Chime: 100 days later
M. O. ENE
New Jersey, USA
Friday, September 7, 2007
So far, all reports and photos point to a decent campaign. It has been more like a carnival. As I have written, your emergence may yet be one of the greatest achievement of Brother Chima (Governor Chimaroke Nnanami, MD); and, if you perform as is hoped, your name Iheanacho (from “ihe anyi na-acho”) will be “what we want” indeed. Think about it.
A shout-out to Sullivan (4): Final phase,
An open memo to the next Governor of Enugu State, Tuesday, April 10, 2007
(http://www.kwenu.com/moe/2007/shoutout_sullivan4.htm)
As his given Igbo name Iheanācho suggests, what the departing doctor-governor prescribed may be exactly “what we want,” what the people desire and deserve and his greatest political achievement.
Decongesting Enugu gubernatorial field
Friday, May 30, 2007
http://www.ebeano2007.org/oldsite/articles/Decongesting%20Enugu%20gubernatorial%20field.htm
Am
I right or what; the choice of Chime could still be the greatest achievement of
Chima, how about that! Yes, we have not forgotten the new permanent campus of
the State University, the tunnel, the modern medical school, the estates, the
lectures, etc. But politics is about matters of the moment. I believe that the
Force was with ex-Governor Chima Nnamani when he settled for now Governor
Sullivan Iheanacho Chime as his successor. Nothing prepared people for the move,
and many could still not believe that such a smooth change of baton would happen
in their lifetime. You see, Chima had become larger than political life itself
in the State, and nothing prepared anyone for life after the man popularly
called “Ebeano,” nickname of the political, state superstructure he nurtured.
One hundred days since Governor Chime took over the tenancy of Lion Building, Enugu, he has surprised his critics, big and small. No, it is not by his modest-but-noted achievements; it is the main bone of contention in the small-but-loud opposition to his candidacy: the fear of godfatherism. Without as much as lift a finger in public, without exchanging one unkind word with his predecessor and political mentor, Chime carved out his own political space. He went on to open it up to everyone and urged everyone to come on board the big bus parked on that space.
I recall a vicious private email I received from a reader on my shout-out series earlier this year. I took time to redirect the person to relevant areas of my submissions. Issues, I reminded him, not individuals. It was not about Chime, the man; it was about good governance, about improving the quality of life in Enugu State and beyond. If he disagreed with my submissions, I posited, he should submit his and we shall wait for time to decide. He backpedaled and kept his cool. Today, this person has become one of the hailers of Chime as the modern messiah! I reminded him of his emails recently; he laughed it off, electronically. Chime has opened up Enugu State to everyone, including non-Enuguites (See Address to 13th WIC Convention).
Many local politicians are yet to come on board, and there are many still with sore toes from the past eight years. They are still too dumbfounded to believe that Chima is not lurking somewhere inside Chime’s bus. Yes, it is that bad! Oh yes, Chima gathered political enemies in their dozens, in the hope that his achievements will overshadow the arrogance of the elite class. It did not because politics is about people, not necessarily projects. In Nigeria, many people are in politics to survive, not to serve. Poverty prowls the polity like a predator preying on poor people. The situation reminds me of Eze Onyeama n’Eke, Okwuluoha Agabaja. The man had passed before our mothers were born; yet, growing up in Enugu, I still met some people who will not discuss the man openly for fear of his Ogwumiri security agents, a Gestapo-like unit that terrorized his opponents and subjects in the 1930s!
It is not quite the same in Enugu State, but you get my drift. Some people still believe so much in the powers of the former governor they do not readily take sides, even when they occupy prominent positions in Chime’s government. Of course, the stellar exception is Ray Nnaji, the greatest apostle keeping the commotion alive. Some Enugu State-based journalists have also taken it upon themselves to fan the powder of power-shift’s pushing and shoving. That neither Chima nor Chime has made a published statement on the supposedly brewing brouhaha indicates that they do not want to sweat small stuff. No matter the truth about the rift, only Chima and Chime can confirm the existence of a crisis of confidence. And none is speaking about it. This leaves Ray Nnaji as the sole outlet for what is probably a domestic dispute that will fizzle out for now and probably resurface in the run-up to 2011—if it exists at all and is not settled soon.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
On May 30, Governor Chime stepped out on the right foot by appointing Mr. Dan Nwomeh his chief press secretary. A quiet and effective political scientist, who served with Chime in the immediate past administration, Dan does a great job in the media unit of the Lion Building. His elevation is a remarkable recognition of hard work, honesty, and humility. Chime followed with other appointments that signaled that he was beating a path specifically his own. With his predecessor out of town and out of the way, and with no overbearing politician with a stronger grassroots support, the airborne state was all his to pilot.
Probably sieving through piles of portfolios, Chime took 21 more days to announce his 21-member Cabinet on June 21, 2007. Made up of core colleagues from the old administration (Chijioke Agu, Festus Uzor, J. C. Udeh, Luke Mammel, Martin Chukwunweike, etc.) he signaled that the existing structure will not be dismantled, contrary to what many had wanted. He brought in such fresh faces as Vanguard editor Chuks Ugwuoke and, from academia, Frank Asogwa and Willy Ugwuanyi. Other appointments followed on July 2 with the appointment of a media adviser, and 19 other aides, including Dr. Jude Akubuilo, an LA-based attorney, then president of Enugu USA, and now ex-parliamentarian of World Igbo Congress’s House of Delegates. With these human resources, Chime settled down to govern.
And govern he did, undistracted by the political waves of some gubernatorial losers. He has since tackled diverse issues from accountability in local governance, equipment for underpaid and ill-equipped police force in the State, planned restoration of Enugu city master plan, and waste management, and on to receiving of endless sundry delegations… some of which were mere public-relation noblesse oblige. He also gave the State its first female minister, Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze, in addition to its second highest Federal political office, the deputy senate president.
In all these and more, nothing has bought Chime more political capital than the recalling of disengaged workers and the promise, which is being kept, to pay workers promptly on every 25th day of the month. This singular gesture restores the civil-service ambiance of the Coal City and brought the Catholic Church clergy and laity out of their bunkers. Even the erstwhile most vociferous critic of Chima, Father Ejike Mbaka, has hibernated to holier homework.
Perhaps the most important achievement of Chime is that the level of political temperature in the State has gone down drastically. It is almost at room temperature. Only occasional flashes from yet-to-be-settled rabble-rousers and sour losers have stopped the temperature from going to down air-conditioned level, at which even criminals will stay home at night and watch Nkem Owoh (Osuofia) and Patience Ozokwor (Mama G) in Nollywood's innumerable movies. If you live in Rivers State or in Oyo State, you will understand what I mean.
POLITICS
Chime has defanged almost all political enemies of Ebeano structure by reaching out amiably, albeit to the alleged displeasure of his predecessor. The biggest fish is ex-Governor C. C. Onoh, father-in-law of Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu and ex-Governor Nnamani's most famous now-friend, then-critic. The Waawa legend did not only give his blessings to Governor Chime, while insisting that there were no elections, he went on to attend the swearing-in ceremony, reportedly. The Governor paid back by attending the elder’s 80th birthday with Imo State Governor Ikedi Ohakim and former Senate President Ken Nnamani, another big fish in the net. The man, Ken Nnamani, who derailed President Olusegun Obasanjo’s third-term dreams, is known for his hatred of the guts of ex-Governor Chima Nnamani (no immediate relation). Ken Nnamani has settled in cozily with Governor Chime; he will have a great influence in bringing back, to board the bus, many of the ex-PDPites who were frozen out of Ebeano and driven or drifted to Action Congress (AC).
Moving along, Chime appears to be carrying along even ex-political mentees of Chima, notably the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and, of course, those in his cabinet. At some point, current Senate President David Mark took it upon himself to chide Chima Nnamani for not attending a reception for Ike Ekeremadu and honorable colleagues from Enugu State. It was an ill-advised outrage because David Mark cannot be crying more the bereaved. Besides, his reported anti-Igbo antecedents do not lend him to the defense of Igbo interest. But Chime has handled the issues quite admirably. He can be condemned for his actions or inactions, but no one can point out what he has said to ruffle anyone’s feathers.
GODFATHERISM
Dr. Chima Nnamani is vehemently opposed to remote-controlling of political godsons. In fact, when he told me in 2005 that he will stay out of politics after his tenure and pursue socio-academic interests, I suggested that he would in addition play godfatherly roles to his eventual successor. He frowned at the use of the expression. On the contrary, he stated that he will stay away from the seat of power and that he will not needle his successor for anything, expect be there to support. Then he stepped up and contested for higher offices and later settled for the senatorial seat he presently occupies.
Chima’s current crises with Chime, if it exists, are not near-intractable; they can easily be resolved. For starters, there are no known personal problems between them. The under-50s have known each other for a long time, from College of Immaculate Conception to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and on to working together for almost eight years. In fact, they have spent more time within the same compounds than most blood brothers their age. You do not hang out with someone for that long without developing some enduring friendship, politics notwithstanding. The present political problems shall come to pass, if given the space to fizzle out. Besides, Chima has his hands full at the moment with reestablishing his expected crucial role in the Senate, especially now that his major opponent has lost round one at the tribunal and EFCC is chilling its go-get-them bravado. But this is about Governor Chime.
CONCLUSION
Chime has proven to be a gentleman governor. He is living up to expectation, even beyond the expectations of those who expected nothing good to come out of Ebeano epoch. It is to his credit that he has kept the structure, and so should he. No matter what Ekwueme Panel promises, no matter what ex-Governor Jim Nwobodo and ex-Minister Dubem Onyia say, the structure should only be made-over, not dismantled. You cannot destroy to rebuild, not in politics. In essence, Chime has craftily poured old wine into a new bottle and sells it on the same Ebeano label with no spin and no advertisement. Enugu people are buying it. And Enugu State remains "Ebeano" State -- the place to be (ebe anyi no).
Chime
has done well to scale down on the ambitious projects of his predecessor. These
mega projects need time to jell and mature. He can revisit them slowly but
steadily as the polity settles. In six months time, it will be interesting to
see how far
he
will go in changing the quality of life for all Enuguites. The need to flood
Enugu literary with clean water is already in the making. The creation of a
ministry of water resources is a fait accompli. Honorable Emecca Ani is
the commissioner.
Hopefully, the new ministry will place a good-sized diamond on Chime’s crown. If
steady, statewide water supply and regular salaries are the only concrete things
he achieves in six months, kudos to him.
And to God be the glory.
Now, go have a wonderful season of the falling leaves. We will return early in December 2007.