Nwachukwu Obidiwe’s “Ngige and Anambra gubernatorial calamities (The Sun, May 16, back page) is a perfect example of how not to respond to public matters. Rather than address key issues, worrying Anambra people about the conduct of All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the state like the threat to conquer Anambra “by fire, by force” in the November election, Obidiwe, who claims to be the media aide to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, went into a flight of fancy. For instance, he alleged that three impressive bridges in Awka, the Anambra State capital, should be demolished because the decision to bar big vehicles from plying them means that the beautiful flyovers are falling. Are tankers and other big vehicles allowed on the Third Bridge in Lagos built by Julius Berger? Are lorries allowed on the Ikoyi-Lekki Bridge, also in Lagos? Are trucks allowed on any of the bridges by Akin Ambode, the Lagos APC governor? Dr. Ngige had better get a competent media aide before the public begins to say about him: “We thought he was wise until he opened his mouth!”

As regards other matters, Obidiwe sought to challenge, I will reply by only reproducing below an article I was about to send to the press before Ngige’s aide emerged from the middle of nowhere with an article, parroting Shakespeare rather thoughtlessly.

In November, 2004, Professor Chinua Achebe turned down his nomination for a national honour by President Obasanjo. The great writer, thinker and social crusader spurned the honour because of the sacrilege, which the Federal Government was committing in Anambra State with its agents led by Chris Uba, Andy Uba, who was Obasanjo’s butler, and one fellow named Chuma Nzeribe, who was reported to be in the House of Representatives after leading the deadly Bakassi squad. Part of Professor Achebe’s letter reads:

“For some time now, I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly the chaos in my own state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom. I am appalled by the silence, if not connivance, of the Presidency”.

Achebe received a thunderous nationwide applause, which reverberated in the international community. The main beneficiary of Achebe’s intervention was Dr. Ngige, then Anambra State governor. The Obasanjo presidency was dazed by Achebe’s action and the enormous support it generated. So, Achebe’s intervention gave Ngige some breathing space.

Fast forward. Achebe has since died. How would he feel in his grave to see that Ngige is now in bed with the dangerous elements he denounced? Achebe denounced these characters because they went about like possessed beings burning down every institution of the state, namely, the House of Assembly, the Government House, the Judicial Complex, among others.  They kidnapped Ngige. They took him to the notorious Okija shrine to swear an oath of perpetual servitude to the cabal of renegades. They slapped him after becoming governor-elect and manhandled him in public. They locked him up in a hotel toilet and made him read a resignation letter, which was recorded for broadcast. They went on air to declare he had resigned. They used Assistant Inspector General of Police, Ralph Ige, to carry out a coup against his government. They wanted him killed by all means.

How would Achebe now feel to see Ngige and Andy Ubah, Chuma Nzeribe and Tony Nwoye together on a campaign podium? How would Achebe feel to see Ngige campaign for any of them to become the next Anambra State governor? Achebe must be turning in his grave. The great man must be feeling absolutely betrayed. He must feel that Ngige has let down all Ndi Anamabra, Ndigbo and all Nigerians. He must be screaming “Things fall apart!”

Those whom Achebe memorably described as renegades have now abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC simply because the APC defeated their party in the 2015 general election. They want to use the APC to make the Federal Government rig the November election for them. Their defections to the APC have brought the new ruling party a very bad image in especially Anambra State. They have made the APC the new name and the new face of the PDP in Anambra State. Such decent persons as Dr Alex Ekwueme, who practically founded the PDP in 1998 and gave the party high dignity at the beginning have been distancing themselves from the state branch of the PDP for years because of the renegades and their sponsors.

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Ngige was in a position to turn away Andy Uba, Tony Nwoye and Chuma Nzeribe from the APC so that the party could become marketable. He blew the opportunity. The APC leader was sleeping on duty. In fact, what he did is worse than a terrible dereliction of duty. Ngige has even joined the ex-PDP operatives in speaking frightening language to Anambra people. Everywhere he goes, he now screams that the APC “will conquer Anambra State in the November gubernatorial election by force, by fire”.  He does not promise the people a good life or improved living standards. He does not give them hope or reason to be optimistic.

Dr. Zephaniah of Odumegwu Ojukwu University at Igbariam has pointed out in a well reasoned article in national newspapers recently that Dr. Ngige has gone to the extent of announcing on Radio Odenigbo near Onitsha that if the APC came to power that the “first thing it will do is to destroy” the beautiful three flyover bridges built by Governor Willie Obiano. During the radio interview, Ngige repeatedly used expressions like “we will pull down”, “we will knock down, “we will demolish”.  Not for once did he say “we will build” or “we will construct” or “we will attract tremendous investments as dividends of peace, stability and security”.

It is sad for a former governor of Anambra State to speak a language thought to be the exclusive preserve of renegades, barbarians and other violent and hateful characters. How did Ngige allow himself to be bitten overnight by the bug of extremism, intolerance, hate and destruction? Ngige is unfortunately becoming an example of what could happen to any person who suddenly begins to identify with certain characters in the name of politics.

True, in politics there are no permanent friends but permanent interests. Still, there must be limits. Anambra people – and Nigerians from all parts of the country, who supported Ngige in his titanic battle against renegades – can never understand that Ngige now has the same interests as the likes of Andy Ubah, Tony Nwoye and Chuma Nzeribe. Unless what Ngige was telling us about the basis of their quarrel was false.

From what we can see now, Ngige has become an ex-Anambra patriot. As the saying goes, “show me your best friends and I will tell your character”. Differently worded, birds of the same plumage flock together. Dr. Ngige is likely to be considered an ex-Igbo patriot. Ngige used to be a man of strong convictions. How are the mighty fallen!

The change, which the Anambra people have now seen in Ngige, is disheartening. This is certainly not the Onwa we used to know. This is certainly not the person, who fought the federal might represented by Chris Ubah, Andy Ubah, Chuma Nzeribe, Tony Nwoye and the rest. This is not the man, who once represented courage, principle, public service and leadership. This is not the person Professor Chinua Achebe fought for. Prof Achebe must be turning in his grave, feeling completely betrayed. All Anambra people are worried.

• Chief Anasiudu is a lawyer in Nnewi, Anambra State.