From all indications, Sir OAU Onyema, Enugu State Coordinator of Industrial Parks Development, as well as Chairman, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the state, may take over from Chief Ike Ekweremadu as Senator representing Enugu West District. Deeming Onyema a result-oriented personality capable of bringing development to the senatorial District, unlike the incumbent second-term-serving Ike Ekweremadu, who is reportedly busy building personal houses and hotels in Enugu metropolis and suburbs, Onyema’s constituents and a crowd of political friends had, recently, approached him to run for the plum post. Even when Onyema is yet to declare to contest the position, the strident calls of service from his kinsmen have refused to abate. Onyema, in an exclusive interview, said his running for the post or not will depend on the outcome of his consultations with his boss, Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime, the PDP stakeholders as well as his fellow constituents. Curiously, Onyema has been subjected to intense deadly threats from some quarters since the call on him to declare to run for Enugu West Senatorial District. Who is, then, after OAU Onyema’s life? Picture left is OAU Onyema; Right is Senator Ekweremadu. Excerpts:
Can we have a peep into your past?
Right from the secondary school and university days, I have been in politics. I was one time President of our Students’ Union Institute of Medical Laboratory Science. I held many positions, including Director of Sports and Financial Secretary among others. In the partisan politics, I in 1999 contested for the House of Representatives seat in Jere Federal Constituency in far-away Borno state on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) when I had an encounter with Baba Goni and others. After gathering that experience, I chose to return home to my state of origin, Enugu. I came down, and was made the secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and I was able to get some leverage, and I was able to contest election under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2003 election. Unfortunately, we had an understanding and I had to step down for the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Udi-Ezeagu constituency (Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi). We struck an understanding.
What was that understanding?
The understanding was to the effect that in the next election, I might stand a chance. Then, in 2007, I came out for the House of Representatives election and there were multiple conspiracies. At the end of the day, I could not secure the nomination despite the earlier agreement. Ultimately, I learnt some bitter lessons, but I felt it is one of the ways one forges ahead. That was the time I felt I should quit politics. But after that, I started having relationship with people. People started coming around me; I was eventually elected the Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Governor of Enugu state, Barrister Chime, was magnanimous enough to recognize me by appointing in his own office as Coordinator of Industrial Parks Development. We kept on moving until just recently in January 31 this year when a group of friends and my fellow constituents came to appeal to me to come and contest for senate in Enugu West District. I made them understand that they were not in the capacity to tell me to run or not. Having had the previous experience, I had learnt to relax; if it’s the wish of God, I would run.
Why did you tell them they didn’t have the capacity to ask you to run?
I told them being under PDP, I could not just start contesting election if it is discussed and approval given. I promised to start making consultations with the party hierarchy and the authorities, because I am serving under someone. It is only when the party hierarchies decide that I am worthy to fly that senatorial flag that I can contest. That was my response to my people who came to me. That remains my position, but I am aware that some of my friends have been moving round since then. Sometime in February, another group wanted to come to me, but I stopped them. The situation was trying to heat up the polity which I don’t want.
All in all, have you declared to run for Enugu West Senatorial seat come 2011?
No, I have not declared.
For now, it is no longer a rumor that you are one of the strongest contenders to the senatorial slot of Enugu West District? How would you assess the performance of the senators from Enugu state so far?
Well, I cannot say they are doing badly. And I can’t say they are doing fantastically well. It all depends on one’s perception. From which dimension do you want me to look at the performances?
Let’s zero into your own senatorial district. Assess Ike Ekweremadu’s years of representing you?
The answer is simple! I am one person, but I believe that if things have been excellent, if things had been very fantastic, all those constituents of mine and friends that let their homes to come to me to appeal to me to come and contest for the senatorial seat of Enugu West would not have come.
If you eventually emerge the senator of your people, what will be your focus?
That is, if my Governor and the people- the party stake-holders and the hierarchy endorse me. If I become the senator, which I pray to be, I will ensure that I deal with my constituents the way it should be done. I will strive to make due consultations with my constituency on critical issues of the nation. I will not distance myself from my constituents, and I will ensure that legislative duties in the national assembly are given due attention. Also, any over-sight function assigned to me will be handled with the seriousness it deserves. I know the responsibility of a senator. When I get to national assembly, I believe that it is the wishes of the people that I will be projecting, not mine.
What is your current relationship with Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu?
Very cordial! Cordial.
Ekweremadu would not have been unaware of the prodding on you to run?
The prodding is coming from my friends. It is their view that I should run. That is the beauty of democracy.
What have been Ekweremadu’s dispositions towards you?
Well, I work under the Governor of Enugu state, and I rarely had time to interact with other people. I concentrate on my duties; I never have cause to see his countenance in recent times, whether it changed or not. But mine haven’t changed. You can see that we are neighbors.
Yes, but have you experienced any threat on your person in your yet-to-be declared ambition of yours?
Honestly, I have received multiple threats from different identified and unidentified wings. The threats are non issues as far as I am concerned. Having you understand that I contested House of Reps across twelve years, across three elections, you should have known that threats are non-issues to me.
Are such threats in the form of text messages or what?
I wouldn’t want to answer that.
Now that you have not yet declared to run and some people appear jittery, when you fully declare your full intension, what do you expect?
Do I know? I don’t know (prolonged laughter)
There is this talk that Udi is yet to produce a senate for over thirty years while others have been severally producing. How do you look at this?
Principally, my friends want Governor Sullivan Chime to go for second term because of his works. The issue of urging me to go to senate is secondary, because they noticed that Udi had never been to the senate for over 30 years. They feel that it is a right for the Udi people to produce senator this time around. That is just one of the considerations.
But there are arguments that Udi has, in the person of Governor Sullivan Chime, produced a Governor. Such people wonder how a kinsman of the Governor would, at the same time, be running for the senate. Let’s have your view on this?
Why should people be treacherous? People should not be treacherous. If the yam tuber of a farmer splits into three, is it because his neighbor’s own did not yield anything that will make him, by he harvesting, he takes two leaving one so that his neighbor will not be envious. Saying that Governor Chime is from Udi, and as such Udi should throw away their democratic chance is neither here nor there.
Could you expatiate on this aspect of Udi not being fairly treated in the distribution of the senate slot across the five local government areas that make up the District?
Out of five local government areas that constitute the senatorial zone, Udi has never produced a senator across 30 years whereas others have produced two or three times. They are saying that the Governor is from Udi, therefore, Udi people should forgo their right. But there are worse scenarios: Ekweremadu is a senator, as well as Deputy Senate President, yet his own blood brother was elected, for a second term, Executive Chairman of their Aninri LGA. Both are from the same family, born of the same mother! If that is the case, why didn’t the Senator prevail on his brother to allow others take a shot at the position, which his family colonized? Chime was elected because he was a credible candidate and everybody in Enugu state supported him. Okay, now that Goodluck Jonathan has emerged the President of Nigeria, will anybody prevent either a senator or member, Federal House of Representatives from coming from his area, especially, if it is the turn of his immediate people to produce the position? Never!
There are insinuations that you are just being sponsored by Governor Chime. Is it true?
If someone knows my antecedents, he should know I am not being sponsored by anybody. You know I have not even started. I have not declared and people are agitating because they are watching the human traffic to my house.
Some pro-Ekweremadu elements believe that it is because he (Ekweremadu) has been stealthily nursing governorship ambition in the state that led to the prod on you to start warming up for his seat. You may wish to react to this?
They are speculating. It is a speculation, and we leave it at that.
Culled from: Insider Weekly Magazine of June 28, 2010
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