Sammie Echi Agbo
I read an open letter by Hon Fraben Agwu, JP, to the chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Enugu South LGA, Hon. Caleb Ani.
Agwu, in the letter, cynically congratulated Hon Ani on his emergence as the candidate of our great party. He described his emergence as ‘unmerited’. He didn’t stop there, he tagged His Excellency Jim Nwobodo as being in a state of ‘incommunicado’, alongside Agwu’s other unconscionable expressions.
Joining issues with Agwu is, to say the least, make him relevant in the political space where he deservedly had gone into oblivion. For the younger generation who may have read his piece, Fraben Agwu served in the Enugu State House of Assembly during the reign of Dr Chimaroke Nnamani. His scorecard as a lawmaker is inglorious, as he came back after his tenure a failed man. One would have expected his political progression from thenceforth, but not Mr Awgu who instead retrogressed from that political citadel to dungeon. He is an exemplar of not just rising from grace to grass, but to abyss.
So his vituperation against the emergence of Caleb Ani as the chairmanship candidate of the PDP for Enugu South might be his effort to be heard from his political cul-de-sac. I learnt he is squatting somewhere in Abuja, gazing like a convict waiting to be sentenced. He might also have been daydreaming of emerging the Enugu South candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming council election. What a fantasy!
Agwu claimed that Senator Jim Nwobodo is in political incommunicado. That comment is how not to be ‘honourable’ on the side of Fraben Agwu. Jim Nwobodo is a political icon whose sterling achievements cut across not just Enugu South, but throughout the old Anambra State, and the country in general. For Mr Agwu to denigrate this political figure of our time shows that he is an ingrate. It was Jim Nwobodo that single-handedly made Agwu a House of Assembly member against all odds during the regime of Dr Nnamani. The vision of His Excellency Nwobodo might have been to nurture then young Agwu into political stardom. It was a fiasco because Agwu had nothing to offer during and after his tenure. That is why since then, he has been in a political limbo.
Jim has been a visionary leader with the interest of Enugu South at heart. After Agwu’s tenure, there were the likes of Hon Onyinye Ugwu in the House of Assembly as well as Hon Nick Agbo in the House of Representatives, and later member Governing Council of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology; Deputy Chairman and Administrator. They are all political protégés of HE Nwobodo. Their track records are there to show that their choices were not in vain and more opportunities are abound.
Ani, the elected PDP chairmanship candidate, is a native of Amechi Uno, which is the ancestral home of other communities in Enugu South LGA. Amechi Uno is therefore sacred for the people of Enugu South, being their route. It is therefore a sacrilege for Hon Agwu, from Akwuke Community, to situate that Caleb Ani’s community is not qualified. According to him, “Greater Obeagu community is the least qualified to produce a chairmanship candidate for PDP in Enugu South”, which he erroneously said Hon Caleb Ani came from. He talked about four traditional communities that constitute Enugu South right from its creation, besides the urban communities. In his view, any other community aside his aforementioned ones does not belong. And I want to ask my dear brother Freban, where and when was the purported agreement or consensus reached, and only chairmanship position is to rotate, not every other position? What a story of a failed lawyer who should be advocating equity and justice!
Come to think of it, Akwuke where Agwu is from has had the opportunity to serve in various capacities, including state and federal House members, deputy LG chairman, board members, and LG administrators, while many other communities haven’t had the opportunity, like Amechi Uno Community.
The choice of Caleb Ani is both on merit and for equity and justice. Amechi Uno where he comes from deserves the slot. The emergence of Ani, through a free and fair congress, is also in tandem with the political trajectory of Gov Peter Mbah in Enugu State. Aside equity, Gov Mbah is disruptively rejigging the political framework of the state for service delivery. It is no longer business as usual, rather round pegs emerged as the standard-bearers of the PDP ahead of the LG polls. The simple reason is to get candidates who are top notch and with the capacities to defeat candidates of other political parties in the forthcoming council polls. And Caleb Ani is eminently qualified.
The Akwuke Community Hon Agwu claimed to be speaking for are strongly supporting Ani and his running mate. This was demonstrated during the courtesy/consultation visit to the traditional rulers and town union and indeed the campaign tour where well-meaning stakeholders of the community expressed their feelings and pledged their support to vote massively in the forthcoming election.
I conclude this piece by encouraging our teeming supporters to close ranks with the Caleb Ani candidature ahead of the council polls in Enugu State. He is very qualified, he is result-oriented and he enjoys the support of the honourable leaders of the LGA, including the revered and indefatigable HE Jim Nwobodo.
Gov Peter Mbah’s people-oriented administration in the Enugu State will get to Enugu South with the speed of light if Hon Ani is elected our chairman. Already Akwuke Community is benefitting from the transformation agenda of His Excellency through road infrastructure, Smart Green School and hospital.
I advise Agwu and his co-travellers in causing confusion, discrimination and segregation in our community and LG to stop maligning Caleb Ani, HE Jim Nwobodo, Distinguished Senator Ken Nnamani down in their own interest. Mr Agwu should publicly in his usual “Open Letters” apologize to our political figures, the communities and seek forgiveness. Time shall prove me right.
Agbo write from Enugu
