Since 2007 when things fell apart between ex-governor of Enugu state, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani and his political godson and successor in office, Sullivan Chime, very little has come from either camp by way of altercations. Even when in 2008, Chime drew the first blood by declaring in a newspaper interview that contrary to his predecessor’s slogan, Enugu never worked, Nnamani took the hit in his strides and maintained a deafening silence.
Political watchers believe Nnamani was either too shocked by the turn of events to join issues with a man he installed governor, or his silence was for tactical reasons. Even at the senate where he represents Enugu East, he has literally been in political oblivion, his voice hardly rising beyond a whimper, occasionally. Speculations were that he would either take the Abuja route to an early political retirement, or he would stage a last stand -- using the 2011 elections -- to salvage the ‘Ebeano’ political dynasty he created and nurtured during his 8-year tenure.
Nnamani may have opted for the later. Suddenly regaining his voice in the past few weeks, he has announced his ‘return’ as eloquently as ever, firing from all cylinders against critics of his tenure and those who compare his administration with that of Chime. More importantly, he has made it clear he would prove wrong, those who had earlier declared ‘Ebeano,’ his formidable political machinery dead. He may have avoided calling names, but it is obvious who the arrow is pointed to. Characteristically, Nnamani goes down memory lane to reel out the much rehearsed developmental landmarks of his tenure.
It is hard not to acknowledge the many strides he made in his eventful eight years: ESUT teaching hospital, the Ebeano tunnel, ESUT permanent site, the International Conference Centre, dualisation of several roads in the metropolis, the law school at Agbani and so on. Evidence of his human capital development abounds too in the several men and women he raised from obscurity, many of whom form the core of the Chime government till date. Added to the towering political profile he pulled across the nation in his time, it is difficult to find a basis for such a comparison. However, whether Nnamani admits it or not, the state of insecurity that pervaded his tenure as well as the high-handed tactics he applied to extract political loyalty from subordinates, very nearly obliterates what is otherwise a laudable tenure. Those were the issues that would appear to define the period, and they are the ones opponents would readily remind the electorates about.
After what many consider to be an eventful – even if controversial -- tenure, largely defined by Nnamani’s propensity for stepping on toes, Chime’s three and a half years have offered a sharp contrast in leadership style. To many in Enugu, the period has been like fresh air and Chime’s aides seem to be building the 2011 campaign around issues of insecurity that appear to be Nnamani’s weakest points. But are they not pursuing shadows? Nnamani may be the arrowhead of the intra-party opposition to Chime, but he is definitely not a candidate for the state governorship. Rather than address tangible issues of the governor’s performance, there is so much obsession for Nnamani’s head. Are they not playing into a decoy?
Though Chime may have departed from Nnamani’s brand of messianic zealotry, many readily adjudge his performance to be less than average while his leadership style has raised serious questions on its own. Beyond his claims on infrastructural renewal, opinions are divided on whether or not he can actually take credit for those roads he rehabilitated. His critics are quick to point out that a preponderance of the roads resurfaced in the capital city were not started from scratch but belong to Nnamani and previous administrations. While he needs to correct that perception, such a controversy does not however, exist on rural roads. Chime can lay claim, and rightly so, to the transformation of a large part of the rural areas of the state. The development of rural roads is one area many people seem to agree that Chime has indeed made a mark in.
A bad patch in that rural development map would however be his native Udi local government area where many indigenes view the rural transformation issue with mixed feelings. While the Eke-Akpakwume road has received a major facelift, the Ninth Mile-Oji River road has remained one of the worst in the entire South East. The road which traverses over 12 communities in Udi LGA alone and connects several more in Oji River, has for decades, been a factor in the economic life of the rural populace in the areas in particular and the state in general. The argument that Chime ignored the road because he was avoiding being labeled selfish, smacks of timidity. Are Udi and Oji River no longer part of Enugu state? What can be more selfish than his decision to first rehabilitate the Ozalla -Udi road (which terminates in his home town) instead of the Ninth Mile – Oji road that would have benefitted about 20 other communities?
Many people believe that Chime’s leadership has been less than inspiring. His near-reclusive nature raises questions of how much grip he has on the politics of the state and how much of his own imprint he brings to bear on the policies that drive the administration. It may be wrong, but the perception is strong in Enugu that the few powerful men around Chime have hijacked the government for their own ends. Fewer and fewer people have access to the governor, whose political standing on major issues affecting the state which prides itself as the heartbeat of the South East, has not matched his towering frame. One can accuse Nnamani of too much theatrics in his days but as Enugu governor, there is no denying that he connected well with the people, and possessed the ability to inspire. Whether the issue was regional or national, he may not always toe the popular line, but he would ensure he was not dwarfed, and that his voice was heard loudly.
In the battle for the soul of Enugu, the personality and leadership style of both men will definitely be important factors. The otherwise simple duty of defining what used to be their common political platforms has since 2007 become somewhat knotty. The awesome Ebeano machinery to which most mainstream political actors in Enugu belonged and which produced 100% of elected public office holders of that era, has since been disowned by Chime. In what may yet be a tactical blunder, Chime talks about ‘Ebeano’ as if it were an item you could simply decree out of existence or a piece of clothing that you could command people to pull over their heads into the waste bin. In a clime where political platforms are stronger rallying points than the shifting loyalties to political parties, what alternative platform has he built?
It may provide a peep into Chime’s sense of judgment -- fatal as it may be -- that Ebeano, like the snake with a bruised head, is considered dead and lying dangerously under the bed. Paradoxically, Chime is still surrounded on all sides by his co-travellers since the Nnamani days and it is likely that deep down, many may not share his view on Ebeano, for the simple reason that the position is not logical.
The questions on everybody’s lips are: Can Nnamani, the Ebeano philosopher-king still roar the cranky political machinery back to life at Chime’s expense? Will Chime whose deft manouvres have brought all past opponents under his wings, still prevail in the ensuing debacle? The answers lie in the weeks ahead.
This article was first published in THISDAY newspaper on Sunday October 10, 2010
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