ANAMBRA, AKUNYILI, SOLUDO & OTHERS

Anambra, Akunyili, Soludo & others
By Chief Victor Akubueze
Monday, March 08, 2010


Akunyili
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/freekick/index.htm

Kano hall was filled to capacity with many of the movers and shakers of Anambra politics in attendance. They include the pioneer state Chairman of PDP, Chief Joseph Okonkwo (Ofiadulu); the South East Zonal Chairman, Chief Olisa Metu; former Chairman of Police Service Commission, Chief Simeon Okeke.

Others are Prince Arthur Eze; Chief Dan Chuke, former Minister of State for Aviation; Chief Okechukwu Odunze; Chief George Moghalu, former governor of Anambara State, Chief Chinwoke Mbadinuju, some members of the National and State Assemblies and former governorship aspirants in the February 6 election, and a host of others. Basking in the success recorded at the Transcorp, the ebullient Minister convened an enlarged meeting, 12 days after at the Emmaus House, Awka to consolidate the peace initiative. Perhaps the only important personalities conspicuously absent at the two parleys were former Vice President, Chief Alex Ekwueme, Soludo, and the controversial godfather, Chief Chris Uba.

The elated Akunyili opened the meetings by suing for peace and true reconciliation among all factions of the party in the state. According to her: 'PDP in Anambra state has fallen apart due to acrimony among members, adding we are not here to castigate anybody or apportion blames because that will not foster genuine reconciliation.

which we need very badly.' 'We are here to brainstorm and chart a way forward for our party so that together we can build a strong party structure which will guarantee success in the upcoming local government elections and 2011 general elections'. The Minister went further to disabuse the minds of critics who either believe the Party's constitution does not empower her to broker a truce or attach ulterior motive to her initiative.

'Some have called me to ask, 'what do you have to gain by trying to foster peace in Anambra PDP since you are not running for any elective office in the state'. I always answered back by asking a rhetoric question, 'when has it become our culture to mediate in crisis situations only when we have something to gain as a person.'

This brings me to the advertorial published in some national dailies castigating Akunyili for convening the meetings. The piece was signed by one Hon. Chinedu Okoye. He said the Minister is not the right person to call for such truce. He believes such a meeting should have been summoned by the party's elders or Board of Trustees Members of Anambra descent. If a snake surfaces in a home, the interest of all and sundry is to kill it and not who kills it.

Since no body empowered by the PDP Constitution brokered truce, the Minister who did shouldn't be crucified for doing the right thing. Okoye should not look at the messenger but the message.

Secondly, Okoye insinuated that Akunyili's loyalty was suspect because according to him, the Minister who claimed to be loyal to President Umar Yar'Adua suddenly stabbed him on the back with her controversial memo to Executive Council of the Federation asking Mr. President to transmit a letter to the National Assembly empowering Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President.

How does this amount to betrayal. She swore to be loyal to the nation and not to the president even if the memo presupposes disloyalty. Now that the National Assembly had on its own volition proclaimed Jonathan Acting President, hasn't Akunyili been vindicated. Nigerians want more of Akunyili in the polity!

• Akubueze wrote in from Onitsha.