By Okey Ndiribe,  Asst. Political Editor
Former Anambra State governor Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju needs no introduction. He was the governor who had to fight to keep his seat as chief executive of  the state from the first day he came to power.  The political crisis in the state then split the State House of Assembly into two factions; one was loyal to the governor while the other which was allegedly under the influence of Emeka Offor- believed to be his godfather- planned to impeach the state chief executive. Mbadinuju fought back and eventually neutralised  his political adversaries albeit temporarily.

When he introduced the controversial Bakassi Boys as the state’s security outfit, crime wave in the state drastically went down and most gangsters relocated to other states of the federation. But his opponents never gave up and he believes that they sponsored the killing of then Onitsha Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association in order to smear his reputation.

Why have you not been active politically for some years now?

It is not true that I have not been active in politics for years now. I am lucky to have been in several professions. I began as a teacher in primary school in Imo State, then later in life I rose to become an Associate Professor in a New York University in the United States.  Later, I became a journalist and worked  in Daily Times as Editor of the Times International.

Mbadinuju

I also  joined the legal profession, and later  became a politician. I have often observed that when a person went  to the university and took degrees in political science, government and other degrees in law  -  as I did studying in various American and English universities – such a person obviously was preparing for a career in politics and government. I don’t mind if anyone who read another subject decides to venture into politics but we must ask that person if he has read any text book on politics and government to make sure he is not a square peg in a round hole.

But some people say that academic qualifications alone cannot make a good politician and  I agree, just like someone observed that not all who acquired degrees are educated. But for me I didn’t just acquire degrees; I am not only educated, I am also learned with such working experience in Daily Times  and  in government.  I served under  Jim Nwobodo and in the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari.  Apart from my private legal practice I was also the governor of Anambra State for four years.

So in terms of one paying his dues, I have paid my dues.  God has also made me to prosper;  I have also been a blessing to many. I am grateful to God for my calling in so many professions, including my calling as an evangelist to the body of Christ and with 13 published Christian  literary works.

Well you may call all this a digression, but I am trying to explain that I have been active in my professions including  politics. Now, it has been said that  once a politician always a politician or that politicians never  die. For me I left office as a governor in 2003 under the polluted atmosphere of
the party denying me a second term re-election which the party promised all its governors.

My exclusion was not because I did not deliver as a governor; although my opponents have refused to accept the fact that schools could not have closed for one year when other workers were still at work. What made teachers so special that they must be at home while others were at work? The simple truth which no one has ever revealed was that my opponents hired thugs and with some labour leaders and they attacked  teachers who insisted on reporting to their class rooms to teach; they were flogged out of schools.

It was by diplomacy and appeal that the Government succeeded in quelling the situation. And while that was going on, my opponents who swore that I would not serve a second time masterminded the killing of Igwe and his wife while I was in far away Houston,United States attending a meeting; their reasoning being that the dust the death of the couple would raise would further ensure that nobody would talk of my re-election while being accused of complicity in the couple’s death.

My disgust in the whole thing was why the Presidency was so interested and involved in making sure that not only  should I not continue in office, but also should die. I say this because there was a  jail break at Onitsha  Prison while I was being detained there and  the Prison Controller said it happened due to a  plot to kill me which also l led to the release of over 300 inmates of the prison.

In the process they  set fire to the offices in the prison believing I was hiding in one of the offices. All efforts to get the Federal Government to set up a Commission of  Inquiry into the Onitsha incident, and attempt to kill me failed because, these people knew all that was going on and they did not have to investigate themselves. Anybody who doubts what I am  saying can read Sunday Sun of February 26, 2006.

But after I handed over to Dr Ngige I left for my annual leave abroad  -  the only time I took leave from the job for the four years.  Before I travelled Police had investigted and quizzed me over the Igwes’ murder and in the Police Report dated 16th May 2003 I was set free with 12 others.

Only one former commissioner in my government was indicted. Both the President and the Inspector -General of Police authorised my trip abroad. I came back to Nigeria six months later to bury my mother who died in my absence, just like my father died in my absence in 1969 when I was studying abroad. After the ceremonies I went back abroad.

But when finally I returned in 2005 almost immediately Sunday Ehindero the then Inspector -General got me arrested and charged me with murder and conspiracy  as arranged by the powers that be. Whatever I did to them I don’t know except that they didn’t want me to obstruct their plan to impose on Anambra State one of the presidential assistants from the state whom the presidency had  groomed to govern the State by all means necessary. From 2005 when I was arrested to 2008 when I was finally freed, I could not have played any politics.

This is in response  to a  part of your question. And for the sake of the opposition and the doubting Thomases,  all the five courts I was taken to-as my opponents  were shopping for a court that could jail me, or execute me,- discharged and acquitted me. And all the Police Reports from that of 16th May 2003 to their final Report dated 2nd April 2009 which truthfully stated “that there  was no prima-facie evidence to warrant my arraignment in court”.

This was the same conclusion the Anambra State Attorney-General reached in his press release in Feb 2006, and even the Police said so in their own report  in May 2003. In fact there was no reason  why our system allowed a governor and a law-abiding citizen to pass through such an ordeal without anybody showing remorse.

Are we surprised then that the law of Karma has been at work to reward each according to the good or evil one did in this unfolding human drama? So, believing that my ordeal was over I entered into the Senate race in 2007 to show that politicians actually never die; but I was rigged out like in my second term primaries in 2003. So you can see I have not allowed any opportunity to play politics to slip off. Even the press interviews like this which I often grant newspapers that ask for it, I still try to play some politics through what I say.

Finally on this, I must observe that our party, the PDP has not been fair in the treatment of their former office holders like the governors. I was the founding PDP governor of Anambra State. The party calls me a stakeholder but I can’t see the stake I am holding. Immediately after you leave office  you are forgotten; you have no position in your local government party structure nor at the state level, not to talk of national level which seems to be a no go area.

Nor is anything wrong for the first PDP governor of a state being offered a slot in the BOT of the party, or make him a member of the National Executive Committee of the party. If one is accommodated in any of these positions,  he definitely will be useful to the party and to the country in sharing his experiences whenever needed. Well, let me leave it there before I am charged with anti-party activities.

In 2003, you were denied the PDP governorship  ticket in Anambra despite the fact that you won it several times. What really happened?

I have already said a lot in my answer to the first question concerning 2003 and the plot between the Presidency and the PDP to deny me a second term which was promised to all PDP governors.  When I read some commentaries on the decadent politics of Anambra I notice the ignorance of  the writers when they say that Anambra  rot began 1999.  But I disagree. Rather the Anambra politics of killing, kidnapping, elaborate rigging and all these other vices began 2003 after I left office.

I did not preside over the armed robbers and killers;  rather I fought them as unyielding as I fought the so-called godfathers and money bags. So you are right that I won the gubernatorial primary in 2003 three times and three times the party and the presidency cancelled them because they already had a candidate in mind and every thing was done to frustrate my ambition.

If former President Obasanjo and  Andy Uba did not have interest in the Anambra governorship position in 2003, I would have gone through. But two of them working with their army of  followers;  twisted facts to falsehood, and called good evil. Both Bode George and former Senator Mantu were among those sent to make sure I didn’t emerge as party candidate for no just cause.

Talking of my performance in office even  Obasanjo himself scored me A when he personally inspected my infra-structural development; while his Government scored me A+ in the area of security and welfare.  In fact at the end of his inspection, Obasanjo observed as follows: “I have come, I have seen, I have heard and I have been here. All in all I am satisfied with what I saw on  ground”. After this excellent Presidential assessment of my stewardship, it is only my incorrigible protagonists that can continue to denigrate me .

Dr Ngige who got the ticket and emerged as governor in 2003 was eventually removed by the Court in 2006. Did you feel vindicated?

Ngige wasn’t a governor ab initio; the court said so not me. Everything about Ngige was illegal. If it were in a developed democracy Ngige will still be serving his jail term for stealing since the court ruled that he stole peoples’ votes in trying to occupy the governor’s office.

It was the Okija Shrine he went to that finished him. While the state was  under my watch, we knelt down before God every day to worship the living God; Ngige went to the shrine and knelt before his own god and when the time of reckoning came and  they slapped him and pushed him into that toilet and locked him inside.

At least in my own case which Ngige knew about, the conspirators falsely got me into the Onitsha prison and hired over 5,000 armed rioters who  invaded my cell to abduct and kill me but my God saved me.When I was governor,  I bought Ngige a brand new 406 car to help him function as secretary of the zonal party. I paid his expenses as he resided in Abuja and to all intents and purposes I thought we  were friends not knowing he was eyeing my job. To say he was only interested in going to the Senate was an after-thought; he wanted my job.

He desired it and the way he entered was the same way he took his exit.  His pictures hanging everywhere in Anambra is a mistake. The billions and billions he signed off as an illegal governor should have been recovered from him as a lesson for posterity. And finally I know that it was in Houston Texas that the final plan to kill the Igwes was hatched.

So can he swear that he did not partake in the discussion to oust me from office?   So in reality Ngige got no ticket as your question goes  and I remain the only bona-fide authentic ex-governor of Anambra.  In the sight of God I’m still the only valid governor of the State becuse from the invalid Ngige,  Peter Obi inherited another invalidity which invalidity he will pass on to another invalid governor in 2010 and  Anambra’s  problems  will keep multiplying.

God will not build on the foundation of injustice and invalidity which  Ngige imposed on Anambra State. The things of God do not interest Ngige and that is why he threw way the sign board I put  in front of our Government House saying: “It Shall Be Well With Anambra State”.  Ngige abandoned God and worshipped idol and he went on to pass it to Gov. Peter Obi.

Can we say Emeka Offor was to you what Chief Chris Uba was to Dr.Chris  Ngige?

Emeka Offor was not that bad as some people saw him. He is always interested in his right which I believe in too. If  Obasanjo had not stepped in between me and Offor the problem would not have worsened the way it did.  Also if former Vice-President Atiku had not also stepped in between Offor and myself, we wouldn’t have descended as low as we did in our relationship.

Emeka Offor was often kind to a fault, he won’t take your own but he will go to any length to ensure he gets that which belongs to him. But I will leave it at that; everyone has learnt his lesson  since we are all in Anambra we will continue to play politics.  Offor  will not quit politics and I will not and next time when we meet, and we will surely meet, everyone will learn to avoid conflict.

It is like bringing a cat to a house infested with rats; one would  expect the cat to kill off and eat up all the rats in one day. But surprisingly after many days, the rats remained many in the house with the cat there too.  The house owner on inquiry  was told that  the cat will never kill all the rats.

The cat will only kill those rats that strayed into the abode of the cat. But as long the cat and the rats remained in different abodes, neither the cat nor the rats will disturb the other. And this is just a wise saying. So  Offor and myself  shall get on well next time each person minding his own abode.

As for the  relationship between Chris Uba and Chris Ngige I cannot. Both of them wronged me by making sure I did not fulfill my aspiration to follow others complete the two terms allowed me by the constitution. And if I only missed a second term in office, it would not have pained me as much as framing me up  for a crime of murder I did not commit. But God has taken care of that and it is well.

But as for Offor and myself,  we have no more problems. What we played was politics and those who said I opened up government treasury for my godfathers  said so based on  pure ignorance. Emeka Offor in the first place was not my godfather and he himself said so several times. Furthermore, the business guru had more money that the State Government, just as Vice-President Jonathan reflected when he spoke to a group of Anambra people last week.

With an average of about N700 million a month from federation account and a monthly workers salary bill of N583 million, every good businessman  could declare more surplus than the state. So where is the treasury I am being accused of opening up and for which godfather? A section of  Nigerian writers have deliberately decided to give a dog a bad name to hang it and it is only God that will judge them and  me.

With what happened to Dr Ngige and recently Andy Uba, do you think the PDP can still win the governorship race in Anambra again?

It is nemesis that caught up with the two of them. If they don’t go back and correct whatever wrong they committed against others, whatever new venture they are embarking upon will not prosper; it will be like the first one. You see, the last day I left office, Ngige gave a note to two of his aides for me to give him some money. I assisted him. Secondly, he brought out a bundle of files for land acquisition and asked that I please approve the applications which were his personally.

He pleaded that if he began his office by signing his own application for land,  it won’t  look  good.  I then signed them. I have a reason for telling this story. As governor I approved a piece of land for the First Lady, wife of the governor which she used to erect several buildings for  the use of her registered  NGO called Daily Bread Organization (DBO).

It was still functioning by the time I left office. When the same Ngige assumed office he and former  CBN governor Prof. Soludo agreed they would build a branch of the Central Bank in Awka which was good for the state. But what was not so good was that rather than find another free piece of land both agreed it was my wife’s DBO land that they would use and without informing her, they bull dozed all the structures on the land and levelled everywhere and began to build the Central Bank.

If my wife went to court they will say is because we didn’t want development in the state. Then she went to Ngige for compensation, Ngige told her Soludo of CBN will pay. My wife went st see Soludo three times and Soludo remained incommunicado. Ngige eventually left office and my wife made inquiry in Gov Obi’s Govt House, and in the Ministry of land to see if there was alternative piece of land for her to continue her NGO project there was nothing.

So, between Ngige, Soludo and Peter Obi I could not get justice in a state I ran for four years giving land free of charge provided it was for development. So why wouldn’t Anambra continue to have problems if this is the attitude  of our leaders?  May God help us

How do you assess the political terrain in Anambra today?

Very turbulent, very very turbulent! There is a plot to return the APGA leadership to Chekwas Okorie and once that happens the new leadership will remove the ticket from Peter Obi and Prince C N Ukachukwu is already in the wings to move in to take the APGA ticket.

In that case, Mike Areh who is believed to  be holding the Labour Party ticket on behalf of Peter Obi will relinquish the ticket. Again Andy Uba is said to be eyeing the same Labour Party ticket and at the same time he is said to be interested in the CDC ticket because no politician puts all his eggs in one basket.

The case of PDP is not less problematic. The party has stood firmly behind Soludo, but there are many court injunctions yet undischarged. Will Soludo run with these injunctions still subsisting? And why is it so difficult for the PDP to discharge ordinary court injunctions? And how about the almighty INEC which keeps reminding the public that Soludo’s name is not yet on its list of candidates. That in itself speaks volumes.

And nobody can discuss elections in Anambra without Chris Uba. For good or for bad he remains an important factor. It is possible that whichever side he tilts his support,  may have an advantage. He may play the role of the beautiful bride. But the real beautiful bride may end up being the PPA candidate, Uche Ekwunife.

She knows the Anambra political terrain more than some of these aspirants who just returned from Lagos and are throwing money here and there and many of them can hardly tell the name of their ward. At the end everything, it  may depend on how free and fair the election may be. It is not up to INEC alone, rather all hands must be on deck to have a peaceful campaign and election which I can’t yet see But if bookmakers were to put their money they may likely do so on PDP and that makes the party the favourite to win, all things  being equal.

During your tenure as Governor of Anambra s  you used the Bakassi boys to provide security which was hailed at the beginning. What happened later?

Yes the boys  did extremely well to rid Anambra of all armed robbers and related vices. But like everything in Anambra the opposition noticed that the security outfit was giving the government a good name and good publicity; the opposition  went to Abuja and started a fresh round of propaganda that the boys  were armed and were  being prepared for another Biafra.

President Obasanjo bought this one very quickly and the major problem started. The complaint that I was using the boys against political opponents was neither here nor there; it was  just a mere propaganda. Yet opponents of my administration were ready to believe anything provided it gave us a bad name-like giving a dog a bad name to hang it.

At the end Obasanjo, acting on the advise of his special adviser on security, or perhaps the President advising his special adviser both worked together to swoop on the boys one morning and bundled them all to Abuja and imprisoned them without trial and without telling them the offence they committed.

The security outfit came by law passed by the State House and signed by the Governor of  State. If the President wanted them disbanded all he needed to do was  to get the National Assembly  override the Anambra law simple. But our former President hardly followed any law or any laid down procedure for doing most things, and this is a sad commentary.

How do you assess the security situation in the state today?

The security situation in Anambra today is nothing but what we are seeing and hearing: kidnapping, armed robbery, bank robbery and all forms of insecurity which was  not there when I was in charge. Now that Christmas is fast approaching, many  families are so afraid about their kith and kin;  whether

they will return home at all, or if they return whether they will be safe. This wasn’t the case when I was in the saddle. Well I still tell the good people of Anambra State  to be patient and that it shall be well whether anybody likes it or not. We say it is well by faith and thanksgiving.

Since I left office, all the governors who succeeded me seem to know little or nothing concerning the provision of security and welfare which the constitution say is the primary purpose of any government. For them it has been like  trial and error, a hit and miss exercise and toying with the life of generations of a people.

What is your present relationship with the NBA after the altercation over the death of the Igwes?

The  NBA as an organization has no problem with me. Once the organization knew that courts of competent  jurisdiction had discharged and acquitted me of the criminal charges, they dropped their agitation against me. And they have been urging the police to be dutiful in unraveling the terrible death of the Igwe couple. And there is no reason the Police cannot find the killers.

The killers are humans not spirit and Anambra people can easily name the killers if the Police promise they will not be turned into accused persons  instead of witnesses.  People accused the Police of first arresting and detaining the witnesses  who did nothing while those who committed the crime were left to enjoy their freedom.

I think we have to do something quickly with our criminal justice practice and procedure so that the innocent does not suffer in vain as my experience has shown. But as for the NBA that initially confronted me, it was just the Onitsha branch. But it was not even the branch as a whole, it was the Acting Chairman of the branch one Chuka Obele Chuka who took the matter personally and made himself Treasurer for late Igwe’s family. At a point in Chuka’s one_man crusade even after respective High Courts had discharged and acquitted me, he wrote to all Embassies and High commissions

in Nigeria asking them not to grant me visa to travel to their respective countries because I was running away from justice as I was fingered in the killing of Igwe and his wife. He wrote a similar letter to PDP not to give me a second term ticket. These were libelous  and defamation of character  and I sued him.

For almost five  years after I took him to court ( I didn’t take NBA to court because they did nothing to me), he could not file his defence and as court was about to rule against hin he rushed into the court and pleaded with court to give him an extension of time to file his defence but since that time he was hardly in court and he knows he has no defence whatsoever in the case.

Readers’ reactions are welcomed on unfolding  events and build- up to 2010 governorship election in Anambra .
Please send your comments to [email protected]