chosen fields of endeavor. He should know that appointing sycophants would eventually destroy him.
I do hope that Peter Mbah will wake up and do justice to those whose ancestral lands were forcefully taken away by the rampaged wobbling Fatso. He should know that the people of Enugu want to see Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi probed and brought to justice. Nkanu people whom he had taken away their ancestral lands has rights to be compensated. The Nike, Amechi, Ogui, NdiEgu Akpugo and Obeagu Akwunakwuna people are seeking for justice. Revoke these lands and restore Justice to those Ugwuanyi oppressed.
My kind advice to Enugu people is to learn from Lagos State, and present day Rivers State. You cannot achieve anything in the present configuration of Nigeria without asserting yourself through a leader and his Governing Council. Take it or leave it. Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani has built ebeano that we should tap in into it and rebrand it. It should be a platform for exchange of intellectual ideas, promotion of the Wawa ideals and vigor. Yes, we can disagree but must be conscious not to cross the redlines. Akinwumi Ambode dared the Lagos Governing Council and he was thrown into political abyss. Imagine if Ambode had succeeded, the people of Lagos irrespective of political learning wouldn’t have been proud to celebrate the victory of their illustrious son President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
By Jo., Political/Cultural Historian