KWENU! Our culture, our future

Waiting for Orji Kalu

M. O. ENÉ

New Jersey, USA

egbedaa@aol.com

Monday, March 6, 2006

I did not intend to revisit so soon the 2007 presidential candidacy of Governor Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State, Nigeria. Reading the many private and a couple of public reactions to my last piece on the matter, you would think I had crowned Kalu to walk into Aso Rock on May 29, 2007. I wish I had the power; I would definitely do the right thing with it—make myself the President! Okay, a wild wish is what it is: unchained imagination. I agree. I read some very troubling memos from passionate opponents of Kalu, who would go beyond all limits of decency to embarrass him, and I read from committed fans, some of whom are so pro-Kalu you would think he is the modern messiah. I normally avoid joining issues publicly with hailing or heckling critics because everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, even when he or she reads me wrongly and concocts crazy conclusions that never crossed my mind. That stance is not about to change.

So what happened to make me return to the issue? I will tell you. I had stated that Kalu “is never short on surprises. Every time you think you have figured him out, he springs yet another surprise.” Well, here we go again. Kalu’s visits to London and Washington, DC last month earned him kudos for proving that he is among the few governors who could come and go without being “Dariye-d” and without any “Alams” going off… if you know what I mean. Then we read that governors now need permission and or clearance to travel abroad. Before you could say “Okereke Udoakpuenyi,” Kalu packs his bags again to head back this way!

Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Nigeria -- possible reacting to the alleged petitions of longstanding opponents in Enyinnaya Abaribe-led Abia Leadership Forum -- is not relenting on needling Kalu and, as we say, looking for his trouble. First, they froze his personal accounts without due process, as if to say, “You cannot go out there and play ‘president-in-waiting’ if you don’t have money.” [See Kalu, EFCC, and the Bank Account Seizures.] The ruling party, PDP, weighed in. Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Chief Olabode George, traveled to Umuahia to parley with Kalu. Don’t labor your brain cells trying to figure out what was discussed; the issue at stake is so simple you don’t have to be a fly on the wall. PDP has used the approach successfully on some governors: Play safe and stay free, or fly high and we ground you.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006, enter the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) with an announcement that “24 state governors have been investigated and found to be neck deep in corruption.” The chair of  ICPC, Justice Emmanuel Olayinka Ayoola, went on to say, "The Commission had entered a new phase in the fight against corruption where anyone, no matter how highly placed or status in the land, would kiss the canvass once caught."

Here comes another Ribadu with an extralegal sledgehammer! With the push for perpetuation of power, the Commission could become a tool in the hands of those who have hideous agenda. "Once caught [you] kiss the canvass"; haba! This sounds like a paramilitary operation. Malam Nuhu Ribadu, I don't mind -- he is a police officer; but Justice Ayoola? Come on! Don’t get me wrong: Corruption thrives in Nigeria, and I can bet you that there are no saints in politics, here in America or in Africa. In fact, the level of corruption in Nigeria is outrageous because all it would take to keep the system going is just a part of the money these politicians pilfer primitively. Yet, we have leaders who go to sleep every day knowing that people would die of hunger, of despair, and of frustration. What does it take to pump in a couple of millions into small social-services projects? What does it take to provide light, clean water, and motorable roads? What would it take to organize our markets and clean our streets? What would it take to keep students cult-free and in schools and workers paid as and when due?

Where is the outrage of supposed democrats? What would it take to make Nigerians snap out the third-term twaddle and confront the erosion of our moral fibers? Personally, I think Nigerians have blown the third-term issue out of all proportions. We are talking of African politics that produced Daniel arap Moi, Bongo, Eyadema, Kerekou, Mugabe, Musaveni, etc. We are talking of a political environment where Supreme Court rulings are set aside. We are talking of a polity where legislators are for sale, including a senate president! Yes, if President Obasanjo wants a third-term provision inserted in the Constitution, he will get it. The question then is, what are we going to do about it? What are we doing about it?

But I digress!

Last Saturday, I spoke with Governor Kalu. Again. He would be coming to my neighborhood. This Friday, March 10, he plans to be in New Jersey for a meeting with his swarming supporters in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He will address the Board of Directors of World Igbo Congress on Saturday, before heading south to Atlanta, GA for yet another rally of his supporters. Since I will be in town, I pledge to bring you my impressions in another exclusive “MOE meets….”

Back to the talk, I started by congratulating Governor Kalu for upholding the law and for postponing the swearing in of the new deputy governor, pending the resolution of the case before the courts. I have learnt that every person needs kudos before knocks, if any. He admitted that he had no personal interest in the matter, that he wishes his ex-deputy well, and that he was only abiding by the rulings of the house of assembly and now the courts. About my concerns for Aba and other roads, he informed me that the projects are ongoing and that he had mandated the contractors to deliver before the rains return. He was also tackling security and involving the people in freeing their communities from the fear of marauders.

When we got to politics proper, I asked Governor Kalu pointedly what we should make of the slipshod flip-flop of the two Joes (Ohanaeze’s Professor Joe Irukwu and retired Colonel Joe Achuzia) and all the other timbers of yore, including Iwuanyanwu, Nzeribe, and some of his Igbo governor colleagues.

“My brother, they have sold out!” Kalu declared matter-of-factly. “I hope those of you abroad are taking note of the situation.”

On the presidential campaign, Governor Kalu is still the only man standing. In effect, he is the only candidate in a presidential election that is barely one year away! As of today, President Obasanjo is not a candidate because he is not eligible to contest under the Constitution he swore to uphold. Sworn opponents of Kalu are not running either. In effect, Kalu is the “president-in-waiting” or, not to sound too presumptuous, “the unopposed presidential aspirant.” There was no asking if he was serious about the race: He had already assured me on Monday January 30, 2006 that it would happen. From talking with him again about it this Saturday, March 4, I gathered that Kalu was still gung-ho about contesting in 2007 with whomever would want to walk all the way to Aso Rock, the Presidential Villa in Abuja, FCT.  

“You will run, even if the third-term plot hatches and flies?”

“Even if,” Kalu interjected, as if no mere mortal is strong enough to stop him. It is no wonder one of his chieftaincy titles (from Enugwu Ukwu, I believe) is “Mmirinyirienyi” (the river no elephant traverses).

Governor Kalu is determined. He wants Nigerians to have a say in who governs them. He wants anyone willing to serve to step up to the podium and to say what he or she has to offer. He is not afraid of competition, he assured me; he just wants the field leveled: no bad-belly pressures, no blackmailing, no dirty tricks, and definitely no threats to harm or kill. Those who use such tools must realize that no one has the monopoly on violence and that the militants in Niger Delta did not fall from Mars. The silencing of credible criticisms and insensitivity to common complaints open the door to senseless slaughters because those who make peaceful changes impossible make violent changes credible.

Personally and regardless of my apprehensions, I do not think the man is asking for a carton of colored clouds. He is doing exactly what we would want to see happen… democracy in action. It is no wonder why those who knock Kalu keep regurgitating tittle-tattles, tales from the last century, and sordid stories that have no bearing on his political ambition. Truth be told, his records as Governor of Abia State are fair game, so those who harp on the situation of Aba and alleged misappropriations are not off-mark. However, Nigerians must separate the chads from the ticket. Admitted that he is not a saint… no politician is, but Kalu has become the lone voice of opposition in town, an enigma; it is something to talk about, an uncommon courage to celebrate.

It is hard to figure out what motivates Kalu’s drive, especially with the inherent dangers of Nigeria’s dirty politics. A friend told me the other day, “O di ka o nwere mmuo na-etiri ya udu.” Yep, just maybe there is a higher power or multitudes of powers out there playing the right tunes for him; maybe it is God! Sincerely speaking, I worry about the man, about his safety, for he is a brother and a compatriot. Therefore, I asked, “Are you not scared that these people might be desperate enough to kill you, if only to stop anyone else from flying the presidential-wannabe kite?”

“I am not scared of them. They are doing everything they can to stop me, pursuing me from pillar to post, but I won’t back down.”

“Of course, the freezing of your accounts is part of the play,” I suggested.

“Yes, but I am not worried; it won’t stop me.”

“Have you gone to court?” I asked as if it is the most natural thing to do.

“No, not yet.”

Since people in my community no longer believe that announced “guests of honor” would show up -- and many do not get the invitation before organizers splash their names on flyers, I asked him pointedly if he was really coming back to America.

“Sure. I will be in the US before Friday.”

“What about the ban on governors traveling abroad without…?”

“It’s not true,” he declared.

Apparently, the Feds did not issue the order. I stopped to wonder why such news items filter out of Nigeria. It would have been indeed sad for anyone to need permission from government officials before traveling out of the country. Not even in today’s Russia do such practices survive; South Korea and China, yes.

Okay, cash is not a problem, and no security agent would stop a sitting governor from traveling abroad, unless ICPC makes good on its promise to crush 24 governors to the canvass and if Kalu is one of them. I thought of one other thing that could stop him from leaving. “You don’t have a deputy; you can’t just get up and go.”

“I will have a deputy,” he declared without elaborating.

Kalu is easy to talk with, so when he is not forthcoming with details, I let it slide as “not-for-the-media”; he usually would explain. He did. Now we know: He just swore in his third deputy governor, Acho Nwakanma, to replace Dr. Chima Nwafor; Abaribe was numero uno. So there we have it: Abia State Governor Orji Kalu would be in the state of New Jersey this Friday, ma Chi kwe, bringing with him 60-degree sunshine to lately below-freezing clime. Last night, I walked into a club in Orange, NJ and a meeting of the campaigners in Reality International Organization (NY, NJ, & CT) was in progress. They were working out the reception plans that, I gathered from another source, would include some private receptions in the area.

Finally, I will meet Governor Kalu after one year of talking across the miles: he over here, me over there, and vice versa. I am looking forward to meeting him and talking some more face-to-face  --  not the rowdy razzmatazz, the fake-smile photo ops, the prime positioning, the sometimes-shallow show of grassroots gravitas, the meaningless mental mapping, and the tortuous talks by microphone maniacs. I am just looking forward to a pleasant meeting and possibly feeling the pulse of poisoned politics ravaging Nigeria.

Everything else is embellishment.

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