The Nation Newspaper

Tag: umeh

  • Obi has used public money for public good -Umeh

    Obi has used public money for public good -Umeh

    Chief Victor Umeh, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who met newsmen at an event where the Anglican Bishop of Aguata Diocese received from Governor Peter Obi, a cheque of N600 million for the rehabilitation of Anglican primary schools in the state, speaks on a wide range of issues. Emeka Odogwu was there.

    On how it all began

    It’s for me to express my profound joy to be part of this ceremony. I recall that it was sometime in November 2011 that we gathered here to perform that historic ceremony of handing schools over to the missions at this Women’s Development Centre. Everybody will agree that after nearly two years, we have now experienced a new rebirth in our educational sector in Anambra State. People have applauded the giant strides this government has made in the educational sector, courtesy of this strategic partnership with the churches.

    The sacrifices we made

    Mine as the chairman of APGA is to call on our people. We have listened to the governor mention mind boggling figures of monies that will be distributed for the good of our state in the next one month; several billions of naira. I want to tell you that this has been possible based on the sacrifice all of us have made for the good of our state. Apart from the exceptional, diligent, prudent management of resources and sourcing of these funds by the governor, we as a party, have also paid dearly for the good of the state.

    On the rift between him and Governor Obi

    You will recall that at a time, I disagreed with the governor. It was because as the chairman of the party, our party followers and members were grumbling because of the pain, but the governor had a different strategy. The savings and all he had done to make this possible for our people inflicted pain on our party members. I’m telling you the truth. But am telling you that the sacrifice was worth it; is for the common good of our people. I thank His Excellency for what he has done for our people.

    Like you know, this is election time, and it is important that I remind you that some people made sacrifices for this thing to be possible. The governor was focused on serving the people of Anambra State by using public money for the common good but people in politics always see it differently. Today, some people are going round wanting to exploit this situation to attempt to take our party members for they have money to give them. If the governor had released this money to us to engage the people in this election nobody will see our back. But he has strategically spent these funds and some people will be expecting that we will come around sharing money to compete with the other candidates that are sharing money today. We ask you to pay us back for the sacrifice we have made.

    On the gubernatorial election

    For this thing to continue, I am pleading with our people not to leave All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Please don’t abandon us in the election because somebody is giving you ten thousand, twenty thousand and all that; those things worth nothing. So, the election is coming and apart from the fact that I’m happy that an indigenous party, your own party, produced a governor like Obi who was able to do all these things, what he has done has given our party independence. We should not come back in the next weeks talking to our people to understand the message of APGA, we have done it at home, it has worked and it has amazed our opponents. So because we have taken the benefits of these laudable achievements you owe APGA your votes.

    From here, I will be going to Onitsha with his excellency to meet about 21,000 (twenty-one thousand) members of our party – the grassroots members, the ward officers, people we feel we have not done enough for them. We are going there to revive their dropping spirits; therefore, we beg you so that this job will continue. Governor Obi did not bring this money because he got them through statutory allocation, we have also made wise choices for people who will continue after him.

    On Obiano’s candidacy

    Our governorship candidate, Chief Willie Obiano is a Chartered Accountant, who has B.SC in Accounting, NBA in marketing, an Honorary Doctorate degree, a Fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. We also have made a strategic choice for Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkemakonam Okeke, who holds a B.SC degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, an MBA in Management and a PhD in Monetary Economics and a Senior Lecturer at UNIZIK, as well as a former commissioner in our government.

    There is no party seeking to contest this election with us who can afford this quality and balanced ticket. In both church and everything we have a good mix. So, we have to satisfy our people. So, I ask you with my knees, the traditional rulers, please when you go back, tell your subjects. This is not political time when people think that when somebody comes to give money then he is the best. I have told some religious leaders, when they bring money, you owe them a duty, you pray for them. Pray for them and bless them and let that not be the opportunity for directing our people politically. We are here for you and may God bless all of you.

    On uniqueness of Obi’s administration

    In other tribes there is no government that will be doling out money this way towards the end of its tenure. Today, about N1.5billion has been given to the churches for the mission primary schools.

    The state government primary schools will also get N2billion, all targeted at achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the educational sector. Before the next one month runs out, we would have spent close to N12billion in education, no government has been able to have this type of programme even when it mattered most.

    So, it goes to show you that the way an APGA government started here is the way it is finishing. There is no slow down in any sector. This is time for politics and you know that if we are looking to buying votes, with N1.5billion today our party would have been in the street; no other party will be campaigning again if we are looking for votes with money. But our government is dedicated towards serving the people. Our governor is more interested in the common good for our people.

    Advice to electorate

    So, it is for the people of Anambra State to reciprocate this gesture by supporting the party. That is the only thing we can get in return – their support, so that they can get sustainable development that they have experienced now. It is not about politics of propaganda, people coming to tell you they have money to give you today; this election is not all about money, it’s about what you can do for the people, we have done it for the people of Anambra State.

    In fact, we the party leaders are amazed by what Obi has done. Even in the health sector. In the next one month it will be the same average of doling out monies for intervention in all the critical sectors. So, we are very happy. And you know as the national chairman of the party, nobody can be happier than me. This is a time when government is being run aground at the twilight of their tenure, but people are getting it as they never got it before now. So, we are happy.

  • Umeh hails INEC over denial of PPA’s change of name bid

    Umeh hails INEC over denial of PPA’s change of name bid

    The National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sir Victor Umeh, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for not allowing the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) to change its acronym to All Progressives People Alliance (APPA).

    In his reaction to the INEC decision, through his Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Stan Okeke, Umeh said it was noteworthy that the commission, without any formal protest to it, took that decision, knowing that the acronym PPA intended to use in its aborted effort to change its name, had semblance with the APGA acronym.

    He said the decision of INEC not to agree to the change of name, confirmed his initial fears that PPA was out to create confusion, but that INEC decided to take the bull by the horn by taking this decision, based on constitutional laws guiding INEC.

    “The news of the refusal of the change of name by INEC came to all members of APGA as a huge relief. It is instructive that INEC came to this fair and just decision without any formal protest from us. The commission, in taking this decision, was guided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, and the Electoral Act,” Umeh stated.

    According to the APGA National Chairman, the INEC decision was a clear demonstration by the leadership of the commission, of its readiness to discharge its duties without fear or favour, and in complete compliance with the rules.

    He added: “the attempt by PPA to change its name and acronym to All Progressive Peoples Alliance (APPA) was a clear intent of mischief to confuse the electorate with the two similar acronyms of APGA and APPA,” emphasizing that it was even more dangerous when one considered the fact that “based on alphabetical order, APGA and APPA would have appeared next to each other on the ballot paper.”

    Umeh had on July 18, 2013, at the stakeholders meeting with INEC, raised concern when Chief Sam Nkire introduced himself as the National Chairman of APPA. Umeh at that meeting, protested the announcement, citing, among other reasons, that the acronym was similar to that of APGA and African Peoples Alliance, APA.

  • ‘Obi, Umeh didn’t interfere in APGA’s decision’

    A member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Screening Committee for the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State has said Governor Peter Obi and National Chairman Victor Umeh did not influence the committee’s decision.

    The committee disqualified former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Chukwuma Soludo and ex-Anambra Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Osaeloka Obaze.

    Onwuka Ukwa said yesterday that the committee was not guided by Obi and Umeh.

    He said: “APGA decided that a political process devoid of the usual rancour and violence should be created.

    “It’s not a do-or-die process. The intention is to ensure selfless service to the people.

    “Anyone enquiring about the disqualification of certain aspirants should make their enquiry broad-based or all- encompassing, rather than hinging it on any disqualified individual.

    “We wanted to prove that things can be done without the usual violence and rancour. In fact, the screening was done in a free and fair atmosphere where every person was given equal opportunity.

    “This process was conducted to make certain reasonable level of integrity, transparency and credibility in it.

    “We didn’t create a situation in which an individual would be viewed differently from other aspirants.”

    Ukwa said APGA was adopting a new attitude to politics and advised all the aspirants who were not favoured by the outcome of the screening to accept the result, remain focused and supportive to the party.

    The APGA chieftain said critics of the process were free to express their views since they had the liberty to do so but he insisted that an assignment of that nature could never be praised by everyone. “People are bound to disagree with us. We don’t expect everyone to hail what we’ve done,” he said.

  • Enugu ‘APGA-APC’ members flay Umeh over comments on merger

    A group of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has chided the party’s National Chairman, Chief Victor Umeh, for demanding that Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State should retract an advert in which he inserted APGA’s logo in celebrating the registration of All Progressive Congress (APC).

    The aggrieved party members, at a meeting tagged “APGA-APC meeting”  in Enugu at the weekend, described Umeh’s actions and comments as mere politicking, saying, “APGA is part of the merger and Governor Babatunde Fashola should not be held for any lapses on the part of Chief Victor Umeh.”

    Umeh had last week asked Fashola to retract the advert and pay the party N2billion, or risk a lawsuit. He said that APGA was not part of the APC formation, so its logo had no business on the advert.

    The Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Democratic Peoples Party and a faction of APGA were believed to have merged into the APC.

    Leader of the APGA-APC formation in Enugu State, Mr. Ndubuisi Enechionyia, told reporters that the process of the merger commenced at the point where the other parties were holding congresses to ratify the merger.

    He said, “APGA was in a self induced crisis where courts had sacked the National Executive Committees of both the Governor Peter Obi and Umeh factions. There was no leadership to run the party. One of the two governors, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, decided to join the merger with a large part of the party.”

    According to him, “In every state, particularly of the South-East, a large chunk of the old pre 2011 APGA are with APC. Even many of those who were misled by the Obi team have their hearts in APC and are beginning to retrace their steps.”

    He said, “We just finished a meeting of the Enugu State APGA – APC and pre 2011 executives of APGA represented in all the local governments.  Anyone who says APGA is not in APC is speaking for himself only.”

    Asked why they were meeting as APGA since they had collapsed into the APC, Enechionyia explained that the reason was to sensitise members on the changes that must happen in APC.

    “One is that now the party is registered, we should know that all the other parties that make up APC, cease to exist and changes must be made to transmit seamlessly,” he said.

    The APC leader in Enugu noted that those changes would affect individual positions already held, modify ambitions and review alliances.

     

     

  • Obi, Umeh reconcile

    Obi, Umeh reconcile

    Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, yesterday ended their long-running feud.

    They vowed after a meeting at the Anambra State Government House in Awka to retain the governorship seat. The election is billed for Novermber16.

    The running battle for the soul of APGA ended with the decision of the Court of Appeal in Enugu last month, which gave the position to Umeh, whose leadership was being challenged by Chief Maxi Okwu.

    Obi said none of them was happy while the APGA crisis lasted. He declared the crisis over.

    “We are going to reconcile every other person or group and set the machinery in motion for our victory in the November election, I have said it that any time I leave APGA, I will leave politics.

    ”Those who think that it is over are wrong. APGA is just starting and people will see what will happen during the election, it is now all action,” Obi said

    Umeh, beaming with smiles as he hugged Obi, described yesterday as the liberation day in Anambra State

    “I really missed the Executive chambers of this Government House during this crisis. Everybody should go out and announce to the world that Governor Obi and his brother have finally reconciled, we are now one.

    ”The political landscape of Anambra State will now change and those who want to take over the Government House in other parties will be totally disappointed.

    ”The amazing thing is that while the crisis lasted, Obi continued to function with his government without derailing, and what he has done with this executive will be the strength of the party in the election.

    ”It is a no victor, no vanquished affair, people really worked so hard for this reconciliation, I was never happy throughout the duration, likewise my brother Governor Obi, I’m happy we are now one united family again.

    ”Our late great Supreme Leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu will be very happy today and the celebration I have been having at his grave side is now happening at the Government House,” Obi said.

    According to him, the reconciliation, is complete having sorted things out with Ojukwu’s widow Bianca.

    ”I met with his Amb. Bianca Ojukwu last week where we reconciled too, we are brothers and that is why we must come together to fight this common cause our late leader wished for.

    ”We have worked together for 11 years trying to chart a new course for APGA until the devil came trying to destabilise us; people worked so hard for this peace,” Umeh said.

    It was gathered yesterday in Awka the reconciliation efforts by the Catholic and Anglican Bishops in Enugu facilitated the peace deal.

    Others who met with the duo in Abuja were Prince Arthur Ezeh; Hon. Chudi Offodile and the traditional prime minister of Awka kingdom, Ozo Austine Ndigwe, who made the reconciliation possible.

     

  • APGA crisis: Clerics reconcile Obi, Umeh

    The crisis that has paralysed the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) may have come to an end, following the intervention of Anglican and Catholic priests in Anambra State.

    It was gathered yesterday that the major combatants, Governor Peter Obi and the National Chairman, Victor Umeh, have agreed to reconcile.

    A source said clerics reconciled the duo at a midnight meeting held on Monday outside the state.

    The source added that the duo agreed to work together to ensure that APGA retains Anambra State in the November 16 governorship election.

    This was corroborated yesterday by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Joe Martins Uzodike, at a briefing in Awka.

    Uzodike said: “The governor and Victor Umeh are not quarrelling; they have not quarrelled and I don’t think they will quarrel.

    “I am sure that in recent times they have hugged themselves on different occasions like the ones we had at the weekend.

    “But if what you mean by reconciliation is whether the APGA crisis has been resolved, well that is for the governor to say and not me because right now the governor is in Abuja and I am here in Awka.

    “But let me tell you the APGA family misunderstanding is not a problem.”

  • Court of Appeal affirms Umeh as APGA chair

    Court of Appeal affirms Umeh as APGA chair

    Chief Victor Umeh is the chair of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Court of Appeal, sitting in Enugu, confirmed yesterday.

    There was tumultuous jubilation within the premises of the court as Umeh’s supporters sang and danced as soon as the judgment filtered out of the courtroom.

    Many of the supporters of the former factional chairman, Chief Maxi Okwu in the court premises immediately switched support for Umeh. Some of them started removing the Tee-shirts given to them by Okwu which they wore to court.

    The appelate court quashed the judgment of the Enugu State High Court delivered by the State Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike on February 8. That judgment sacked the entire National Working Committee of APGA on the grounds that their tenure expired in 2010.

    In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Tom Yakubu, the appellate court granted all the four reliefs sought by the applicant (Umeh) and resolved all the issues set out for determination in his favour. Justices Paul Galinje (Chairman) and Modupe Kwasami associated themselves with the judgment.

    Justice Yakubu dismissed all the objections raised by the respondent, Jude Okuli, against the appeal saying the lower court had no jurisdiction ab initio to entertain the case brought before it, since according to him, the plaintiff having been expelled by his state chapter from the party, had no locus standi to institute the action.

    He said that even if Okuli was not expelled from the party, he was neither a contestant for the position of National Chairman or a member of the NWC whose interest may be affected if Umeh remains in office.

    On Okuli’s expulsion from the party, the court frowned at the decision of the lower court restoring him as a member of the party when he (Okuli) had in his affidavit admitted that he was expelled from the party, stressing that the trial judge went beyond his powers in granting a relief not sought by the plaintiff.

    “The court must concern itself to the issues submitted to it by parties, the judgment of the lower court smacks of a sympathizer weeping more than the bereaved and the court is not suppose to be a Father Christmas or a charitable organization.”

    “I am of the considered opinion that the respondent (Okuli) has no locus standi to institute the action and the trial court shouldn’t have wasted time trying the matter because it assumed jurisdiction which it did not possess.  There are several authorities that the courts should not interfere with the internal affairs of the political parties except on issue of wrongful substitution as contained in Section 87 (9) of the Electoral Act 1999 as amended,” Justice Yakubu ruled.

    On the issue of non-joinder of APGA as a political party, Justice Yakubu, held that since whatever reliefs sought in the matter were expected to be binding on APGA, it was completely wrong to exclude the party from the case as that amounted to “shaving a man’s head in his absence. “

    The court upheld the submissions of Chief Umeh’s lead counsels, Wole Olanipekun, (SAN) and Patrick Ikweto, (SAN) that the trial court overreached itself when it ruled that the APGA National Convention of November 10, 2011 was unconstitutional contending that it was the invalidation of the convention that was the fulcrum and basis for granting the erroneous injunctions that removed the appellant from office.

    “The respondent did not ask that the convention be cancelled, why do so? He was not asking to be sworn in as APGA National Chairman or that he won or participated as a contestant in the convention yet the lower court granted the extraneous reliefs he sought against the appellant.

    “We find this appeal not lacking in merit and consequently the appeal is allowed; the judgment of Justice Umezulike is hereby set aside, and a cost of N50,000 is hereby awarded in favour of the appellant,” the court ruled.

    The lower court in its ruling on the case against the APGA National Chairman by an expelled member of the party in Enugu State, Mr. Jude Okuli, ordered the removal of Umeh on the grounds that his tenure had expired and went ahead to declare the November 10, 2011 National Convention of the party where Umeh and other NWC members were re-elected as unconstitutional.

    Umeh thereafter proceeded to the appellate court to challenge the decision of the lower court and the court in the course of the proceeding, granted a stay of execution of the Umezulike’s judgment’s paving the way for Umeh to continue as APGA National Chairman pending the resolution of the substantive appeal.

    Umeh who was in court . He drove from straight to the burial site of the late Ikemba Nnewi, Chief  Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu accompanied by a large crowd of supporters including members of the National Working Committee of the party, former governorship candidate of the party in Imo State, Chief Martins Agbaso and the State Chairmen of the party.

    He said with the judgment, his confidence in the judiciary is rekindled.

    He attributed his victory to God and the tremendous support he enjoyed from party members.

    Addressing the large crowd of APGA members Umeh said: “God has vindicated me and APGA today.  We thank God Almighty.

    Before we leave this arena, may I thank the Nigerian judiciary, this has restored our confidence in the judiciary. This is a case of David and Goliath. We did not have money the big pockets but God gave us victory because we have God.  From today, by the decision handed down by this Court of Appeal, our party is coming back. “

    he also thanked his team of lawyers led by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), members of APGA NWC, stalwarts, stakeholders and the members of the party for their unflinching support during the trying period, Umeh, however, assured the leadership of the party in Anambra State that was purportedly sacked by Governor Peter Obi’s faction, that they remained the authentic executive of the party in the state.

    He assured that APGA would win the Governorship election in Anambra State later in the year, saying the hurdle placed on the way of the party had been completely lifted by the decision of the Court of Appeal.

     

  • Appeal Court affirms Umeh as APGA chairman

    Appeal Court affirms Umeh as APGA chairman

    Chief Victor Umeh was on Monday affirmed as the authentic national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu.

    There was a tumultuous jubilation within the premises of the court as Umeh supporters sang and danced as soon as the news of the judgment filtered out.

    Incidentally, most supporters of the factional chairman of the party, Maxi Okwu, who were in the court immediately, swayed their support to Umeh’s camp with some of them stripping off the T-shirts given to them by Okwu.

    The appellate court quashed the February 8 judgment of the Enugu State High Court delivered by the state Chief Judge, Justice Innocent Umezulike, that sacked the entire National Working Committee of APGA on the ground that their tenure expired in 2010.

    In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Tom Yakubu, the appellate court granted all the four reliefs sought by the applicant (Umeh) and resolved all the issues set out for determination in his favour.

    The other two judges – Justices Paul Galinje (Chairman) and Modupe Kwasami aligned themselves with the verdict.

     

     

  • Umeh, Manu salute Imoke on Calabar

    Umeh, Manu salute Imoke on Calabar

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as well as Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Manu Garba (MFR), have described the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke (CON), as an exceptional father-figure following his tacit approval of the Golden Eaglets’ camping in the idyllic Calabar Municipality yet again.

    The ‘Canaan City’ as Calabar is fondly called, has been the adopted home of the Golden Eaglets since 2011 where they grinded an impressive run of results including three home wins against Niger, Guinea and Mali on their way to finishing as runners-up at the last CAN Under-17 Championship in Morocco.

    It is as a result of this as well as the implementation of the Cross River State Sports Development policy, that the amiable Governor Imoke on Thursday sanctioned a two-month camping for the Nigerian Under-17 National Team ahead of the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the UAE. He told a delegation led by NFF 1st Vice President, Mike Umeh, that he had utmost confidence in the capability of the team to go all the way at the World Cup in October much to the delight of everyone.

    “Governor is an extremely wonderful person. We at the NFF appreciate his generous support to the programmes of the NFF particularly the hosting of Super Eagles’ matches and the camping of our dear Golden Eaglets, time and again,” Umeh said yesterday.

    Also, speaking on the development, Manu said Senator Imoke’s magnanimity to the Golden Eaglets is second to none, praying that God grant him good health and many more fruitful years on earth after his recent 52nd birthday anniversary.

    “There is no doubt that Senator Imoke is a leading light amongst all the Executive Governors in Nigeria for his consistent support towards the development of Nigerian football in general and success of the Golden Eaglets in particular,” Manu said during the Golden Eaglets’ screening in Abuja.

    “We know that the Governor wants nothing else than the success of this team and his support overtime, has galvanised us to go the extra mile. Of course, we are not going to disappoint him at the World Cup and we want to thank him again for granting us the opportunity to prepare in Calabar again which has become our second homes,” he added.

  • ‘Umeh should bow out’

    ‘Umeh should bow out’

    Ralph Nwosu is the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the party on which platform Professor Pat Utomi contested for the presidency in 2007. He was a founding member of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) where he held the position of the national treasurer before he left the party for the ADC. In this interview with INNOCENT DURU, he spoke on the APGA crises and urged Chief Victor Umeh, factional leader of the party, to respect the interest of the people and let go of the chairmanship of the party. Excerpts:

     

    What is your take on the problem in APGA?

    What I want to say now is no exaggeration. I gave APGA its name, and I paid the only official fee we had to pay to INEC for registration. I am a strategic builder, and I can build from the scratch at any time. As the founding national treasurer, I spent my own money. I never touched any money from any other person and I ensured that we met all the requirements and got registered.

    All that is now history; usurpers have tried severally to hijack the party. I spent a lot of my hard earned money to build APGA at the national level and to make the party a winning machine in Anambra State before the APGA conspiracy began, and I became the first victim.

    As a matter of fact, I am the only real victim in the APGA imbroglio. I invested time and hundreds of millions of naira, my life savings of many years in the party.

    I poured into the party without looking back. You can see that APGA activities were limited to Anambra since 2002. That was because I took the party to my state to run the governorship election there and made it the number one party.

    And unfortunately all the national executives came to Anambra to trade with the party instead of going to their respective states to make the party vibrant. Frankly, all these other people who have been crying and going from one court to the other were the architects of the problem and it is all about money and power.

    These people I can tell you did not invest any of their personal money in the party; rather all of them have benefitted bountifully from the party. But I leave all of them to their conscience, no animosity towards any.

    For Governor Okorocha and Martins Agboso, they are ‘easy go easy come’, they are never APGA members. I remember that they both were disruptive at the formative level. Comrade Maxi Okwu was there almost from the beginning. He is the only one who can salvage APGA at this point. Chief Victor Umeh does not have any reason to fight Maxi at all; if he thinks back to when he got involved with the party after its registration in 2002, and if he considers the interest of the people, he should let go. After 10years serving at the apex level of the party, not at the formative and struggle stage but after the party has had major investors and stakeholder and eventually two governors, it will be unwise of him to do anything to destabilise the party any further.

    For me, it is time for Chief Umeh to show statesmanship and shake hands with Comrade Maxi Ukwu and wish APGA well. It will be a shame if they continue the fight. And it will be bye bye to APGA. His best bet will be to support Maxi maximally and plan to contest an election to continue to play a relevant role in the political process with all the experiences he has garnered.

    Come 2014, Anambra will go to the polls again. Would you contest again?

    Certainly no. I have contested the governorship twice. I failed. I repeat, I was the first and the only real victim of all the APGA brouhaha, but I feel very comfortable and free in spirit, and have forgiven everyone including Governor Peter Obi. I leave everyone to their conscience where it relates to their attitude towards me. I have moved on. However, I will continue to collaborate with well-meaning people to build Anambra State and any other state in this country with my knowledge and abilities which without being immodest is well grounded in nation building; I have a “let’s go to work” and an empowering spirit.

    The Igbos have always looked forward to getting the presidency. What are their chances of getting it in 2015?

    Clinching the presidency is a political destination; the Igbos are inching towards that already; all these other cleavages in your question are propaganda. If Igbos under President Jonathan have occupied all the positions which hitherto were claimed to be beyond our reach then we have made tremendous political progress.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Army Staff, Minister of Power; still under Jonathan, Internal Affairs, and we have our people working in all the strategic departments of government.

    We have made great progress in just a few years. So the presidency will come if we continue to toe the direction we have recently defined for ourselves. 2015 is an ordinary date; the date is not as important as the event. Therefore, the important thing for Igbos and Nigerians generally is to remain focused and to continue to do the needful to preserve our democracy and the resourcefulness of our people.

    The best cause to work for and focus on is the course of justice; if we remain committed in working for justice, the Igbos and all Nigerians will never be short changed in this nation again.

    With an umbrella group as Ohaneze Ndigbo, why does the region still find it difficult to speak with one voice as far as getting a consensus Igbo candidate is concerned?

    Speaking with one voice is not a wonderfully elegant or super-intellectual proposition.

    Antoine Exupery says that it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, and that what is essential is invisible to the eyes. So the fact that some Nigerians want to see a people speaking with one voice does not make it utmost; rather we should all evaluate our conscience, and allow our heart speak truth to our heads. In that circumstance Nigerians will get to understand justice, fairness, patriotism and love.

    Would it be in the interest of the Ndigbo to support President Goodluck Jonathan if he will contest in 2015?

    That is what I am saying; the question does not arise. President Jonathan has already been adopted by the Igbos. So he is the candidate of the Igbos; nothing has happened for us to change our mind. The Igbos must be mindful, some years ago, people had criticised us that we could not protect our own, rather we pull them down, or all of us want to be in the same position at the same time and we fight irresponsibly. They claim that is why we could not maintain one Senate President, we went from Enwerem, to Chuba Okadigbo, to Pius Anyim, Nwagbara, then Ken Nnamani. This explains why the political power of Ndigbo seems to be dwindling. Therefore, we cannot afford to make another mistake. We have adopted Jonathan, we sink or rise with him.

    We have a candidate in him already; the way Nigeria is today there is every need for us to work hard to maintain this alliance that we have succeeded in rebuilding. Some things that happened during the first republic caused the South South and the South East to doubt each other and that created an unnecessary divide which continued to haunt us, and retarded our political progress. Now, we have mended that wound and constructed a solid bridge over the gulf; we must be mindful and must protect our gains. So just as the Niger Delta-man will say Jonathan na we own, na we put am there we go put am again.

    With the various challenges bedeviling the country, there are speculations that the centenary celebration is an opportunity for Nigerians to decide if they would continue to stay together as we have it today. What is your take on this?

    The decision to stay together is a concluded matter, after one hundred years it is really unfortunate that some people are still on that page. The country has had leadership challenges; and it is still here with us both in micro and macro sense. As a nation we suffer from the neglect of our communities. While we might say that leadership at the national level, state or local council level is not well rooted, it is worse, more pathetic at the community levels. So going our ways is not the solution.

    How do you handle the sharing, if you go ethnic?

    I will show you Somalia, almost a completely homogenous country by any standard – religion, language, name it – but cannot run a good state.

    Any way you look at it we are stronger as a nation staying together. We need to set standards for running our country, and empower our institutions to bark and bite, and be transparent and be just. Celebrations, symbols, festivals, artifacts, and history shape a nation and a people. It will be a great disservice which we shall all regret if a whole centenary of our nationhood is not bountifully marked. The celebration itself is a time for great reflection. On this special anniversary, we must get together and tell ourselves that we can never afford to waste the next 100years, and that every single year of the next one hundred counts. We must take the opportunity to look at where we went wrong as a nation, look ourselves in the eyes and say never again shall all of us conspire against our ourselves, and our nation; never again shall a people and a nation so abundantly blessed collude to deny itself because of the greedy tendencies of a few. For our centennial celebration, it should not be business as usual, not for committee members to be falling over each other and defecating in more corruption and contracting scandal. This time, we do, not just say, but we should envision what we want each decade of the next century to be, and put in place strategies to accomplishing our vision.