Gov. Chime, Nnamani’s rift blows open
TONY EDIKE Enugu
Saturday, June 30, 2007

*As ex-gov shuns reception for Ekweremadu


ALLEGED friction between former governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani and his successor, Mr. Sullivan Chime, came to the fore yesterday when the former boycotted the civic reception organized for the deputy senate president, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and other National Assembly members from the state by the state government.


Although Nnamani congratulated Ekweremadu and other legislators on the successful reception held in their honour and wished the Chime government well, the Senate president, Senator David Mark, reacting to Nnamani’s shunning of the ceremony, berated the former governor over his conspicuous absence which he likened to his role during a similar reception organized for the immediate past Senate President Ken Nnamani at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in 2005.


Mark particularly referred to a radio announcement credited to Nnamani’s aide in which he tactically dissociated himself from the well-attended reception and instead directed his supporters to await his “triumphant return” on a date yet to be made known.


The Senate president viewed the development as another attempt to cause fresh friction between the former governor and his successor, warning that such face-off as witnessed in the last eight years in the state would not in any way be in the interest of the state and democracy.

Mark said: “The reception for Ekweremadu today is an indication of the overwhelming support that he has back home here.  I have attended the reception here before, Senator Ken Nnamani’s) it was nothing near this.  There were all sorts of insinuations and eventually when we even got to the ground it was a section of the community that we saw. I also listened to the radio announcements yesterday and I think it is totally unfortunate.


“We must begin to tell ourselves the truth.  There are three senators from Enugu State only one is here with Ike.  Ike ideally is no more a senator from Enugu State because he is the Deputy Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  The two senators from Enugu State ought to work together with Senator Ike Ekweremadu but that was not what came out from the radio yesterday.  Anybody who dissociates himself from the popular view of the people is on his own and he must be told in a very clear term.


Those who go round and tell people that they are doing very well when they are obviously going against the people, must learn not to do it because they will all be on their own. “I assure you that all the senators from the South East will work with Ike Ekweremadu.  So if one senator is going on his own he is better told that he is absolutely on his own and he is not going to receive the support of the people.”


Speaking in the same vein, former Senate president, Chief Ken Nnamani, recalled rather sadly that when a similar reception was organized in his honour by the people of the state on his assumption of office, attempts were allegedly made by the then government to stop people from attending but the event later turned out to be a success.  But he added that some of the traditional rulers who attended the occasion had their crowns removed on the orders of the then government.


“I hope those of you traditional rulers in attendance today will not have your crowns removed,” he said, stressing that there was no need for a repeat of such friction in the present dispensation.


The former Senate president said: “We should give the new administration in Enugu State every support to succeed. I am very hopeful with the caliber of senators we have and members of House of Representatives that our state can do better than during my time.  I hope and I pray very hard for that.  There is no virtue in suffering.


There is no virtue in pretending and claiming that Enugu is working when it is not working.  So, I recommend that we identify our problem and stop deceiving ourselves. This is no time for advertisement, unnecessary wasting of state funds in publicity cannot help us.”


But, in a swift reaction, former Governor Nnamani said he was surprised that the well-intended reception for members of the National Assembly in the state could be used for what he described as “muckraking”.


“Memories are short. These speakers fail to appreciate that not one person of the dignitaries, including ex-Senator Ken Nnamani, Ike Ekweremadu and the rest emerged from outside the structure I created and built. Senator Ken Nnamani came from our political structure. Ike Ekweremadu was my SSG and became senator on the platform provided by our political structure. It is not possible that I hold any view against a reception held in honour of persons I helped in bringing up politically”, he stated.


Sounding unperturbed by the unwarranted vitriolic of some of the speakers, Nnamani reminded the speakers that what should be everybody’s preoccupation at the moment was to raise a high level of support for the government of Enugu State to continue the good works of the immediate past administration.


He said that Enugu State would be more inclined to a hospitable political and economic environment which would assure the growth and development of the people and their place if all hands were brought on deck.


Nnamani further urged the people to give their support to government and proffer such views which would bring about further development of the State.


The former governor added that it was a mark of strength of abilities of the Governor that such reception was pulled off with astounding success within the short time it was planned. He thanked the Governor for considering such gesture and goodwill for his colleagues in the National Assembly.


Nnamani, in extending his goodwill message to other members of the National Assembly who were equally received, stated that he was not surprised by the success of the exercise, which reminded him of the capabilities of the Ebeano political structure he put in place. The reception held at the Okpara Square, Enugu was attended by several members of both Chambers of the National Assembly particularly from the East as well as the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Celestine Omehia and speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly among other dignitaries,