There Still Is Hope For Anambra State

By

Dozie Ikem Ezeife, Esq.

ezeife@yahoo.com

Oakland, California

For months now, Anambra State and her weary citizens have been the butts of crude jokes in Nigeria and in diaspora. And for good reasons, I might add. I am from Anambra State and proudly so. I have, however been increasingly disillusioned by what is happening to our dear state and her citizens. We have blamed Olusegun Obasanjo, the PDP and Chris Uba for our woes. Again, for good reasons.

The obvious stealing of the people’s mandate in the last general election; the foiled civil coup staged against Chris Ngige; the several attempts to assassinate the governor; the heinous destruction of government properties in Awka and Onitsha; and the never-ending distractive political campaigns against the governor, have been irrefutably traced to Chris Uba and his clique. They were able to pull off their nefarious activities with the active connivance of the Nigeria Police (a force under the exclusive command and control of Olusegun Obasanjo. They have been shielded by the PDP (at least the dominant section). The lingering suspicion that the Presidency is the musical conducted directing Chris Uba’s orchestra of destruction and intimidation was confirmed by the President himself in his to respond to Audu Ogbe’s letter late last year.

Be that as it may, I personally thought that we Anambrans bore a greater part of the blame for what has become our dear state and her embattled governor. We have consistently validated the claims of our detractors that Igbos (particularly Anambra people) will do anything for money. No matter how you cut it, the mess that is Anambra of today is able to take place because of the high premium our people place on material wealth. People have come to believe that material things make people invisible. As such those who have, strut their stuff and those who aspire to have, worship those who appear to have. Somewhere in all that mess, integrity, honor, respect, responsibility and humility were lost in the shuffle. That is what set the stage for sane men and women in Anambra State to call Chris Uba, our governor’s godfather. Some god-father. Only in Anambra State can a forty-something year old diminutive money-plated wannabe politician pass himself off as the god-father of a diminutive fifty-something year old physician-turned politician.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not oblivious of our local adage that : nwata kwocha aka osolu okenye rienni. However, there is more to Uba’s aka than meets the eye. And I leave that thought for another day and for another article.

What made and still makes the Anambra imbroglio the disgrace it really is, was the fact that a majority of the “elder statesmen” and prominent citizens of Anambra State, lacked and still lack the gall to speak out against the unspeakable rape that is meted out on Anambra State and her citizens. Most of those who did speak, generally indulged in doublespeak and shameless equivocation. The reason for the sudden epidemic of deafness and muteness amongst the once vocal and proud stock of the Igbo race is not hard to explain. We have no more grace. Class is in short supply. We are a bunch of shameless cowards who are too selfish to care about our corporate existence and corporate reputation.

That is why the honorable and enviable way Senator Anosike and Honorable Balonwu gave up their seats in the National Assembly in deference to the rule of law brought tears of pride to my eyes. What a classy gentleman and gentle lady. There really is some hope for my home state.

Perhaps the civilized and unselfish behavior exhibited by these two distinguished children of Anambra State would rob off on the rest of us. And soon, I hope.