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Clannish Edward Oparaoji! By Chudi Ikwueze, PhD
Late last year, immediately following the selection of Umaru Yar’Adua as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate for the April 2007 general elections, Dr. Edward Oparaoji was quick to comment, he ran to town, to the media, with an unsubstantiated allegation to the effect that Umaru Yar’Adua was Islamist. When I read it, it was hard to comprehend what exactly he intended to achieve especially given that Eddy Oparaoji claims membership of Peoples Mandate Party (PMP). Ordinarily, one expected he minds his own party’s business, not PDP’s. And even if he must comment, as there is freedom of speech in Nigeria or United States where he currently resides, to begin to liken the man as Islamist was definitely uncalled for and absolutely mischievous.
And so, in reaction, on behalf of Eddy Oparaoji and Ndigbo, I wrote a public apology letter to Umaru Yar’Adua and Nigerians which was published on Kwenu.com and Gamji.com. My point was simply that when someone who is widely known to have been carrying himself as some sort of authority in Igboland misbehaves, those of us who care for our people must not fail to raise the red flag. For me, by so doing we can only make us better, not worse off.
Following the publication of the apology letter, Eddy Oparaoji posted a rejoinder through a proxy on Kwenu.com where he raged, threatened, cast various aspersions and promised to deal with me if I ever write about him. Expectedly, he called me an Islamist apologist and promised to continue to spread the questionable information.
Upon reading the rejoinder, I followed up with yet another letter posted on Gamji.com where I tried to advance the reason why it was unnecessary, and preposterous for that matter to bring religion into Nigerian politics. Anyone who cares to read the full letter can visit Gamji.com and check on the archive section- search for number 78. If it is not there, please search through numbers 68-78 you would not miss it. About his numerous threats, in my reply, I counseled him and proxies to learn how to think well before acting; and I promised that I would put them in prayers so that God will shower mercy upon them for ever thinking of threatening me. I have been praying for God’s mercy on them, as part of my prayers for Nigeria. I felt that was the most effective way to address his numerous threats.
In this piece, I have decided to bring to your attention another part of Eddy Oparaoji that I strongly believe unsuspecting Nigerians especially Ndigbo should know about. Hopefully this story would make everyone think twice before you engage in any Internet or audio-conference chat without knowing the caliber of people at the other end. As it turns out, Eddy Oparaoji is in the business of using other people names to publish articles in the media. Strange as this may sound but yours truly is a victim of such Eddy Oparaoji’s mischievousness. The funniest of all is that when caught in an act or he does not get what he wanted he resorts to character assassination, the type that played out when Umaru Yar’Adua was selected as PDP presidential candidate.
For the three months of July-September, I had participated in audio-conference in which Eddy Oparaoji happened to be a member, unbeknown to me the man was going to commit an offense unbecoming of a former academic. How I wished the April elections had happened before this incident, at least I would have learnt from INEC’s Iwu that professors could be thugs-men without ethical scrupples literally. I have always believed that anyone with a doctorate must never impersonate or plagiarize other peoples papers but I was wrong, as this case reveals.
The shock of my life came when I discovered Eddy Oparaoji had sent at least two letters to a couple of websites where my name appeared as Chairman of PMP and Chairman of Publicity of Peoples Mandate Party (PMP). I was never a member of PMP, talkless of being a Chairman. In hindsight, it is now done on me that the man actually, only, wanted participants during the audio-conference to become PMP members. Otherwise the matter was very skillfully brought up, and may others and I vehemently told him we are not interested. Most of us offered to assist him in the spirit of friendship to the best of our capacity.
Earlier on, in late August/September, before even the issue of PMP was raised, an article appeared on websites with my name as the Chairman of PMP in one and Chairman of Publicity in a second. To say I was outraged was to put it mildly, I requested he desist and that he specifically remove both articles from the websites where they were published.
As I awaited for removal of the articles, a newly constructed PMP’s website came on stream, guess what, the two articles in question are displayed on it. This time, I felt the man totally lost it. I wrote through all the former participants (as many people withdrew from the audio-conference just like I did) and copied Eddy Oparaoji demanding both articles be removed immediately. So far, only one was removed- that was an article he sent in September of 2006 to Daily Independent online edition where he gave my name as “Chairman of PMP”.
For some weird reason(s), the second article is still displayed on the PMP website: this one was a letter sent to Kofi Annan, among others, regarding a need for international intervention on the situation in the Niger Delta basin. Although I knew about the letter and supported the substance, my name ought not to be used as Chairman of Publicity of PMP. As I said, I knew about the letter because he requested that I vet the original letter, which I did. He specifically informed me that he was going to send the letter under his name and mine. But that was not what he did. His name was never on the document as agreed, and he used my name as Chairman of Publicity of PMP which I am not.
Because we promised to assist the group establish in the United States, just like every other major political parties, we have since requested our names be removed for their actual members. So far I have not received any letters almost one year now confirming that has happened. As I write, neither has the letter been removed nor the “Chairman of Publicity of PMP” affixed by my name in the letter expunged.
Given that this matter remains unresolved after months, I have decided to use this medium to call on Eddy Oparaoji and associates, as well as PMP to remove this second letter or expunge my name as Chairman of Publicity of PMP as currently stated. I was never a member of PMP, with all due respect to Dr. Agwuncha Nwankwo (who remains a hero for millions of Nigerians) and other well meaning Nigerians in the party.
I therefore call upon PMP both in the United States and Nigeria to join ongoing discussion to have Eddy Oparaoji remove the second article in question from PMP’s website, confirm my name has been removed wherever it implied I was an PMP member. This matter is not going to go away until this request was carried out.
As I continue to await for amicable resolution, it becomes incumbent upon me though to announce to Nigerians especially unsuspecting Ndigbo to beware of Eddy Oparaoji and associates, at least if you have to engage them, use a very “long-spoon” while at it. |