….. Lays out the Historical Path To His Political Relevance in Rivers, Including Polling Unit, Others
….. Stresses his Cordial Relationship to & the Value He Added in The Era of His Affiliation With Atiku and the Virtues He Has Continued to Bring In His Relationship With Amaechi, Others
….Being a latecomer and outsider to the politics of Rivers State, Eze has no first-hand knowledge of the facts material to his story and citing dubious bible verses to back up lies will not change them to the truth..”.
The above is an excerpt culled from a press statement credited to former Rivers South-East Senator, Magnus Ngei Abe and titled, “IGNORE EZE: HE IS A LATECOMER TO RIVERS POLITICS ”
My very concern about the whole piece is not the authenticity status of the statement, but the very difficult fact that it came from a friend and brother whose rich knowledge about my antecedents and relevance in the politics of Rivers State and Nigeria has gained notoriety even within his small circle of friends.
I would have been consoled if that statement was signed or issued by one of his media aides, particularly Mr. Friday Kennedy, the half-backed and self-acclaimed Media Practitioner who abandoned his undergraduate studies after failing almost all his courses as a freshman, to join Senator Abe in his unfortunate political voyage to the abyss.
I would have also been somewhat indifferent to the piece if it had emanated from one Monday Bakor, who though managed to pass through the walls of a University, still finds it difficult to spell his own name; or the likes of Dumunez Sampson whose education and future the ex-Lawmaker stocked in limbo and who till this day sleeps in a Computer Business Centre digging up very demeaning adjectives from their grammatical archives to describe, abuse and insult political leaders who are working at cross purposes with Senator Magnus Abe. These they do to justify the meagre bread that the former Senator offers them.
However, after a long hiatus, having waited for three weeks since the statement was issued, for Senator Magnus Abe either to refute, dissociate or deny making such fanciful statement laced with lies, falsehoods, erroneous insinuations, wicked propaganda, insult to God and misleading instances, my pen is compelled to bleed in reaction to his blackmail.
It is frightening to learn that same Senator Abe, who begged all and sundry for an opportunity to see me in 2007, and whose joy knew no bounds when Prince Tonye Princewill finally bowed to his pressure and introduced him to me after his (Prince Tonye Princewill) 40th birthday in 2008, could turn round in 2021 to falsely tell the public how irrelevant he thinks I am in the politics of Rivers State.
Abe seems to have forgotten how he approached and begged me when he was plotting his political waterloo in 2016 to join forces with him to fight Amaechi and how I advised him as his senior brother not to venture into such a useless project with a warning that he will not only have Amaechi to contend with, but will also have me to confront.
How could a fellow who is not relevant in the politics of Rivers State cause a respected, feared, seasoned and honourable leader like the former Minister of Transportation, Dr Abiye Sekibo, to jump from his bed to rush to Rhythm FM, Port Harcourt, to beg Rivers people that he is still running for the Governorship election in 2011?
How possible is it that in my state of irrelevance as claimed by Abe, I singlehandedly, through the Grace of God, ensured the reappointment of Dr. Davies Ikanya Ibimau as Commissioner of Special Duties?
How could an irrelevant fellow alongside others midwife the first and only Unity Government in Rivers State in which Barr Osima Ginah and Dr Ibiamu from the opposition Camp were appointed into the State Executive Council?
Same irrelevant Chief Eze scared away Hon. Igo Aguma and some of Abe’s compadres from the APC.
Has Senator Abe forgotten so soon or is he feigning amnesia over the fact that Chief Eze was the first Action Congress (AC) Rivers State chapter Publicity Secretary? An office he used to suggest to Sir Celestine Omehia not to bother to change even the curtains in Government House as he was merely holding brief for his brother, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi. He, Amaechi, eventually became Governor a few months later.
Nigerians may also be interested to know how Chief Eze, the said irrelevant latecomer, was qualified to be appointed the National Publicly Secretary of the defunct New PDP, instead of a very powerful ex Governor from the South East. At that time, Abe was running all over Abuja to garner political favour on the claim that Chief Eze was his brother.
An irrelevant publicist and political latecomer was appointed the Media Consultant to the ex State Chairman of APC, Dr. Ibiamu, to frustrate Abe’s plot to hijack the party.
Abe also stated that Eze is a politician of fortune who goes to where food is ready. Using his exact words, “Nigerians must be wary of Chukwuemeka Eze. The fact that Eze, (a food is ready politician who joined Amaechi when he was already a Governor with resources), that a man with no polling unit in Rivers State could be hired…)
My question to Abe on Eze being a Politician of fortune is, ‘now that Amaechi is no longer a Governor with much resources has Eze the politician of fortune deserted him?” No! But where is Abe the man of integrity? He has proved that he is shameless and the number one politician of fortune in Nigeria today! Jumping from Amaechi who is no longer a Governor with resources to Governor Nyesom Wike who is a Governor with resources.
Not satisfied with what all that Gov Wike gave to him jumped to Timipre Marlin Sylva former Governor of Bayelsa State and the current Nigeria Minister of State for Petroleum Resources to benefit from the Oil money.
Being an insatiable fellow always looking for already made food Abe jumped to Senator Bola Tinubu the man with huge purse looking for already made food. Nigerians can now judge between me and Abe who is a politician of fortune. If I am in his class, I would have joined Wike or Atiku knowing my relationship with them but I have my integrity to protect and guide.
In the same misguided statement attributed to Senator Magnus Abe, he was quoted as saying, “…It is unfortunate that Rotimi Amaechi can hire Chukwuemeka Eze who has no voting unit in Rivers State to publicly insult a leader like Senator Ake…”
It will be grossly unfair and in fact, unfortunate, for Abe or anybody anywhere to mischievously settle that Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi hired me to fight Abe. Is it not wasteful for one to think that Amaechi hired me to concentrate on a drowned fellow like Abe? A man without any integrity or honour! Very unfortunate!
Amaechi is too busy to concern himself with such an irrelevant venture.
In the eye of the public, Eze is the number one defender of the person and personality of Amaechi, but same Eze is not in Amaechi’s payroll so what is the term of the contract between the ex-Rivers Governor and Chief Eze? Abe can help me out to spell out the terms of contract between me and Amaechi, if not he should go and hide his face in shame.
The fact remains that both Amaechi and I lack the knowledge to explain the relationship that exists between us, but only God who brought us together can explain that. To me, Amaechi is a brother who found himself in the midst of wolves and God sent me to scare off some of them like Abe.
In fact, I laughed when Abe and his gang embarked on the mission of poisoning the minds of some political leaders in Rivers State to the effect that I should be denied funds to run my office and sadly most of them succumbed. The question therein is, what happened when I am denied funds? Have I ceased to exist? Instead, I am better positioned to fight my cause without recourse to anybody. Freeing Amaechi from the claves of these wolves is my Cross and if God is the One that sent me on this mission He will provide the resources to conclude this struggle.
On the lies about my Polling Unit, If I do not have a Polling Unit, how was I able to vote in the 2011, 2015, 2019 general elections in Rivers State? I even had to display the pictures taken of me while voting in my polling Unit situated at the PABOD NURSERY/PRIMARY SCHOOL IN ELEME STREET, OLD GRA, PORT HARCOURT. Go to Unit Five and search for my name or I will send my INEC Voting Card to you. Is Abe so frustrated to the level that he must tell lies in order to justify his misguided mission?
Further, Abe’s claim that I insulted Senator Ake is another funny narrative to curry favour and win public sympathy. I only quoted Senator Ake and by that, how does quoting a fellow in a statement attributed to him amount to insult? As a former Senator in this country, Abe ought to have passed the level of mischievousness he currently displays.
Abe seems to be crying more than the bereaved. He does not know that Senator Wilson Ake’s late brother, Chief G. U Ake, who was State Chairman of PDP in Rivers State, was my political father, whose love towards me was infectious.
Amaechi and Chief Tony Okocha can confirm to you that Chief Ake once confronted Amaechi in his office as to why he could allow some of his Aides to give me a second hand car that nearly claimed my life of which Abe was among the first to call my wife to encourage her not to be despaired that I was going to be okay after the accident.
How then could I insult Senator Ake who is of the family of Chief Ake. I will advise Abe to use his glasses and read through, once again, my statement and apologise to Senator Ake for trying to bring his name to disrupt.
Abe in his infamous statement also highlighted my relationship with Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What Abe failed to mention, apart from being a very close associate of Atiku, I was also the National Director Media of the Turaki Vanguard, a deadly Pressure Group supporting the political aspirations of the former Vice President couple d with the fact that I was the Founder and President of Igbo Crusaders and South East, South-South Amalgamated Movement (SESSAM). These platforms I used to mobilise support for the PDP from both South East and South-South indigenes in the entire North East and at that time, Abe was still playing local politics.
My feats while serving Atiku are in the public domain and I am not ashamed of associating with the former Vice President.
On my counsel to Senator Tinubu Bola; my advice is based on my knowledge of what Abe is capable of doing, it is left to him to abide by it and thank me later or regret it thereafter.
Furthermore, Abe’s demystification by Gov. Nyesom Wike in a viral video where he described him as an insensate fraudster who diverted over N4Billion, should strike the conscience of the former South-East Senator and compel him to exonerate himself from such a heavy accusation that is capable of destroying the small grain of integrity that is left of him and desist from attacking Amaechi and his associates.
Gov. Wike’s revelation of Abe’s criminal diversion of the whooping sum meant for a crucial road project in his own community tells more of the endearing quality of “the man who knows it all” for his meaningless and deceptive punctuality on the scene.”
Let us also assume that Chief Eze according to all knowing Abe is irrelevant in the politics of Rivers State, but how do you see or describe Dr. Dakuku Adolphus Peterside? Ateast Dr. Peterside stands out as one of the most brilliant Political Leaders from the Southern region of this country who has earned himself a pride of place and found his niche in public administration especially when he served meritoriously as Director-General (DG) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and emerged first Nigerian to head the Association of African Maritime Administrators (AAMA); This great Thinker once exclaimed and described the Irrelevant Chief Eze in these words “Always VINTAGE EZE, like no other. I challenge anybody in the land today. No journalist has as much information on anybody like Chief EZE C EZE. Chief EZE is without doubt a repository of knowledge”.
The Author of the bestseller; ‘Strategic Turnaround’, a book which centers on the transformational change in an African maritime administration in another fora while commenting on my latest book on Amaechi described Chief Eze thus, “Few persons are more qualified to document Rt Hon Amaechi’s impactful and definitive leadership than Chief Eze. He is a prolific commentator on national and international issues, an accomplished journalist, an excellent reporter of events, stepped in background facts not available to any other storyteller, opinion moulder and people’s advocate” This is the Eze that is irrelevant in the eyes of Abe
Assuming that Abe and his misguided followers are not satisfied with Dr. Peterside’s explanation about Chief Eze then, what about the opinions of these other great minds from Rivers State:
(1)
I don’t know what APC Rivers would have done if we didn’t have you?”… Comrade Celestine Akpobari
(2)
“My dear chief, God will embarrass you very soon with favour for all you do in this battle to liberate Rivers State from the misrule it currently suffers.
From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.” DR LEBATAM NDEGWE OF NONWA TAI
(3)
“Chief Eze, the fact remains that what a man sows he reaps. You have been the mouthpiece and a great defender of our great party, APC. You have received several bullets both from the main opposition party and those who live in the hallucinating and pretentious world of belonging to our dear party. My father once told us that a tree does not dry the very day it was cut. At God’s own time you will reap what you have severally sown”. Dr Lawrence Chuku
(4)
“Someone told me “Eze is a loose Canon”. I must confess Eze; you’ve rattled the PDP and all Amaechi enemies within and outside Rivers State. You’re really doing a good work and must be encouraged by all loyalists of Amaechi.” -Hon. Chisom Dike
(5)
“Chief Eze the bomb, you’re too much. Congratulations for your dogged belief in the cause that Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi represents.
You were consistent and undeterred in the pursuit of your convictions regardless of the copious insults thrown at you by untutored minds for exercising your constitutional right to freely express your opinion or associate with whom you choose. Those insults however, rather than dampen your morale and getting you distracted, became the elixir to push down the walls of untruths, grand falsehoods and propaganda of those who threw them at you to their eternal pain and chagrin. On this score, I think we are the same. We soldier on with the scars of any battle in unimpeachable gallantry, once we are convinced about any cause, belief or struggle we subscribe to.
Chief Eze, you stayed the course until justice was done by the Supreme Court on Friday, March 5, 2021. That justice, for the records, has not only calmed the rough waters and steadied the APC Ship in the Rivers State; it left the homestead of the rebels in absolute tatters.
Take a bow, Sir. You are General of Truth and enjoy the unusual honour only Knights of epic dedication are worthy of. Take note also that you have earned a grand presence whenever the roll shall be called of those who stood behind this political revolution to the very end.” Barr Eli Sogbeye
(6)
“Your impact in political discourse is unparalleled. You have distinguished yourself as an advocate of political truth and progressive values. We are extremely proud of you. My fervent wish is for God to preserve you in good health, happiness and peace of mind.” -Ambassador Ngofa!
(7)
Chief! While others are growing old, you are growing younger and stronger and making even more of an impact than you have done before. If that is even possible, keep the fire burning, resist the temptation to slow down and know that those who start the year set the pace. Lead on!!!” – PRINCE TONYE PRINCEWILL
(8)
A celebrated peace maker and intellectual paragon; a quintessential patriot and a resilient global citizen. I wish you many more years of good health and impact. May the forces of progress and prosperity engulf you in 2021 and beyond.” – DR UCHE IGWE
(9)
“Chief! You could be described as one man squad who has succeeded in using your pen and brain to dislodge, disorganise and confuse battalion of detractor’s camp, antics and tricks. I am proud of you sir” – Azubuike
10.
“Congratulations my dear brother, you deserve all the accolades for your actions in the media (more than anything else) have sustained the struggle and given us great milestones to the glory of God. My prayer is that we win all our battles, march on to victory and those who fought gallantly like your good self and many other faithful and committed party men and women are remembered and adequately rewarded. May God continue to bless, guide and protect us as we forge ahead this year in the Mighty name of Jesus.” ‘Hon. Ike Chinwo
11.
“I am convinced that your support for our leader is indeed ordained. You are a brother worthy to be with on a long journey. And the Progressive movement in Nigeria has come to stay. Thanks for the unflinching support you have willingly given to Amaechi our son and brother. You are of course a leader in your own right and Ikwerre Progressives love you. Keep it up High Chief. Sir/Engr Wilberforce Worukwo”
These are the acumen on the man who according to the drowning Senator Abe is irrelevant in the politics of Rivers State
Finally, I urge Abe to read through my statement with open heart and adhere to the Bible passages which he described as ‘dubious if he still wants to progress politically in the politics of Nigeria’.
Describing words from the Holy Bible as ‘dubious’ shows Abe’s lack of proper filial piety and how insignificant God is to him.
To me, Abe should repent, follow God and learn His ways.
End
