Rommy Ezeonwka is the owner of Rogeny village in Oba, Anambra State where the 60,000 capacity Rogeny Stadium is located. He is irked that the leadership of Governor Peter Obi has not lived up to the expectation of Anambrarians and he explains why in this interview with As. Politics Editor, Daniel Kanu
How would you assess governance in Anambra on the leadership of Governor Peter Obi?
I want you to leave anything I will say on this issue unedited because I stand by it. In the first place, I must say that Governor Peter Obi is a disappointment. Obi is a failure to Anambra people as far as his government is concerned. I must tell you that the trust the people had in him has been eroded. We thought we had gotten Messiah when he came to power but the people have discovered to their sorrow that the governor is a lone ranger. He has combined the entire governance of the state as business and where ever he goes he carries the briefcase. He does not work with the legislators; he doe not work with the best of ideas that will be beneficial to Anambra and he does not invite stakeholders to deliberate on sensitive issues bothering on the state. If you want to see the face of Anambra you need to see the face of Rogeny Stadium. Stars like Kanu Nwankwo, Wilson Oruma, and Celestine Babayaro, the Eaglet ’93, among others were here for years to receive their training. Before Obi became of the governor of the state, Rogeny was the busiest stadium in Nigeria where activities was going on even on fortnight basis or at worst very month but because of his attitude to so many things including social line, social life has dimmed in Anambra, there is no social life or I may even say it’s none existent again. People do not come out again after 7pm, as people are living in fear and sorrow. There is fear of kidnapping, armed robbery, people are being killed, police are killing people everyday, and corpses are in all the mortuaries in the state. I can tell you authoritatively that over 70 percent of Anambraians have deserted the state; the economy of Anambra was shattered when he told people to invest in shares and he did not educate them properly on how they will do it. He was telling them that everybody could buy shares and go to South Africa to enjoy their holidays. The traders, most of whom were not well informed on the issue, thought he was telling them the shares and at the end the shares collapse. That was an irreparable loss brought to Anambra traders by Governor Obi. Now there is no road anywhere. The roads we are managing now are the ones done by Chris Nwabueze Ngige and the woman of virtue, Virgy Etiaba. The makeshift roads by the time they finish one end the other side has collapse. You can see the Nnewi-Oba road; leys have cut off so many routes in the state. They will take picture of roads done by Ngige and put on the signpost as if they did it. This is a Governor who will say they have donated 10,000 computers to schools as if that is great achievement. He said he built 500 transformers, how much did those entire thing cost? There are no fresh plans and if you gauge the opinion of the people, they will tell you he has failed. They are talking of celebration for Anambra, what are we celebrating? How many infrastructures has he fixed to warrant any celebration? We are tired of newspaper giants with little achievement on ground. This is a governor that was there and the judiciary was on strike for seven months, doctors were on strike and he seems not to show concern. What is happening is not a good omen for both our people and the governor. The state is gradually becoming a ghost town.
Why are the legislators keeping quiet in view of all this allegations?
But you know that the people did not elect even the legislators. Majority of them bribed their way and are and are there as robots to rubber-stamp what the governor wants. The legislators are just keeping mute because most of them have been compromise. Can you imagine that since now there is no local government election? Before the excuse was that there was security threat and as a result the local government election could not be conducted so why is still being delayed? The governors are not telling us the whole truth.
Most critics say Ndigbo are their worst enemy, do you share this view?
There are a lot of things that we are going to do in Igbo land. We are going to do what is called cleansing, an atonement. The souls of most our people killed during the war are yet to have a good rest. There are certain things we have done wrong that must attract atonement. If you ask me I can say that Ndigbo are the highest haters of themselves and that is not good for us. That is why we lose opportunities when we get them in the national portfolio. You give them the Senate Presidency and they impeach themselves, you give them the national Chairmanship of a party they quarrel among themselves, give them anything sensitive they ruin themselves, but I know that will stop soon. We need to re-bury our dead heroes, our men and women and the children who lost their lives during the pogrom so that they can have peaceful rest and I believe after that exercise the desired unity will evolve. Even this idea of Ndigbo keeping corpses in the mortuaries is wrong, I do not know where we got this culture and it is not helping us. We do not need to keep corpse for long as it is against our culture
Why is it that the Igbo elite seems not to be backing MASSOB unlike their counterparts in the Nort h backing Arewa or South West backing the OPC?
It is a sad development. I will not say it’s cowardice but they are making a big mistake not to embrace a structure, a God-giving structure that is very relevant in their political struggle for which t he activist championing it has gone to prison over 16 times. All the Igbo politicians are saying they want to be Igbo president without a structure that can back them up. It may be a sign of foolishness on their part because they need the MASSOB structure as far as concerned. Ndigbo needs an activist structure like MASSOB.
Let me tell you, aside from the OPC plat-form, the South West wouldn’t have gotten the presidency, minus the activities of the Niger Delta militants the minority or south-south would not have smelt this presidency, now the North is throwing up the Boko Haran and they have Arewa standby so as to truncate the Igbo presidency ambition in 2015 and you will see what will happen. Sometime, I wonder whether Igbo politicians do not see all these political calculations. I am telling you that except we embrace MASSOB no Igbo man will smell the presidency, you just watch and see what is evolving and where we are going to land by 2015. Already, that federal government is to commence negotiation with the Boko Haram group. We will see how everything will play out. In this present Nigeria system, you must have a serious structure that is ready to die for others to live.
Are you saying Boko Haran is preparing for 2015 Presidency?
That is what I am just saying. They are on serious agenda. It is either they get back the presidency or bomb will litter everywhere. They are ready to die because that is the only way they feel they can get justice or the only way they think they can achieve their purpose in a situation where injustice has been projected into the political system. What we are having now is that if you keep quiet nobody takes you serious.
President Goodluck Jonathan is proposing a six-year single tenure, what is your take on it?
Well I think many people may misunderstand the President on the six-year term. The over zealous politicians may be blaming him but Jonathan must be a prophet and a seer and a diviner to bring in this proposal. If you see the horror, the evil and the danger of sycophantic activities that come to display when a governor’s tenure or that of the president is about to expire, you will give the president kudos for this proposal. It is sad that these sycophants, after two years in office are already proposing for their second tenure while abandoning governance. For me if there is a law that can be promulgated that whoever goes for one term, of any agreed years must nut aspire again, it will be better for our politics. It will help those in power to concentrate better and it will help us to avoid the evil of second term craze. The bid for second term by all means is part of the trouble with Nigeria. Even when the incumbent is not interested in second term proposition the political sycophants around will ensure they force it down the throat of the incumbent
What of if a bad leader emerges to handle the clutches of power for those six years?
That is where the legislature will step in. Do we no longer have impeachment clause for those that are not performing in office? Part of our problem also is that even when these legislators pass the laws it is not observed. If this single term is there and they see a president that is not doing fine then the power of the National Assembly comes in because impeachment is an alternative to bad governance. For me idea of single term is the best that can happen to this country if accepted by the National Assembly. There is nothing wrong with single term. If will not give room for the evil associated with the battle for second term. A lot of resources are wasted on second term bid
This is second time the call to “re-bury our dead heroes”, is been advocated from Oba. I hope these chaps walk the walk. My first cousin treated my family and I to a marvelous dinner at Rogeny village in 1992. If the standard is still the same I’d recommend the place the reader. Way to go nwanna Rommy Ezeonwka – Ifedina Oba.
I seem not to get Rogenny’s drift on Peter Obi. Is his grouse with him over the none invitation of the so called stakeholders to take part in decision making in the state or is it that his business is no longer booming due to alleged none performance by the governor? Could Peter Obi be held responsible for the crash on the stake exchange? Its not only Onitsha traders that lost money, many other investors across the country who invested at the time it crashed lost money too. Could he be held responsible for the spate of kidnapping in the state? My answer is NO. I am aware that some of the alleged security break down in the state is sponsored by politicians who want to create a false impression of insecurity so that they will discredit the governor at the detriment of the peolpe who they want to enslave (lead). The case of Boko Haram is a case in ponit where politicians use dissidents to forment trouble in other to achieve a political aim. But we seem to be too blind to see the realities on ground. I agree that Peter Obi disapponted many who looked up to him to salvage the rot that os Anambra state but describing a daylight pen robber like Virgy Etiaba who blew billions of Naira within few months she held forth as a woman of virtue places Rogenny as one of those who are angry for Peter Obi for not letting the loot go round. He certainly is prosecuting an agenda and looks as if if settled he will keep his trap shut. I welcome constructive selflless criticisms against any government not such that you can see through the real motives for such comments. May I advise Rogenny to divulge himself of obvious personal interests in matters like this if he must be taken seriously by Anambrarians. I am not happy with what I saw of Onitsha and environs the last I visited home. Obi has no excuse to leave Onitsha in such state of neglect. Ditto nnewi and Awka. The state as a whole has no plan. I am also not happy with his level of achievement so far given the confidence reposed in him even before he assumed office. But be that as it may, let us remove self when we want to criticize anybody but rather do so in a manner that will yield positive result to all concerned.
Peter Obi and Margaret is just busy loathing Anambra State blind and people have just refused to see it.
No accountability of any kind. What has he done with all the money ment for all these local Government. I went to Awka it was an eyesaw of a Capital the worst in 36 states if Nigeia.
Peter is greedy as hell. Look at all the crocks he surrounds himself with most jail beds and drug pushers in his government those childhood friends of his all beds of the same feather that flys together. The sprit of Anambra people will arrest you Peter Obi.
Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka is a well-known business man who is not into government patronage. He has excelled in the area of import and export, sports and entertainment for more than 25 years and his credentials speaks volume. He spoke the mind of about 96% of ndi Anambra and I personally called and congratulated him for speaking the mind of his beloved ndi Anambra who are not only vulnerable but has suffered under the miss rule and maladministration of once supposed messiah Mr. Peter Obi. This interview is celebrated in the entire nook and cranny of the state God will surely bless him. What he said about Dame Virgie Etiaba and Dr. Chris Ngige is well-known and common knowledge by the ndi Anambra except for some internet tigers, those who are being sponsored or hoping to be sponsored and patronized. If the government fails to be prudent and there are some people who miss manages or have mismanaged the state funds, they should have my support to report to EFCC or The Police if not they should keep quiet and stop cheap blackmail and deceit which has long expired in the annals of time.
We should note that Anambra has over $100m grants for the erosion menace control and management, yet the money has been dumped in some commercial bank where he has substantial interest accrued on it which he collects every month while erosion has continue to threaten some families and communities rendering many homeless. The unfortunate thing about this is that this act is being perpetuated by a man who claim to be a seasoned banker and financial know all. It is very obvious that the truth must surely prevail.
We are therefore begging our Mr. know all to use this grant judiciously in the interest of the state and Ndi Anambra. We believe that by now he should have made enough money through the interests accrued from the grant and some paid to him by the contractors he engaged. He who has ears let him hear!
Nnemma or Nnemmuo… i dont know how u get ur facts but to rain abuse on a woman known world wide for her forthright and credibity with such derogatory remarks speaks volume of the type of personality you are.If u feel or believe she squandered billions is it not for you and your sponsors to go to the appropriate quaters to lay bare your facts and complains?There is the EFCC and The Police to report to and not channelling unwarranted remarks to a woman of virtue over the internet.Is it not a fact that amongst all the former and present Governors of the State,she remain the only person who do not have a case with EFFC or any agency.Does this not make any sense to you?I wish you have a mother!This is a woman who every ndi Anambra and Nigeria in general knew how she salvaged the state and in 3 months built standard roads for the state which is there for all and also paid salaries as at when due.We should reason properly before we make comments.
To an estent , i give my support to mr. Rommy ezeonwuka, Peter obi is a true diappontment to the trust imposed on him , governance is about doing the minds of people , not personal agenda or few peoples agenda , as a peoples governor , you have to spread infrasrutures around but in Anambra it is not so , some people are benefiting while others are watching , Onitsha is totaly abandoned , likewise Nnewi , Awka , Ekwuobia etc ,the worst of all is Aguata where erosion is taken peoples home and so many abandoned road projects. Mr. obi, please do something , we voted for you and we respect you so much , long live Anambra state.
Peter obi is undiluted money miss road, an importer who just feel like tasting the power.Even in his own home town AGULU,nothing has been done,He was busy toying with people of Anambra state.it’s a pity.