Meanwhile, Mbah desecrates Nsukka Symbol of Truth
… Traditional Rulers Stunned in Disbelief
By Fred Ozonta
It was shame and humiliation for the Enugu State PDP leaders yesterday as the clergy of Nsukka Diocese (Anglican Communion) flatly rejected a hefty bribe offered to them, seeking their support.
The state PDP leaders led by Ifeanyi Ossai, running mate of governorship candidate Peter Mbah, Vita Abba, the House of Representatives’ candidate for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South, Augustine Nnamani, state chairman of the party and the chairmen of the six local councils in Enugu North, met with the clergymen to solicit support in next year’s general election.
Ifeanyi Ossai, who first spoke for the party leaders, told the church leaders that the current clamour for “Ka Isi-Uzo jee” was meaningless and that the position of deputy governor given to Nsukka zone by PDP was enough compensation. At the end of his speech, he presented what was said to be N10m cash which the Anglican pastors refused to touch.
This appears to be a plan by PDP to bribe the church. Only a fortnight ago, a PDP team led by gubernatorial candidate, Peter Mbah, donated N40m to the Catholic Women Organisation (CWO), Nsukka diocese, for their “August meetings”. The women present on the occasion shared the cash and each received N100,000. The money, obviously meant to buy the CWO’s conscience, is now the source of great rancour among the women.
The state PDP, whose current Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is contesting the Senatorial seat for Enugu North senatorial zone, has been engaged in a bazaar and financial recklessness recently. They are reported to be handing out hundreds of millions of Naira to all kinds of groups in the state, in the hopes of enticing them to support their candidates in the 2023 general elections. Many of those groups are known to be guests of Government House, Enugu.
The frenzy to share public funds has been so much that Ndi Enugu have wondered why anyone would empty the state’s treasury while primary school teachers and local government staff went on strike to protest the state’s inability to pay them the minimum wage. Pensioners have been dying in droves because they are owed their stipends in arrears of six months or longer.
Currently, there is a groundswell of disapproval against the PDP in most of the communities in the state. Many PDP members have left the party, most of whom have pitched their tent with the Labour Party, whose presidential candidate is Peter Obi, while the governorship candidate in the state is Chijioke Edeoga.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers of Nsukka cultural zone, led by Igwe Okosisi Itodo, were left stunned in disbelief when the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party in Enugu State, Barr. Peter Mbah, desecrated the Nsukka symbol of truth.
The traditional rulers, who were brought to the Adada House venue of what was supposed to be a symbolic show of support by the ruling PDP in the state, whose current governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, is from the zone, could not hide their shock when Mr. Mbah held up the “ofo” with his left hand, an ominous disrespect of the traditional institution and custom in Igboland.
Many who saw the governorship candidate pick up, raise and wave the “ofo” with his left hand shouted: “Sacrilege! Abomination! Aru!” It is said that the traditional rulers may have received a N5m gift to organise the ceremony.
Amidst murmurs at Adada House, during which the politician sought blessings, many of the traditional rulers stated that Mbah was “not ready to lead Enugu State”, and had been rejected by the land by holding the “ofo” with his left hand. It is believed that this is usually a sign that the offender would revel in falsehood.
