Tony Anenih: Most Certainly not a Statesman!

By

Ndubueze Godson III

biafraalways@yahoo.com

In countries that offer protection to most of these sycophantic writers, one man does not guarantee their safety, security, happiness, excellence so on, so forth. A document commonly referred to, as the CONSTITUTION is what drives and guides the system not Anenih, not Obasanjo so where the twisted and childlike idea that Anenih runs the affairs of that somersaulted nation beats the day light outta me. Are we to gloat over the troubling knowledge that one wasted stealing individual could wield such a power in a country inhabited by men and women with flawless visions and immaculate characters, a so-called power Anenih constantly misuses? To me, Tony Anenih falls within the ranks of Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, Arthur Nzeribe, men who cannot and should not be trusted. These men in civilized nations would be operating from underground due to their criminal activities; they would be constantly looking behind their shoulders to see if the feds are closing in on them. Yet this did not stop some from waving the perceived accomplishments of Anenih as if stealing, killing, lying and treacherous behavior of this old spoiler should be taught in schools. Do we not in our individual homes admonish or punish severely any child that engages in any of the preceding crafts so why should an old man who’s supposed to hide his face in shame be so glorified in such a wanton and phantom manner? If I am wrong with this position, what sense is there for us to get upset with a burglar who violated the sanctity of our homes by stealing valuables? What for is the praises for Anenih about? I do understand that people use different methods to seek for political relevance especially in Nigeria where corruption is viewed as a status symbol I do however, resent any attempt by these job seekers to drop their nonsense in public domain, which in most cases causes pain to the innocents. Why can’t these fellas write, praise and worship their masters privately with a two-way exchange of between them and their idols in order to spare us the agony of having to swallow the lethal pills they dispense?

Somewhere I read how Anenih has become Mother Theresa of Nigeria , Nelson Mandela of Nigeria and the Bill Clinton of Nigeria with some considering it an insult to call him anything short of God. Isn’t this the same Anenih, who squandered three hundred billion naira entrusted on him for road constructions and rehabilitations in that same khaki nation? The same old crook who was fingered in the cold blooded murder of Honorable Bola Ige, an able Attorney General, a true and only democrat in this junta’s administration then? Tony Anenih, a man who unlocked his upper opening when he bragged how he was gonna apply a “Bola Ige” on his co-efulefu, Orji Kalu? Where is the wisdom, the attributes to hold such a person esteemed? Check the writer out, “I think it is time we recognize that we are dealing with a man of immerse intelligence and a gifted ability to gain trust regardless of his actions. If not, why else would Anenih continue to be OBJ’s right hand man?” Another load of cow shit! Who by the way is OBJ, is he the moral equivalent of whom and what that it should matter who gained his trust and who didn’t? Did the author of the quotes forget that thieves do have some “intelligence” they like every clever mortal being exhibit some level of intelligence only that theirs is geared towards negativity whereas honest men and women with the same attributes use it for the advancement of democratic goals that benefit the ordinary everyday people.

The advocate of this nonsense should be reminded that real intelligence is protected by posterity while Anenih’s type could not stand beyond 2007 when his prison time would commence. Do I need to waste my valued time to remind this praise worshipper that even Saddam Hussein was said to be intelligent by his shouters as far as he remained in a position to drop crumbs here and there? But today we know how bogus this claim was with his not so fanciful state of living in an underground gulag and we don’t think this too could happen in Nigeria ? I couldn’t be the only one who still recollects with satisfaction how mighty Auguste Pinochete, Manuel Noriega, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Jean-Bertrand Aristide were in their respective countries yet some folks still exhibit callous display of arrogance as if to say they hold the destiny of Nigeria in their tiny hands. The writer couldn’t have feigned ignorance by not realizing that the reason the crook (Tony Anenih) enjoys his master’s (Obasanjo) unalloyed attention is simply due to the paradigm of birds of same feather flocking together nothing to do with intelligence or performance. Are we to believe the sincerity of those advancing the insanity that Anenih has grown to be a “Kingmaker” given his undemocratic antecedents? It wouldn’t surprise me if one of these days I read how Audu Ogbeh, another political novice, a super brain dead who spills undemocratic nonsense in support of Obasanjo yet the snoozing National Assembly failed to utilize their constitutional powers to deal with these irritants once and forever has become the Abaham Lincoln of Nigeria . Since when folks, has a misery party chairperson become more powerful than the constitution? If the sleeping and bribe infested Assembly members know how to review that document, they did find that they not Anenih or Ogbeh are the lawmaking organ of that nation of theirs. How come as I write no single person has been convicted for the numerous Obasanjo led murder of his political enemies yet we are being forced to extend to the perpetrators recognition they do not merit, how weird.

I thought only village criers who are hard pressed for cash or daily meal spite undeserving praises on folks who in most civilized nations languish in prisons little did I know that what we see is actually not what it seems. Had a man of Tony Anenih’s background been from the Igbo nation he would’ve drawn vitriolic damning analysis; he would become a terrorists in their eyes, we would be reminded how no country of the world would tolerate such a dubious menace to society someone who can “never ever, ever” aspire to be the president of their nation. But this did not stop the embezzling and murderous crook from becoming a model citizen in their part of the world. How reliable could someone who writes in such a profane manner be, how? My little understanding of the English “grammar” tells me that whoever holds such unblemished views for a man (Tony Anenih), a national disgrace, can only be said to be highly hypocritical, a political jobber with little or no morals. Someone whose bias is full of life threatening stench, one that cannot be viewed with seriousness in academic environ. In the past I alluded to waffling and double-speaking of this individual and here is a good example “I sing no praise song…” yet the thesis was full of all night praises and dances for his idol. In law and in fact the only inference that could be deduced after reading that piece is either the writer relishes Anenih’s dangerous craft or finds him a very important part of society. What the hell is “I sing no praise?” If we are to believe this, was the essence of that article to lash out at Anenih or highlight his impressive records, which certainly amount to nothing. Are we to emulate his stealing tendencies or join his killing squad? What’s the point? My position was encouraged and supported by the missing fact of no single condemnation or denouncement of this man in that piece, you?

Can you, the readers, imagine the amount of impetus nonsense that goes with some of the stuff we read by redefining what a thief should mean? The amount of money stolen by Tony Anenih puts him in the top lows that nation ever produced yet his supporters pile load of insults every chance they get on the person of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a man whose only ‘crime’ was daring to protect his Igbo flock from extinction. Ridiculously unbelievable! People, Anenih and his kind cannot be looked upon by the majority with respect therefore it is disingenuous for any attempt to foster him on our faculties as anything short of the rogue he is. See, how easily they pamper and protect a killer crook but descend like a burning brick with unexplainable hate on any Igbo who dared take exception to the evil peddled by Obasanjo and gang. The author continues, “He (Tony Anenih) uses the press wisely and crushes most uprising permanently, in quiet, non-fanfare ways and remains in the limelight…” Sounds to me more like bribes and intimidates the press and “crushes” yep like in crushing Bola Ige, in a quiet (night) way until his co-efulefu, Orji Kalu exposed his MO. When one writes without element of shame in a manner only a favor seeking individual could be proud of, the sane and not sleepy ones should remain alert lest they too get devoured. I am still trying to understand why Anenih who went against the fundamental tenets of democratic principles to warn that only Obasanjo could determine who succeeds him could be admired by one who obviously enjoys the full freedom a true democratic society offers. In what civilized land could this be plausible? To me politics is supposed to be an unfriendly game but played amongst friends as such the urge to murder folks like Ige removed but no, the self-acclaimed educated ones are the cheerleaders of evil men in that cocoyam nation you call Nigeria and you wonder why the endless moon-walking of that country.

Tony Anenih is to the Edo people and to a larger degree Nigeria what Emmanuel Iwuanyawu is to the Igbo nation and what Obasanjo is to the Yoruba land they are not to be respected as such any accolades to any or all of them signifies the desperation of the practitioners in securing meal tickets. I never believed a day would come when men with super questionable backgrounds would be so unnecessarily glorified by those who by every imaginable logic supposed to know better. Now if the subject could be viewed and ascribed as stately, all the traitors and killers of the past starting with Judas Iscariot, Idi Amin Dada, Mobutu Sese Seku should all be posthumously initiated into his new hall of fame. Tony Anenih a man whose name is always somehow associated with murderous acts, stealing, unruliness and indiscipline whose lack of tolerance for democratic principles at the very minimum deserves condemnation and total ostracizement is the same fella being look upon as a hero? What a load of cow crap! The families of the murdered political foes of Obasanjo and Anenih should take offense to any writer who peddles presumptuous nonsense like the one I read few weeks back. It shows their lack of sensitivity for the departed whose families are still mourning.