Kingsley Dimaku: Excesses Of A Most Dis-Honourable House Member!
Indeed it was very disappointing to be informed of the rather caddish disposition of a supposed 'honorable' member of our most prestigious Imo state house of Assembly, my very own (mis)-representative, publicly deriding my person. I thought Honorable Dimaku ought to have known it wise enough to let a sleeping dog lie. He somehow prefers to throw stones at my integrity from his glass house. With the opportunity given to me by His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha to serve my fatherland as T.C Chairman, and having served transparently too, I should infact be the one throwing stones.
I have no skeletons in my cupboard; nothing to hide or anything to fear, my hands are clean!
Dimaku, being a political neophyte, hand-picked in the absence of any viable candidate, has no structure or base, which may just be the reason for his continuous political mistakes. His loyalty hinges on the people who picked him, unlike my humble self whose loyalty hinges on the entire people of Ehime/Mbano, for I left everything in America (my comfort zone) to serve them, even though it wasn't really the Office I contested for, which was the Federal House of Representatives, but it afforded me the opportunity to serve my people.
Why would a man who was openly accused of graft, in defense, only attempt to transfer his shame to some other person. Dimaku maligned my person to give himself a soft landing right before the Governor and all present in the Governor's current inspection and sensitization exercise in Ehime/Mbano Local Government Area. Understandable as the case is, it clearly reveals the dubious content of this elected person, though rigged into Office!
While in Office as the T.C Chairman Ehime/Mbano, I have always cried against the excesses and over high-handedness of Honorable Kingsley Dimaku, who aside from being the member representing my Local Government Area, Ehime/Mbano, doubles as the Chairman House committee on Project monitoring, a position that ordinarily should have favored Ehime/Mbano, but rather it became a curse. I wrote to the Governor, the Speaker, used the media and even informed Elders and traditional rulers in Ehime/Mbano decrying his flagrant abuse of legislative oversight powers, using it to hamper the progress of work in his own Local Government, especially the hospital Project, where he ordered the stop of work for months because he didn't get a brown envelope. I sought for him to be called to order, but he was left to keep flying. I hope the House can now see the inside of this ravaging wolf.
Laughable, truly funny indeed! This same dishonorable clown can shamelessly accuse others of committing his sins. Dimaku may have forgotten so soon that I share two world views, American and Nigerian, with wide differences. The American perspective of politics is built on strong principles of trust and ideology; there is always a huge price to pay for any crime against public interest however highly placed one may be; so I'm very much aware of this fact, which has always fashioned my leadership character coupled with a strong family background. Moreover, my training as a physician, its drive-word: 'do no harm', which means caring for people as you would like to be cared for, informs a great deal of my relationship with people, which literally is ideology-based, maybe that was why I just couldn't come to terms with Dimaku, whom really, to be honest, I was then looking forward to having a good working political relationship with, considering his sojourn in Europe, that should have enabled us relate in same stratosphere, which would have been a plus for Ehime/Mbano, but I was dead wrong!
Sorry, did someone say this guy lived and studied in London? Did he ever step into any school of higher learning while in London? His character exhibition purely shows ignorance cum primitive political display. Now, I am beginning to believe the doubts speculated over the authenticity of his educational qualifications as claimed in his C.V. Which best-explains his enrollment for classes at Co-operative College Ehime/Mbano, just recently upgraded to a polytechnic, to make up the much needed academic credentials (as one now under public scrutiny) that he lacks. A bold step, I must encourage, though he still needs our extra tutorial support, but first he should be bold enough to declare openly his uneducated status that led to his enrollment into school rather than tell birds that he is only there to encourage more enrollments, an uninspiring polluted tale, I must say!
At this point it must be noted that I sincerely have nothing against Honorable Dimaku as a person. Our differences are purely ideological not even political. Not political because I have a weightier political clout than he does. Before he was handpicked for his current position, as an aspirant under PDP, I was approached (confirmable from some PDP elders in Ehime/Mbano), but declined, because I needed something all-reaching. It was at this point that Owelle saw me, he said to me: 'that he sees somebody in me who can win an election'. Ideologically, believing in his rescue dream, I opted for the House of Representative ticket under APGA.
My understanding of politics as a game is: 'if you lose, accept defeat with honor, shake hands and wish each other well as you wait for another time. Power comes from God, and is transient, like on a barbers stool; cut your hair, get up for the next person! Many people have come before us, just as many will come after us; it is not a do-or-die affair. Tomorrow we will be judged by what we built not what we destroyed.
I am back in the United States to do what I love best, but this man keeps provoking a sleeping lion. What then is the crux of his hate war against me?
CRUX
The bitter truth behind Dimaku's incessant acerbity against me is simply because I refused to align with his idea that we share Ehime/Mbano's Project funds, earmarked by the Governor for the hospital and road projects, funds that he initially attempted to sabotage.
As it concerns the road projects issue. Why was this man always on me?, claiming that I unilaterally paid a contractor, 'AQUABELL',without his approval, by the way his contractor, his grouse being that he did not get 20%. If he can, he should clarify the text message he sent to me asking if I could make advance payment to 'CASS' another of his contractor just the same way we did for AQUABELL (I have records to prove myself). I hope Dimaku explained to the Governor and the people of Ehime/Mbano how he forced contractors to pay a certain amount before he signed or recommend them to continue work, attested by the representative of the contractor who openly accused him of forcing him to cough out N200, 000 or he will be replaced him with another contractor, what a shame! Even the contractor handling the Ehime/Mbano hospital project had to beg him with a brown envelope before he allowed him to continue work, after a long stoppage of work on the order of Dimaku, reason, that the contractor was using inferior materials, an unfounded lie, yet he allowed the same contractor to work with the same materials in another site in Ihitte/Uboma after they must have massaged his hand with a brown envelope. It really is unfortunate that the likes of Dimaku give Diasporans a bad name. Ehime/Mbano hospital project ought to have surpassed others but for the selfish interest of Dimaku, who frustrated a very good contractor with a background of working with Julius Berger, just because it wasn't him that chose the contractor.
People like Dimaku should not be allowed to hold sensitive political positions in life. He is heartless and insensitive to the plights of the people. Imagine a so-called representative using a counter transference as a form of defense mechanism against his own constituents, it doesn't matter who he hurts. Of what benefit was it to Dimaku when he stopped the very two important roads in two Nsu wards, despite the fact these contractors got an initial payment as approved by the Governor's office inspection team. Nsu people should demand for explanations why? Umuannu- Nkwo Alike road, contractor Tobest Enterprise; and Umunuhu- Umuanunu- Ezeoke- Afor Agbaghara road, contractor MEC Associates are yet to return to their sites. Frustrating these contractors by demanding so much money because he thought he was getting at me is rather very childish and idiotic.
I hope he did also let the Governor know that his contractor, EL INTERNATIONAL, collected money for the 'Umuelemia to Orieikpa road' and abandoned the road after both of them (Dimaku and his contractor) shared the loot.
Regarding the bounced cheque issue, it was purely an incident that resulted when the state project account was transferred to Zenith bank and all the T.C Chairmen were asked to step aside for the state to take charge of the whole money for safe-keeping. The Hon. Commissioner for finance Deacon Chike Okafor and Hon Jerry Okolie, then commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs can clarify.
Thank God it was before the Governor and the people of Ehime/Mbano that Dimaku exposed his naiveté and ignorance. Maybe he should have called up the contractors to come and indict me before the Governor on how I arm-twisted them before their funds were released, since I hear he is seeking to impress the Governor and also wickedly jostling for the seat of the Speaker, who happened to have protected and stood by him in time past, what a wicked world! But he has failed.
Like I said initially, when I raised the alarm then on whom I knew Dimaku to be, the House members took sides with him, calling for my head. All attempts to ouster me then with concocted petitions by Dimaku failed woefully, my leadership is divine, it is always impossible to get at me, remember: 'touch not my anointed'.
Again like I have always said, I am ready any time any day to give account of my stewardship, and Dimaku should be ready to do same. I know that his crab mentality of (PHD's) Pull-Him-Down syndrome is because he hopes to return to the House of Assembly. Even as I know that won't happen, I enjoin him to enjoy his position while it last. Ehime/Mbano can do better; there shall be no more room for political jobbers who have no traceable history. Living or having lived abroad doesn't make everybody equal; 'a person may have passed through school without school passing through the person', just as Dimaku has lived in Europe for donkey years, no difference, 'A pig will always remain a pig', but Dimaku is a misplaced opportunity.
It is high time the learned and seasoned of Ehime/Mbano look into the eyes of our political mentors and let them know, enough is enough! Mediocrity breeds corruption; corruption breeds hatred and hatred can only lead to devilish thoughts against your brothers. Ehime/Mbano must move forward! Thank God for our very industrious brothers and sisters all over! Thank God for our leaders and the Governor, His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha for giving me the ample opportunity to serve, though I have never given up my ambition and aspirations, I shall come back to ensure that the light in me continues to cover as much as God wills. I will make my intentions known at the right time and as the people deem fit.
Dr. Jude Nwokenkwo
(Former T.C Chairman Ehime/Mbano)