Okey Sampson, Aba
The slogan in Nigeria’s political lexicon is, he who works for a political party to win election should be compensated when sharing offices. The trend is understandably so and the person so appointed is expected to carry members of his political party along and equally help to strengthen the party in his locality.
It is however not surprising when members raise dust if such an appointee fails to meet their expectations.
In Abia State, the above scenario played out when Mr Okechukwu Enelamah was appointed as the Minister of Trade and Investment in President Muhammadu Buhari’s first tenure. Stakeholders of APC in the state accused him of distancing himself from the party in the four years he represented Abia State at the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The state chapter of APC at various points in time called for his removal and wanted someone that would be close and assist them in building the party.
The controversy that followed the appointment of the former Minister has resonated again in the party. This followed the Presidential approval of the new board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) where Chief Nwogu Nwogu was nominated to represent Abia State on the Board. APC Abia chapter is crying blue murder and has therefore vehemently opposed the nomination.
Publicity Secretary of APC in Abia State, Benedict Godson released the first salvo immediately Nwogu’s name was announced. According to him, “After due consultation with the party leadership, the party was vehemently opposed to Nwogu’s nomination”.
Giving reasons for the party’s stand, Godson said Nwogu who was accused of belonging to the group that polarised APC in the state prior to the last general election headed by Chief Ikechi Emenike, has not contributed to the development of the party in Abia despite being in the interim Board before it’s dissolution.
The Emenike group, it was noted apart from holding parallel primaries even against the directives of the national leadership of the party during the last state congress, also held APC in Abia to ransom through frivolous court cases to the consternation of party members.
The group was seen as the cog in the wheel of progress of the party as its members were never known to have joined others in door-to-door canvassing for votes for the party during campaigns preceding the last election.
“The essence of giving party men appointments after election is that apart from performing his primary assignment to the people of the country, the person would also work in tandem with his party members to advance the cause of the party that made him to get the appointment in the first place.
“Our position is very simple and clear here; the Abia nominee on that NDDC Board has not been fair to APC in Abia, he has never contributed to the growth of the party despite the fact that he has been there before”.
Godson said Abia APC needs a representative on the NDDC Board who is a loyal party member and understands the plight of the party, stressing that Nwogu Nwogu never helped APC in canvassing or winning votes in the last general election.
Godson said the era of “Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop” in Abia APC was gone for good and advised party members in the state to remain calm and committed as the leadership of the party is trying to correct what he described as error in the nomination of Nwogu.
“Others cannot work for this party while those who fought against the party will get appointed into positions they know absolutely nothing about,” he said.
The APC state publicity secretary said it would, in no small way, demoralise faithful and loyal party members when someone who fought against the party gets appointed into position of trust.
According to him, “Our leader in Abia is no other person than the senate Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu who we have absolute confidence in and who should be carried along when such appointments are to be made because he knows who worked for the party in the state.”
Pastor Nwadike Nwankwo, one of the stakeholders of APC in Ukwa West, the area where oil is produced in Abia, said they reject the reappointment of Nwogu into the NDDC Board because he never carried any member of the party in the area along.
“If we are to move forward as a party in Ukwa in particular and Abia state in general, the name of Nwogu who belonged to another group should be removed; and I call on our leaders to do everything humanly possible to stop his confirmation at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.”
Also venting his anger on Nwogu’s nomination, Chief Oxford Wabara, APC Ukwa East said if it were for the likes of the nominee, APC would have gone into oblivion in the state.
“If this appointment is allowed to stand, can we really continue to parade ourselves as authentic APC members in Ukwa? Truth be told; there is danger lurking, the leadership of the APC at the State level must wear its gauntlet now and reverse this insult on the genuine members who worked and continue to work for the survival of the party in the state”, Wabara said.
To them, the position should be given to an active member of the party from Ukwa who contributed to the advancement of the party in both the area in particular and Abia State in general.