Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Dr Chris Ngige, berated Prince Arthur Eze, for casting aspersions on him over his advice that the 12 traditional rulers suspended by the Anambra State Government, should be relocated from their communities to avert breach of peace.
Ngige described Prince Eze as ‘a fair-weather politician’ who befriends “any government in power,” and uses his wealth to intimidate, oppress and brutalise the downtrodden people in Anambra State communities, bordering his Ukpo hometown in his land-grabbing spree”.
Ngige said: “Arthur Eze is a fair-weather politician, a political turncoat and an apostle and Commander-in-Chief of members of “any government in power,” (AGIP) in Nigeria”.
In a statement from his media office signed by Emmanuel Nzomiwu, the labour Minister explained that as a former governor and elder of the state, he had only advised Anambra State Government to relocate the traditional rulers out of their domain for administrative and security reasons.
According to Ngige, “when officials of government and in this case, these government certified traditional rulers are suspended from office, they cease to perform the functions of the office and hence, they should not be allowed to be visiting or threatening those carrying out their functions by still visiting the office whether it is in the palace or elsewhere.
“Much more importantly, those suspended traditional rulers have started experiencing violent protests, demonstrations and calls for their outright dethronement in their respective communities of Abacha (Idemili North LG), Alor (Idemili South LG), Aguleri Enugu Otu and Mkpu Nando-Otu Aguleri, both in Anambra East LG as well as in many other places, thereby raising security concerns.” Ngige said.
“These two reasons are very compelling and serious enough for the Anambra State Government to relocate these persons, especially the one from Ngige’s community, Alor, who was never crowned by the community abinitio but was imposed by the Anambra State Government of Peter Obi on the Alor community as retaliation and punitive action for their loss of the 2011 senatorial election to Ngige who defeated and trounced their candidate, Late Dora Akunyili, sponsored by the then Anambra State Government of Obi.”
The statement equally debunked the claim that Ngige lived in FESTAC before Arthur Eze rented a decent apartment for him in Lagos and helped him change his Volkswagen car.
“In 1980, he was already living in comfort in the 1004 Estate, National Assembly Wing, Victoria Island, having been moved from his temporary accommodation in the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island where he stayed when he arrived in Lagos as a youth corps medical doctor.
“Rather, it was Prince Arthur Eze who had been a family friend since 1967 that relocated from his elder brother’s house in Kirikiri to squat with him (Senator Ngige), he(Arthur) having come back from the USA in 1979 and doing the petty trading, buying and selling trips (Afia attack) to London, in the United Kingdom.”
The statement maintained that the Minister had a hand in growing Arthur’s petty business in the early eighties, from his buying and selling of T-shirts, ladies pants and Bra, to VHS cassette business, even as he provided him and his young trading associates with shelter and food whenever they returned from business trips from London into Lagos.
He equally introduced him to many VIPs from where his business metamorphosed from supply of VHS Cassettes to NTA and Anambra TV to construction of TV Stations in the ’80s.
“It will therefore be unnecessary talking about mundane things like cars and abode. For now, the Minister is a very busy person with state duties and he ordinarily, should not waste precious time responding to this innocuous vibes, but to put the facts straight, Arthur Eze is still his friend but he should heed the advice given to him by truthful friends like Ngige and other Eze family members, that he should refrain from partisan politics like other highflying businessmen, such as Aliko Dangote of Dangote Group, Jim Ovia, Tony Elumelu, Femi Otedola and BUA Group Chairman, Alhaji Samad Rabiu who he claims are his contemporaries, and face his business and establish industries that can create jobs for numerous unemployed people, especially the youths in Anambra State, thereby lifting these Nigerians from poverty through job creation, which is the primary agenda of this administration.
“Instead, he had in the last decade used his money for fruitless political ventures, victimisation, oppression and tyrannical behaviour to the downtrodden people of neighbouring communities of Abba (the hometown of the award-winning creative writer, Chimamanda Adichie), Abagana, Ukwulu, Nawgu, among others, where he has engaged the people in forceful land acquisition, arresting and detaining people of the area at will on trumped-up charges and igniting and fuelling kingship disputes in many areas like he is presently doing in Awka, Alor, and Ukwulu Kingdoms to mention a few.
“Given that his style of politics is that of a political turncoat, especially when everybody remembers vividly his appearance in January 2015, at a TAN rally in Enugu, shouting ‘Jonathan for life President’, it is detestable that at the same rally he called Ngige and APC’s then Presidential Candidate, Muhammadu Buhari names, alleging that they were arrowheads of Boko Haram party, APC. Later when Buhari won the Presidential election and Jonathan lost, Arthur turned around to claim a total love and loyalty to Buhari by September 2015.”
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.