By Kingsley Anosike
I am not holding briefs for Senator T A Orji. He has his aides, media advisers and numerous supporters to defend him if need be. My concern is borne out of the fact that as a family man, that family issues are not best settled on the pages of newspapers. But as Achebe said in Things Fall Apart, it is the one who brought the ant-infested firewood that invited the lizard to nod his head for him.
Page 9 of The Authority ON Sunday, February, 28, 2016 made great revelations. It was a press conference by Hon Chukwudi Apugo, member representing Ibeku East state constituency in the company of Ifeanyi, his sibling. Chukwudi, a staunch PDP member doubles as one of the sons of Chief Benji Apugo, a sacked PDP stalwart, now a chieftain and Board of trustee member of APC. From what he said, there may not be love lost between him and the father. It is better read firsthand than narrated.
‘I believe that why my father is attacking T A Orji is because Orji empowered us and made us not to be going to my father’s house to beg for food.
Since 2003, I have been running for the house of Assembly and my father contributed to 80% of my failure. But the former Governor supported me and made me to go to the House. My father never wanted me and his other children to grow.
Again he is attacking Orji because before now my Ibeku people used to go to my father’s house to beg for alms but Orji came and liberated the people and made so many of us millionaires, so, my father became unhappy because he still wants people to come to his gate every morning and beg for food.
My father does not want the younger ones to grow. I know his problem. He is angry because he is no longer the king of Ibeku people as T A Orji has empowered so many of our people. He should forgive our father and forge ahead with his works. He is now a senator and should not be distracted by my father.
My siblings and I cannot write our history without T A Orji because he did for us what our father could not do for us.
I want to tell chief B B Apugo to leave chief T A Orji alone lest we come out to dance naked in the market and I will say certain things I will like the world to hear. I am not afraid of anybody.’
I am not surprised hearing these bold avowals from Chukwudi. Chukwudi, though benevolent and humble speaks with facts no matter whose ox is gored. He may not be the first as in history, we have S G Ikokwu who challenged his father in a political contest. Those who bemoan what Apugo did to them should take solace from the fact that if the man can visit such sadistic injustice on his offspring, little wonder, his hatred and ingratitude on others.
Apugo has been a politician in Abia, having rubbed shoulders and had associated with the likes of Ibrahim Mantu, Atiku Abubakar and the towering technocrat and politician, late Sanda Awoniyi. He had equally been a point man for the North.
One of his climaxes is the sponsorship and later election of Dr Ogbonnaya Onu on the platform of the then NRC when Nigeria nearly embraced the beauty of two party democratic system. The other major party then was the SDP who later, marshaled by MKO Abiola led to the fairest and freest Presidential elections in the history of Nigeria in June 12, 1993.
Apugo swaggered and boasted that he installed Dr Onu, one of the first academics turned politician in the Third Republic of Nigeria. Dr Onu, a gentleman to the core who would always keep his bargain gave Apugo a leeway in the political appointments but Apugo is not an easy man to please. His fastidiousness went beyond reasoning and the degree of sanity that Dr Onu was used to. It reminds me of Senator Orji’s speech the day he called it quits with PPA in Abia State. ‘I have been pushed and pushed beyond the wall and as a human being; there is a limit to human tolerance.’ Such would have been the feelings and experience of Dr Onu who was somewhat forced by the circumstance to strike back and thus demystified Apugo and his thugs with little or no resistance.
The NRC Party headquarters was then at Asaba, Street Umuahia, presently occupied by FRSC in Umuahia. The event was one of NRC’s conventions and our Chief was known for using thugs to disrupt meetings and political gatherings. By then there were many graduates of the Apugo School of thought and action who were completely distraught with Apugo’s unethical strategy. At the same time, they were sympathetic of Dr Onu’s cause, noting his trademark gentility and wondered why a man at the level of political elevation of Governorship should be so humiliated.
They declared their support for Onu and the battle line was drawn. At the final count Apugo was taught a lesson he was yet to forget. Dr Onu today, is a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and would tell the story better. Apugo is still carrying on as the Chief thug and errand boy he had acted since the eighties and nineties, refusing to grow up. His political counterparts like Mantu and Atiku have all graduated to higher levels becoming deputy Senate President and Vice President respectively and our man is still running errands and doing hatchet jobs for the Sun and Group in frivolous and mendacious advertorials.
Hon. Ikechukwu Apugo has told the truth. The world is hearing from the horse’s mouth that rather than their father’s false allegations, that Senator Orji has helped them in many ways, dousing the fire that should have flared from a father who abandoned his filial duties. More so, the senior Apugo’s actions are only fired by envy.
We urge Dede Apugo to reason a little. If he harkens to this counsel, he may reassess himself and change his ways. Apugo should act like an elder statesman otherwise what will it look like if Atiku or Mantu embarks on such name calling and false accusations on Nigerian dailies that have become his fashion.
That reminds me of a story once told by one of the western states governors. The strong man of Ibadan politics, late Adedibu, may his soul rest in peace, approached the said governor after one election for political accommodation. The governor wondered why the chieftain came to see him since his side lost completely in the election. Adedibu insisted that the governor needed him and the governor demurred, asking Adedibu to tell him what relevance he could bring to their side. Adedibu asked him pointedly: can you fight in public and tear your shirts? Can you come to court and make false accusations and bear false witness among many other odd jobs. The governor couldn’t help releasing a thundering guffaw and to save himself some valuable time granted Adedibu his request.
Without much saying, the role of people like Adedibu which Dee Benji is still playing is obsolete and out of tune. No amount of lies, calumny and false witness will bring Sen. T. A. Orji down from the reputation he has earned. He has moved from strength to strength, Chief of Staff, Governor, Senator and more. Apugo really owes him a lot of gratitude, rather he does the opposite. Chkwudi gave the reasons and nobody knows Apugo better. May God Have mercy on him.