When the Sullivan Chime vs. Mrs. Clara Chime scandal broke out over an alleged house arrest imposed by Governor Chime on his wife, not many, including this writer, believed the Governor that he had taken the decision because his wife allegedly wife medical challenges that were better handled within the confines of the Government House.
For one, Mrs. Clara’s lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana would have none of that. His argument was straight: “When Governor Chime was recently medically challenged, he was not subjected to solitary confinement in the Government House but flown abroad for adequate medical treatment…. If Mr. Chime’s claim is correct that the wife is non compos mentis (mentally ill), when was the Enugu Government House converted to a psychiatric hospital?” Falana obviously forgot that he was dealing with an executive governor who had the powers to convert any facility to a mental home. But while the Governor’s magnanimity in expanding medical services through this curious conversion should be appreciated, Mrs. Chime’s testimony on discharge casts doubts on the quality of service and the competence of the Chief Medical Director, Governor Chime. She had vowed: “I will never go back there again; I will not even wish my enemy to marry in that kind of place again”.
Meanwhile, even though Mrs. Chime has been discharged, recent noises from the “former” Lion Building, shows that this abode and its ancillaries are still plagued by group mental illness. Otherwise, how does one explain the ongoing shameful onslaught against the person of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu?
Apart from group non compos mentis (apologies Falana), how does one also explain the recent anti-Ekweremadu advertorials, fabrications, and propaganda orchestrated by the Enugu State Government, including some Local Government functionaries and Members of the State House of Assembly such as the Chairman of Awgu LG Council, Mr. Matthanus Nnanna Nze; the leader of the Enugu State House of Assembly, representing Awgu North Constituency, Mr. SKE Udeokoye, and Mr. Nelson Uduji, representing Awgu South Constituency?
Whereas it was never a hidden fact that Governor Chime was always paranoid of Ekweremadu, despite rescuing his second term ambition in 2011, it beats imagination that these men who are also enjoying Ekweremadu’s democracy dividends could lend themselves as ready tools for such hatchet job against a man that has literally wiped away the age long tears of our people. It saddens the heart that they could append their signatures any trash and work with other faceless agents of government to churn out spurious allegations, including claims of non-performance and ownership of properties that have nothing to do with the Ikeoha. The fact that these jobbers, demented as we have always known their imaginations to be, could allege that Chief Alex Ekwueme sold Modotel Hotel, Enugu to Senator Ekweremadu shows how low people in Enugu Mental Home have sunk. But while this insult on the person of Chief Ekwueme is odious, it should be pardoned, especially coming from little minds and drowning men grasping even unto a straw.
Though the ongoing show of shame goes to confirm that the alarms raised by Ekweremadu’s Special Adviser on Projects and also the Greater Awgu Forum over a planned smear campaign against the Senator and sabotage of Federal Government projects attracted by the Deputy Senate President were no mere political propaganda, only ingrates or people with peculiar illness could deny the river even while bathing in it.
The irony, for instance, is that for each member of this axis of evil, including the triumvirate of Ude-Okoye, Nnanna Nze, and Uduji, you can point at some completed or ongoing project in their hometown, courtesy of Senator Ekweremadu. In Awgu alone, Hon. Nelson Uduji’s hometown, Senator Ekweremadu’s quality representation has brought rural electrification projects to Umuhu, Amokwe, Amovia, and Uhuagu, Ogboli, Ululor, Onoli, communities, etc; construction of Onoli-Isiagu Road; National Youth Development Centre, Awgu; 500 stand alone solar street light; and MDGs’ Library Centre in Urban Secondary School, Awgu.
In Agbogugu, Hon. Ude-Okoye’s hometown, Ekweremadu brought the MDGs Library Centre and the construction of Agbogugu-Ohumagu Road. In Ezere, Hon. Nnanna Nze’s community, Ekweremadu has attracted electrification project and the construction of Mmaku-Mgbidi-Ezere Road.
Indeed, with over 140 development projects attracted by Senator Ekweremadu’s, the Deputy Senate President’s presence is spread across the length and breadth of the Enugu West Senatorial District and the entire state. These are apart from the great works he has been doing through the Ikeoha Foundation since 1997 while he was a state functionary. This foundation stands out in the areas of youth and women empowerment, vocational training, micro-credits, quiz competitions, the Ikeoha Adult Literacy Scheme (with over 2,500 enrolment across the 5 local governments), and the Ikeoha Scholarship Scheme (over 3,000 beneficiaries). Now, the million-dollar question is, what has the trio of charlatans brought to our people? I challenge them to show it forth.
Clearly, Enugu is sliding dangerously. But Enugu’s war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers! It is a war against kolomentality, against the strongholds of the powers of darkness, human rights abuse, corruption, misrule, and tyranny that have become the hallmarks of Enugu Government. The goings on in Enugu calls for deliverance through prayers and dry fasting. From a governor who spent almost half a year in an overseas hospital, but lied to Ndi Enugu that he was enjoying his “accumulated vacation”, to the Clara vs. Chime scandal that resulted in the crash of Chime’s second marriage and the designation of our Government House as a mental home by the Governor; from the total halt in governance in the State since 2011 to the squandering of state funds on senseless smear campaigns when Enugu workers are the least paid in the whole country, it is high time the Father Mbakas, Bishop Chukwumas, and other firebrand prayer warriors in the state rose up to be counted again. A stich in time saves nine!
By Nicholas Ozor
Awgu, Enugu State
