MOE meets…
CHIMAROKE NNAMANI (2)
M. O. ENÉ
New Jersey, USA
Thursday, September 29, 2005
“A naghi ebude onye Chukwu buniri, kachaa ma nye ya ezi nkwado.
-- Patty Obasi
[You don’t pull down he whom God has elevated; rather, give him sincere support.]
In late 2002 and early 2003, I traveled to Nigeria. The electioneering hullabaloo was all over the place. All Nigerian incumbents were sitting tight, with the glaring exception of Anambra State -- where the Uba brothers were plotting the political abracadabra that still rocks the state's foundation. In Enugu State, I saw firsthand the hopelessness of the opposing political camps. If the dozen or more gubernatorial wannabes had merged and presented say ANPP’s Hon. Fidel Ayogu, we would have had a contest of sorts. With Ugo Agballah, Loretta Aniagolu, Bart Nnaji, Joe Orji, Emeka Eze, Alex Obiechina, Emeka Nnaji, Anthony Anigbo, Anthony Ogugua, Obed Uke, Walter Orji, Victor Agu, Richard Ozobu, Emeka Nwankpa, C.O.C. Egumgbe, and "echetere m echeteghi m" all over the three major hills of Enugu, I stated the obvious: Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani would be reelected easily.
It came to pass.
As an Igbo traditionalist, I
believe in destiny. I believe that everything from birth to death is destined to
be good; why we screw up along the way is attributed to the shenanigans of Agwu,
the trickster deity.
Even when we dispute unexpected outcomes as “not my portion,” we must not fail
to accept that maybe the Force wants us to imbibe the lessons of the
consequences. In that sense, therefore, the Ebeano epoch of His Excellency Dr.
Chimaroke Nnamani was destined to be. And we do not all have to like it; we just
have to accept the reality of the time and deal with it. It is no wonder
someone, in typical Waawa direct speak, coined the phrase: Shi a haalu
ya e! In the local parlance of Enugu environs, it means, “Leave it for him.”
It did not say that everyone should just back off and let him be; it means that
the Governor should be allowed to govern, regardless of the fundamental flaws in
Nigeria’s electoral processes.
My interest in Enugu State affairs is not driven by partisan politics. No, it is simply a reflection of the saying: "ebe onye bi ka o na-awachi" (Where you live, there you thrive.) Also, I have an interest in seeing that the incumbent does well because those of us still abroad consider him a representative of our constituency. He is the yardstick with which anyone coming back from abroad is going to be judged. I don’t know about other states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but, rightly or wrongly, Enugu State-based politicians have developed deep distrust for returnees with political ambitions. A good example was recorded when New Jersey-based Mr. Ike Odenigbo tried to eye the chair of Udi local government under APGA. His USA residence was thrown in his face and contributed in no small measure to the attitude of local party chieftains. Whichever way we cut it, APGA was too new in the game to displace the deep roots of ruling PDP, but they never gave Ike Odenigbo a fighting chance in the primary, primarily because they needed a more malleable man, not another Chimaroke Nnamani whom they couldn’t control!
The “charm” or “stigma” of returnee-wannabe politicians will stick or dissolve depending on how the Ebeano epoch unfolds. Even though he no longer considers himself a part of Igbo diasporan division (“Igbouzo”), Governor Nnamani knows that only the so-called elites are troubled by the monumental changes in the way things were done. So he takes the case directly to the people, the grassroots. The effect is that even erstwhile hardened critics have moved to the point of wait-and-see, to a point where ordinary citizens are willing to disregard some mishaps of the past and give him the chance to showcase his performance. I listened to an erstwhile critic admit that Nnamani has guts, that “he is doing something”… even if he didn’t offer specifics. Another revealed that the influx of people into Enugu from the north, no thanks to the fear of Sharia, has not helped the visibility of some sustainable development. Of course, his many fans have nothing but messianic praises.
Believe it or not, Chimaroke Nnamani has brought visible developmental projects to Enugu State. A good road or solid structure here, a great policy or brilliant idea there, things are happening. Even though maintenance remains a major headache, things are happening. However, no matter how much one preaches about the coming El Dorado, the only thing that convinces ordinary folks is what they see and how it affects their socioeconomic status quo. It was therefore not surprising that when the opportunity arose to discuss rural development, I started from the base: my neck of the woods. In 2001, the Governor listed towns with completed electric projects. Umuaga was one of them. This is 2005: the town is still powered by bush lanterns and portable generators cracking across the land at night. You should see his spontaneous shock when I pointed out the anomaly.
“Umuaga is not powered?!” he exclaimed in Igbo.
It sounded like a question but, to me, it was simply statement of the obvious. I didn’t have to offer an answer; someone within the government should have known.
Truth be told, the State Government awarded the contract many moons ago to a Lagos living-large character called “Udu Bunch,” who hails from now electrified neighboring Umuabi, the town of the incumbent local government chair. The poles were bought and installed in Umuaga, and the transformer was said to be residing in the town’s Nneche Shrine -- where criminals fear to tread! What stalled the completion was an outstanding fee of $30,000.00 or thereabouts. The details of the problems between contractor and state were of no interest to the people of Umuaga: they just wanted the electric power supply switched on -- decades after many towns east of the Niger drew light from a thermoelectric power station in their immediate Oji River neighborhood. Led by one Chukwuma Igbo, a recent ESUT graduate who kicked off donations with over one million naira, some youths of Umuaga took it upon themselves to resolve the matter. They got the State Government to revoke the contract with the so-called "Chief Bunch" and to give the community a freehand in the matter. As was with the water project in the 60s and 70s, every adult male was levied. The rural electrification board (REB) was contracted, and work recommenced with better anchoring materials and new lines.
I bet it came as a surprise to the Governor that Umuaga was not powered, yet one of his commissioners since 1999, Chief (Mrs.) Evelyn Ekwo-Ahanonu, is from the town! He stopped at this juncture and summoned the Commissioner. Meanwhile, he called REB boss and ascertained the true situation of things. The man at the other end assured the Governor that they were on target for completion by December 2005. And how are they getting the funding? The man confirmed that the community was supplying the materials and paying for the labor. In the end, his assistant got the commissioner on line, but the Governor had all the information he needed at the time. It was obvious to me that the so-called “Iron Lady” was a paperweight when it comes to steering amenities to her constituency.
Nakwa echeki!
The chronic Thomases who told me later that the Governor was merely being a politician are entitled to their opinions. Our elders say that the yams of those who are not attentive at the communal cooking place are usually taken off the fireplace. If the Iron Lady could not iron out such a simple matter and make sure her hometown is electrified, who is she representing? If I were a politician, I would resign a public office of some authority if after seven years I couldn't point to a pet project initiated and completed in my constituency. Why should I blame the Governor for every pothole in town when salaried laborers lounge under mango trees waiting for next pay day? Does it take a major contract-signing to cover potholes on Airport Road? There is no way any rational person would expect the Governor to hear it all, know it all, see it all, and do it all. The point was driven home to me while I was in audience with the Governor. An assistant mentioned the name of someone waiting, someone he must have summoned before I breezed in with my own set of headaches. The Governor looked up askance and wondered aloud to whom the common Enugu name might belong.
“The Commissioner for -- ” The assistant offered.
He simply had his plate full; so much to do, only 24 hours in a day--and man must get some sleep! Those who expect the Governor to know it all and remember it all and do it all are not being fair. What would it take for the lady commissioner from Umuaga to put some pressure on the REB boss? The Governor shouldn’t even hear about it. Those who expect the local government councils to just sit back and pay salaries are not fair either. Even if the state government funnels the federal funding for local councils, what efforts do they make to increase locally generated revenue? What is the role of local councils when towns contribute money to provide social amenities? In my village, every male adult pays a hundred naira a month for community policing, an idea that was first mooted at the Enugu-USA Convention in 2001 and started as a pilot in Enugu State. It is another feather on the cap of Chimaroke Nnamani; unfortunately, the only input from the local council was probably to arrange for the swearing-in of the two recruits -- the sheriff and his deputy, I suppose.
I elaborated on Umuaga electrification project because it could help others to understand why community development projects suffer unnecessary delays. Whether it is the water project in Nenwe or the electrification of Obeleagu or the tarring of Mburubu-Nara road or dust reduction in Nsukka Motor Park, it takes a few dedicated individuals to stay on it and push relentlessly. It took a young man in Umuaga to rekindle the renowned community spirit of the people. There are many rogue contractors out there; it takes only one bad apple to retard progress. I foresee a time when communities will rise and take charge of their destinies. The state or central government cannot do it all; it will take a few good men and women to channel the courage to produce and provide. It will take a few good men and women to stop the unquenchable hunger for “national cake” and to increase the spirit of baking community cake for all our greater tomorrow.
It is in the spirit of baking the community cake that the internationalization of Enugu airport became an issue close to my heart. It is a desire I have advocated from the 90s with the likes of Chief Chris Chukwu (premier president of Enugu-USA), Dr. Alex Ukoh (Ahaejiejemba n’Izuogu), Mr. Ben Akpa (now a state commissioner in Ebonyi State), etc. Of course, we must not forget the campaigns of Maazi Kevin Ani from London or the efforts of World Igbo Congress under Dr. Kalu Kalu Diogu. Throughout the tenure of Dr. (Mrs.) Kema Chikwe, I stayed on it like white on rice, and we got the federal nod. But the gracious gazelle of a sister didn’t go as far as we wanted. Don’t ask me why; ask her. It was therefore a thing of joy when recently President Obasanjo gave what appeared like “go-for-it” green light to Governor Nnamani. So, strictly speaking, my host was holding the knife and waiting for the yams, probably. I would have kicked myself if I didn’t ask the man with the knife how the yam might be sliced, assuming Chief Obasanjo wakes up one day from the Enugu end of the 36-sided presidential bed.
I asked, and I got a short, simple but significant statement: “It shall be done.”
I decided to take his words for it and say no more. If the Governor, who has impressed President Obasanjo more than any other governor in recent times, could vouch for OBJ’s sincerity, who am I to drag the matter across town. But here I was, dragging it across every vein in my body: I wondered why the ascendancy of Senate President Ken Nnamani had not propelled the issue to the front burner. I wondered what it would take to remind Abuja politicians of our ancestral saying: “Ihe a na-aju dibia jere mba bu ihe o ji lota; o bughi ihe o riri.” No one is interested really in how many senate presidents are produced in any given year; the question to address is simple: “What is in it for Ndiigbo?” I wondered whether anyone would ask Chief Ken Nnamani the question as he vacationed somewhere in the United States, after attending World Igbo Congress in Los Angeles. I wondered whether Ken Nnamani (Onwa) would one day say that he threw the proverbial stones, but Chima Nnamani (Ebeano) wouldn’t, not couldn’t, catch them! Remember then Vice President Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (Ide) throwing “iche” or hard stuff across the Niger for Governor Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo to catch, but no one was on the post -- or so it was claimed. If you don’t recall, never mind; excuses for failure are dozens-a-dime.
So, because I don’t want anyone telling me stories post 2007, because I don't want another Ifeanyichukwu (Ide) vs. Ifeanyichukwu (Jim) replayed in Nnamani (Ebeano) vs. Nnamani (Onwa), I asked the Governor how far he had gone with rectifying the misunderstanding with the Senate President so that Enugu and Ndiigbo could benefit from the latter’s elevation in the upper legislative house. He reiterated his published stance on the matter: the successful senatorial seating of Ken Nnamani was a product of the Ebeano political structure which, as is well known, had deflated Jim’s political balloon in 2003. You get the connection? Of course, I knew, but I wouldn’t be drawn into the simmering controversies about receptions and chieftaincy certificates and all that. I really do not care about chiefly titles, and I do not care about inflated or deflated egos. My interest is more on the benefits for the state and its citizens, how to accommodate everyone, and how to reach out to even political opponents.
Oh yes, what about accommodating his political opponents, many of whom were once political partners in the jiggery pokey of politics and power play. If you think I am delving into a dangerous political terrain, think again. There is politics in every affair known to humanity. Life itself is politics. Politics is not about where you belong in the political spectrum but about right and wrong. So I decided to step into it, if only to help me in clarifying my convictions.
You won’t believe how receptive the Governor was to discussing the gritty grains of power politics.