Stop inciting Igbos, Nwobodo cautions Amaechi

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The last is yet to be heard on the recent misgiving that ensued between Senator Jim Nwobodo, and the nonagenarian, chief Mbazulike Amaechi at which Nwobodo cautioned him to refrain from inciting Igbos against their governors of the South Eastern zone.

Nwobodo, a former governor of old Anambra state, in response to the elder statesman recent outburst against him, statement that the South East Governors were weak in their duties, he warned chief Amaechi to respect his age and keep quiet from his consistent attacks.

Nwobodo speaking in defense of the governors stated that they were agile to their constitutional mandates, a statement that prompted Amaechi’s further attack on Nwobodo.

The former governor said he would rather advise Amaechi as an elder statesman than respond to him. He stated, “Mbazulike Amaechi said he doesn’t take me serious, and I was his elected governor for four years. He came to see me as his governor on several occasions for one favor or the other and when he looks around his town, he will see my legacies in Ukpor, yet he doesn’t take me seriously? Something must have gone astray. I don’t believe he is the same person saying this.”

“He is talking about inconsistency; it is him who is inconsistent. On one hand he wants an alliance with the north and on other hand he wants the governors to fight the north and the Inspector General of Police, in order not to be seen as weak. Is that how the presidency of Igbo extraction would be achieved? Yet, Mbazuluike wants to be taken seriously?

“He wants an alliance with the north, to the exclusion of other parts of Nigeria, the south west, south-south and the middle belt. When I talked about a president from the south east, I meant a Nigerian president from the south east and not a south eastern president, in alliance with the north only.

The president must be in alliance with the north east, north-west, north central, south west, south-south and south east. “Mbazuluike said I was inconsistent because I brought Awolowo to re-unite with Zik in my House. Is Awolowo not one of the foremost Nigerian leaders? A highly respected leader, who governed the old western region, with legacies that contributed to what south west is today. Now Mbazulike Amaechi, is already dividing Nigeria by talking about Zik and Bello alone, forgetting that the leaders then were, Zik, Bello and Awolowo.

This view is his alone and does not represent the views of the Igbos. “Mbazulike seem to be ignorant of what happened in the second republic. I never contested for governorship nomination with Chief C. C. Onoh in NPN; it was Dr. Alex Ekwueme and Dr. Chuba Okadigbo who contested for governorship of old Anambra state with Onoh in NPN, and Onoh won. Chief Onoh contested the Larger Enugu Local Government election with my elder brother, John Nwobodo, under non-party basis, and my brother won. “Mbazulike has never governed before; he does not understand what governance means, so he is not qualified to speak on governance. He is ignorant of how parties were formed, so he does not understand what happened and I can forgive him. He was meddling with Club 19 that was supposed to metamorphose into NPP.

“He could not achieve it and could not fund the party, until T O S Benson and Chief M.T Mbu invited me to take over the Club 19, I funded it with my personal resources and build it up into a political party; and that was how NPP was formed. “He is now calling for a meeting of both APC and PDP leaders from the south east in his home town at Ukpor, where he would sit down in his bedroom and select an Igbo president for Nigerians. I don’t know how many Nigerian presidents were selected in one man’s bedroom; this is what he is working on.

Amaechi

“And this is the man who wants to be taken seriously. “APC and PDP do not belong to the Igbo alone and are not the only parties in Nigeria. He claims he is going to start making contacts to achieve Igbo presidency, was that how Presidents Obasonjo, Ya’radua, Jonathan and Buhari became presidents? Yet he wants to be taken seriously. “I have respect for age, but Mbazuluike should please speak like an elder. I would not talk about this issue anymore and would not want to join issues with him. I have made my points and they are verifiable,”

Nwobodo further warned him to be careful in order not to derail the chances of the Igbos, insisting that fighting cannot in anyway smoothen the chances of the Igbos, “You don’t get presidency by fighting, by calling people names.”

Nwobodo maintained that he respects age, but reminded him to speak as a man of 90 years. Chief Amaechi was a first Republic Minister of Aviation and Transport, popularly known as ‘the boy is good’ he is the only surviving minister of that republic, he hails from Ukpor, Nnewi south Local Government Area of Anambra State, born on June 16, 1926