BY OKEY MADUFORO, Awka

THE clock had just struck 8:47 am on the 10th day of July 2003 when a detachment of heavily armed mobile police men stormed the government house Awka, disarmed security operatives and made their way to the office of the then governor of Anambra State.

The police men who were led by late Raphael Igeh the then Assistant Inspector General of Police (ALG) in charge of zone 9 Umuahia, Abia State confiscated the two phones of the then governor and whisked him away. Stories had it that the governor had resigned after being sworn in on may 29th 2003, thanking members of his executive for their assistance.

Later on that day the then National chairman of the People’s Democratic (PDP Chief Audu Ogbeh and the then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun dissociated themselves from the incident while the then vice president Atiku Abubakar ordered that the light skinned and beared governor, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige should be returned to the government House Awka as governor. Earlier before then Ngige had faced the harsh gravel hands of his traducers who on several occasions bared their fangs on him for refusing to sign cheques for their own aggrandizement.

The incident of July 10th 2003 became the climax of those litany of crucibles passed through by Ngige in a bid to emancipating Anambra people from the modern day holocaust of the past that sentenced a race to perpetual slavery.

Soon after the attempt to kidnap and unseal him from office failed, the man who was alleged to lose an election became a man of the people braking through strong holds and dissolving all manner of political bottles necks.  It started with the casualties of the war when the late Raphael Igeh was dismissed from office, some members of the state assembly were suspected while the lawmakers stimulated a move led by Barr. Benson Nwosu, Chuba Oranusi then majority leader Humphrey Nsofor, Ozo Ugbamadu and Okonkwo Okom that snow balled into the removal of Justice Egbo Egbo and later Stanley Nnaji.

The Assembly also has a new speaker, Mr. Mike Balonwu who championed the cause of Anambra liberation at the state legislature for the thirty-four months of Dr. Chris Ngige administration in Anambra State. Rising from the ashes of the villain’s colony, Ngige was faced with the challenges of detaching himself from the umbilical cord of that alleged charade that enthroned him.

Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige

He soon found solace in the warm embrace of the plebeians who has as it were being totally disconnected from the centre of leadership occasioned by the we and them syndrome in politics and governance. Still being haunted by his unsettled past and the old wound of desperadoes that would not let go, Ngige sort to make a statement in governance.

Dressed on a chinos pair of shorts, a light brown old Enugu coal coporation short sleeve shirt and a black cut shoe to match, with a job man’s hat, he placed his meter tape and pair of compass across the map of Anambra state and the road construction firms went to work.  The machines took off from the ghettoes of Nkpor junction near Onitsha , traversed through Idemili North and South local government area, took a diagonal rally into Ukpo, Awkuzu, Umuleri, Aguleri and anchored on the banks of Otuocha river.

Still with his pair of compass, he entered into an ecstatic marriage of convenience with the Raynold Construction Company (RCC), Consolidated Construction Company (CCC), Master Holdings, Setraco, Niger Cat and Interbau and the deep potholes, chain gallops and breathtaking gully erosion sites were turned into a master piece of civil engineering.

The construction firms taxied from Neni through Ichida, Nnewi, Ukpor, Osumoghu to Iseke; from Neni passing through Adazi, Nnobi Nnewi Ozubulu to Okija and from Okoh to Umunze, Amaokpala, Ndiowu, Ndikerionwu, Nawfija, Ufuma, Nkerehi, Ogbunka and signed off at the borders of Anambra and Isiochi in Abia state. No doubt, the River Niger bridge head, the Nneni township roads, the Amawbia Nibo, Mbaukwu Agulu roads had their landscape changed to a miniature air port run way.

While these pictures of ecstasy were being painted, his police security details were withdrawn from him and for eight months a sitting governor had no security. It was at the peak of this desolateness that a semblance of Armageddon descended upon Anambra state.

An army of hoodlums took on the state and hell was let loose. The army unleashed horror on the land and it became lawful to be lawless. Public and private property became victims of arson which was executed with relish. But the stoicism at which Dr Chris Ngige took this irritating challenge was a marvel to both his friends and foes and when the thick cloud of trepidation that enveloped Anambra state was settled, he summed it up with “Dilinda el Cakago”,  the cattage must be destroyed, Cattage Anambra state.

Ngige was however not cowed by the Carthaginian war against Anambra people, hence he liquidated backlog of pension arrears, salaries and allowances and brought succour to the rural areas through community primary health care, while the general hospital Onitsha was up-graded to the status of a federal medical centre.

He took a swipe at the state of the civil service in Anambra and ultimately instilled discipline, vigour and focus in public service, while education also benefited from the bounties of good governance.  At the pick of these avalanche of accomplishment, the state election petitions tribunal delivered judgment, thereby nullifying his victory at the 2003 election.  But the judgement merely enhanced his doggedness in the familiar terrain of controversy as he trudged on.

But his days became numbered while the Enugu appeal court looked into his appeal against the judgment of the lower tribunal and on the 16th day of March, 2006, the dooms day that has continued to be postponed came to pass and he became the victim of that embattle Rev father that refused to bow to the orders of an Emperor in Graham Greens Power and the Glory. Ngige the then governor left office in March 16th 2006 following the Appeal Court judgment that upheld the Awka tribunal judgment heralding the emergencies of the incumbent Governor Peter Obi.

Dr. Chris Uba

Be that as it may, Anambra celebrates with nostalgia the ten years anniversary of the abduction of their governor Dr. Chris Ngige who according to them almost laid down his life for the liberation of Anambra State. The decade has been a decade of stuck taking for a great number of Anambra people who feel that the liberation was a master struck that brought about gigantic socio economic development that has never been witnessed in the annals of its creation.

Across section of Anambra people are of the view that had it been it was not a governor made in the maul of Dr. Chris Ngige the state would have had a dangerous nose dive of an unimaginable proportion.  The still insist that the sudden end to Ngige’s administration to a great extent slowed down the acceleration of economic development in the state occasioned by the change in Calendar of governance.

According to the coordinator Anambra Rainbow coalition Chief Ben Oranusi Ngiges tenure has remained on equaled till date. “There is no basis for comperism at this point. When you look at the quality of basic infrastructure that Ngige put in place while in office, you would discover that it has remained strong compared to what we are seeing today. When you talk about road construction, you can agree with me that the liberation affected our road network. When you talk the civil service you would also discover that he revived the service and injected fresh blood into the system”.

“Have you ever asked your self why people still want Senator Chris Ngige to return to Government House Awka seven years after he had left office? That shows that there are still so many things lacking in the governance of Anambra State. Ngige still commands the admiration of ninety present of Anambra people and it was his refusal to dance to the music of the enemies of Anambra State that brought him close the heart of the people”.

Chief Mbazurike Amaechi the first Republic Minister for Aviation who could not speak due to ill health and was in the hospital hen this reporter called, had earlier recalled how the then President Olusegun Obansanjo delegated him to resolve the matter between Ngige and his traducers and on the 10th day of July 2003 when a reconciliation meeting was fixed the traducers struck and abducted the governor.

“I felt bad about it. They could not respect an elder states man like me. They just took their stand but it all failed. Possibly the incident may have vindicated Ngige and made him loved by the people of Anambra State, But it is said that we shall look on and watch a sitting governor removed without recourse to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. One day they would want to do similar thing to the President.

Former Anambra Governor Chukwuemeka Ezeife was of the view that Ngige had the courage and that resolute to stand his ground to the growth of Anambra State Ezeife further noted that Ngiges management of the lean resources at his disposal was encouraging and opened a new vista for Anambra.

Years of Anambra liberation
He noted that the years of Anambra liberation has been eventful as it not only changed the mentality of most Anambra people about governance but has also connected the people with government for them to be interested in what goes on in power. To us it had awoken the peoples consciousness in governance and that is what it is all about.

Coordinator Aanmbra solidarity forum comrade Pius Udeaja Nwankwo told reporters that “Any one that says that Anambra was not liberated in July 10 2013 is only being parochial and sick in his mentality and thought process. Ngige would have chosen to dance to the whims and caprices of those who fought him and remain in office as long as he wants.  Even the tribunal judgment in Awka and the Appeal court judgment in Enugu couldn’t have come to pass because he would have been in the good books of his enemies. He would have made enough money and walked away without EFCC coming after him”.

Another group are of the view that Ngige’s emergence as governor in 2013 was instructive as he was the only character as it where that is capable waging that war against those they described as the locust and pave way for good governance. Some are however not happy that he fought a battle and has not finished, contending that the man he handed over the baton to merely brought back the locust insisting that he has to end the battle permanently for the next four years or so.