PLEASE, QUIT POLITICS NOW: AN OPEN LETTER TO CHUKWUEMEKA ASOGWA BY EKENE UGWUANYI

PLEASE, QUIT POLITICS NOW: AN OPEN LETTER TO CHUKWUEMEKA ASOGWA BY EKENE UGWUANYI

Dear Hon. Chukwuemeka Asogwa,

THIS letter coming from me shows that you have made the impact in human development and capacity building. This is because unknown to you, my early life as a young man was highly influenced by you through your motivational speech. I remembered my first encounter with you, Sir. It was not through direct physical contact but through an encounter with one of your audio recorded tapes. I was going through my sister’s cup board (she was a student of Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu then) when I discovered an audio tape. That was in 2008. I played the tape in my cassette and listened to you speak. I was highly motivated and inspired by the tape. The title of that tape is ‘The Carpenter’s Son.’ The story of the tape simply narrated how the people of Nazareth (Jesus’ home town) became confounded with Jesus’ powerful teachings and miracles that they opened their mouth in utter shock and exclaimed: ‘IS THIS NOT THE CARPENTER’S SON?’ The point you were trying to make is that someone can actually rise beyond his background. You narrated how your father could not pay your school fees. Not because he hated you but because he was poor; you also narrated how you started writing books and subsequently sold them at the motor park and inside the bus in order to sponsor yourself.

 In that tape, you also talked of how a man was impressed by your speech inside the bus and subsequently offered you a lot of financial assistance afterwards. It seemed you were still an undergraduate at the time of recording the tape because you talked of a magazine, ‘Echo News Letter’, at EBSU of which you were the founder and editor. You explicitly got me convinced in that tape that it is the gift of a man that makes a way for him and not his family background and even academic status. Almost every day I kept listening to that tape until I internalized the messages unconsciously and even right now, the tape is still in me. It was as a result of that tape that led me into writing in 2009. As the president of the Press Club then at the Community Secondary School, Obukpa, I made sure we produced a magazine before I graduate even though I had no money to finance such but I was determined. Later the X-Ray magazine surfaced of which I was the editor. That was the second magazine that was ever published since the school was established in the 60s. 

I also finished my first book, ‘The Undiscovered Part for Abundant Living’ in that same 2009. All these happened before I finished my SS3. It was my then Literature teacher, Hon. Ejike Asadu of blessed memory, the former Nsukka Local Government Transition Chairman, who put me through in some grammatical corrections and also encouraged me. That book was completed while I was in SS3. I could not publish it then. In the book, I dedicated almost a chapter in narrating your story.

 I had to bring out time and copy your speech then and had them documented to prove to the people that a young man can still make it no matter the background. It was that tape of yours, Sir, that got me looking for your other books like ‘Discovery,’ ‘This Nonsense Must Stop’ and a good number of them. I even read your novel, ‘The Pregnant Child.’ All these I read while I was still in secondary school. I later met you with that my book in 2011 in your office then in Enugu. That was when you stayed at No. 16  C to C Plaza. I was the young man that came to you with a written book. My challenge then was finance as I wanted to publish it then. 

You attended to me, although you were in a haste for school run then; you gave me money for my transport back home and challenged me to prove myself and not to depend on anybody. That day, I was overwhelmed, not by any other thing but that I met physically with this my unseen Role Model, Chukwuemeka Asogwa. I am writing this letter because that Role Model I saw in you seems to be going down.

When I heard you had been appointed as the Special Assistant to the Governor of Enugu State, I was very much elated. By then I was the president of Enugu State Students’ General Assembly (ESSGA), University of Nigeria, Nsukka. My gaiety sprang from nothing other than the fact that having experienced what it meant to be indigent, it would give you the opportunity to relate to the Governor what the youths were passing through. I was already organizing a scholarship programme for Enugu State students in UNN with my executives and we visited a good number of the state stakeholders to see how we could be able to attract the attention of the state Government to the plight of the indigent students as many were not able to pay their school fees even when the exams were fast approaching. We met with the former Minister for Power, Professor Bath. Nnaji who happens to be our patron and he advised us on what to do. He referred us to the Commissioner of Education. We discussed extensively with the Commissioner and a good number of the government officials. Thank God the Governor later granted scholarships to 300 Enugu State undergraduates through the ministry of Enugu State Scholarship and Education Loan’s Board (ESSELB). Special thanks to Mrs. Nnachetam, the Executive Secretary of the board. It was on the process of securing the attention of the state government that led to the visitation I and my V.P paid you. 

I reminded you about ‘The Carpenter’s Son’ and how I got to know you and then presented the challenges some students were facing to you. We had a nice and warm discussion, as you also emphasized on capacity building and self-empowerment through e-business. I was to invite you to a programme for that effect, to educate the Enugu state students more on that. The programme could not be held as planned. Since then, we have been in touch. I saw your appointment as God’s way of making it easier for you to touch more lives the way you touched mine. 

However, you later informed me that you would be contesting for the House of Rep position for Nsukka/Igboeze-south federal constituency. That was when I became confused, for I know, prior to your appointment by the Governor as his SA, I doubt if you had any intention of going into politics. Secondly, you had always stated, even when the then ESSGA Secretary General who happened to be the president of the Faculty of Arts Students’ Association, Richard Nnamani, invited you for a programme, you still said it plainly in the faculty auditorium that you being the SA to the Governor on youth affairs did not make you a politician. 

You told the entire students that you were not a politician, and therefore, would not speak as a politician. You narrated how the Governor met you at Shoprite addressing the youths and that was how you were appointed. The point you were trying to make was that the appointment would not change you and that you rather had a serious assignment from God to humanity, and that is youth empowerment. 

This is the reason I became confused when you said you were going to contest to represent Nsukka/Igboeze-south Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives. As usual, I would rather keep quiet in such situation than dissuading you or to try to have you discouraged. But more or less, I was interested in your motive(s) for going into such position. This is because I know it is not easy to resist the temptation of Mammon (money). I was very much afraid that this love of money has gotten hold of you and thus was pushing you into politics where, may be, you have suddenly seen that there is much money there through the political position you were occupying.

You would actually not blame me in this fear even though you are my mentor. This is because anyone who is actually objective as I am and made the observation I made earlier would actually see reason with me in this my fear that the love of Mammon might actually have taken hold of you. When I had invited you for that programme, I happened to ‘proudly’ told a lady, an ESSGA member who was in Combined Arts about your coming. She frowned instantly and told me straight away that she didn’t like you. That was a surprise and a shock. She then told me her reason that you like extorting money from people through your gift of oratory. She then told me how you came to UNN at CEC and how you made many people donate and pledge almost their last cash simply to receive financial breakthrough. I shuddered a bit because I had never listened to you address the public physically. I somehow found a way of dismissing her point. But as days kept passing by, different people kept saying the same thing. It seemed the lady was actually among those induced to drop her last cash. May be, she didn’t know what happened to her, but the summary was that she later regretted submitting her money to you in order to have financial breakthrough.

When then you were invited by the students of the Faculty of Arts, UNN to speak, I endeavoured to be there. You actually spoke well, as I had earlier said and talked about the Chinese digital currency stuff and that the students should submit their phone numbers and things related to that. Many lecturers were there including the Dean of the Faculty. You told the students they should come back by evening and that you would teach them how to fish; that is, to empower them on how to create wealth. I began to suspect, may be that you wanted them to sow seeds and that the presence of the Dean and other dignitaries, in addition to the little time you were given to speak, made it uncomfortable for you to tell them to sow seeds. You were then lodged at CEC temporarily to wait for evening. I thought that if actually you were stingy as many had started telling me and money conscious, that there would be no way how you could give the faculty of Arts students money without having a way of collecting your money back from them. I then decided that that evening would settle it.

 I had some things to attend to that evening and couldn’t meet up with time, but when I actually came back to school later in the evening after you had left, I met with Comr. Chimezie Fortunatus, the current SUG President of UNN (then he was not yet the SUG President) who attended the evening programme. The first thing I asked him was if you told the students to sow seed for financial breakthrough. His answer was in the affirmative and he added: ‘He made too much money no be small o!’ I then nodded and shook my head.  You see? Someone who had observed similar thing with me would not be blamed if he begins to fear that your reason for joining politics was simply to make money. That was why you never saw me make a single statement against Pat. Asadu during your tussle with him for the PDP primary ticket. Not that Asadu had done excellently well, but from all indications, it ‘seemed’ Pat. Asadu was better than you. This is because, even though he knows that the masses do not have a say in Enugu state politics, he still annually embarks on one-week free medical treatment for the people of Nsukka/Igboeze-South Federal Constituency at UNTH Obukpa. I had to personally drive there to confirm the story myself during the last one he conducted. I saw that really, the story was true as many who had Fibroid, appendicitis, Hynia etc were operated upon. I know many of them. Some who had eye problems were given glasses, diagnoses made and free medical pills and syrups given to the poor masses. I came up to my Facebook timeline here to commend Asadu for that. Many started attacking me, but I know why I was commending him. Not that he has represented well, but that based on the system of Enugu state politics, he would still go back even if he didn’t do any single thing for the masses. It is this system that the Coalition of Igbo Progressive Youths (CIPY) under me is fighting seriously to eradicate entirely in the whole of Igbo land. Remember, during the time Millipart Okoro was representing Enugu North in the Senate, he would go and to campaign and would tell the people that the campaigning was merely to fulfil all righteousness as he would normally tell them in Nsukka dialect: “Mee unu t’r mee unu at’gh, e jegdemee m!’ (Whether you voted or not, I am already there). This system started during the time of Chimaroke in 2003 during his contest with Hon. Fidel Ayogu (Onwa) has unfortunately remained with us up till now. The Nsukka people voted for Ikechukwu Ugwuegede of Opi and he won, but after the winning, Pat Asadu simply collected it from him in broad day light and the case closed like that. This is Asadu who never even spend a dime that he was campaigning for that position. Do you see why I had to commend him for what he did? That shows he still have a good heart, for even if he didn’t offer any free medical treatment, he would still go back unless the youths fight against the system. It is after these considerations that I concluded that Pat. might be better than you.

Read More >>> WHO IS THE STATE AND WHO IS THE PARTY? (A CLARION CALL TO ALL THE ENUGU STATE YOUTHS)  By Comr. Ekene Ugwuanyi

Sir, recall that I led a delegation of the Enugu state undergraduate presidents of various institutions to your office at the Gburuism Centre, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu. The presidents of Enugu students, UNIZIK were there (both Awka and Nnewi campuses) and others including that of UNIBEN. There, you told us about your ambition. You were there with Comr. Chika Obetta, the former SUG President, School of Dental, Enugu. You told us about your political ambition. I was trying to know if you could tell us the reason for going into such position but the only reason you could give was that the youths need to be included in the politics of the day and the Not Too Young to Run bill. That was what you kept saying. Still through your updates on the social media, the only thing I kept reading from you was how you will empower youths through online business like Cryptocurrency and the likes. But I was wondering if what all the constituency allowance was to be used for is just to encourage cryptocurrency and digital business. Just online business? My fear increased that you might even use our allocation for your personal investment. You said nothing about establishment of job providing infrastructure and industry to help the teeming unemployed graduates we have in Nsukka. You said nothing on how you could empower the youths who have one talents or the other or to help the brilliant indigent students who have something to offer to our people but are frustrated by financial hardship. You didn’t say anything to improve the health sector and other things that matter most. That was when I began to doubt if actually you had the technical know- how needed for that position. All these things were observations made by me but nothing quite shocked me that what I am going to state below.

Sir, you spoke boldly against Pat. Asadu and made us believe that Pat going for the 4th term is an act of desperateness, despotism and a crime to democracy, and that we should oppose 4th term Agenda. You embarked on that campaign and recruited many youths along with you campaigning against 4th term agenda. In fact, there were (and still are) many online posters you designed kicking against 4th term agenda. Many were seeing reasons with you, and many still do, that one man should not occupy such a position for close to 12 years now and still wants to make it 16 years. I never joined the campaign against the agenda, for I suspect that the motives of the people involved were not pure.  I rather remained mute. Remember Sir, that you supported the zoning of the House of Assembly slot of Nsukka West to Ovogovo, simply because it did not affect your ambition and thereby disenfranchising the wonderful youths like Hon. Charles Ngwoke whom we know have the interests of the youths at heart. You did not speak against that seat being zoned back to Ovogovo where you know produced the current member who has spent 8 years; you still supported the slot being zoned to them for the 3rd time simply because it did not affect your ambition.

Sir, many youths joined you to protest against 4th term agenda. Different groups went to the government house and expressed their dissatisfaction against Pat. Asadu’s 4th term agenda to the Governor; although in my early post, I had told them that Gburugburu cannot stop Asadu as a result of fear and that he wouldn’t mind seductively harm the masses in order not to offend a strong man, and that is we have almost all the allocations coming to the state in the hands of the cabals, like settling of the opposition parties and those considered to be a threat against the interests and ambitions of the Governor. Imagine the rumour that the Governor spent almost N200 million simply to settle the opposition during one state congress like that. I know the governor care less about the feeling and interests of the masses once it contradicts his selfish interest. This accounts for why he kept imposing candidates on Enugu people to please the cabals not minding the people’s wishes. Such a person is dangerous even though he might have a good heart considering that those recently regrouping around him are known for their Stalin’s nature. As against these cabals, these youths brought out themselves and stood protested boldly against the 4th term agenda. Some went as far as writing to the PDP National Secretariat; that is transporting themselves up to Abuja to express their dissatisfaction with Pat. Asadu’s 4th term agenda. Sir, these protests would have favoured you had it been it succeeded. How would one take it Sir, if after all these your crusades against 4th term agenda and against the personality of Pat. Asadu, that he took delegates to shrines to take oaths of allegiance to him after giving them money; how would one take it that after making the general public see Pat. Asadu as an evil man, that you still went back after losing in the primary to praise Pat. Asadu and to encourage others to vote him? With due honour and respect Sir, this is the most shameful thing you have ever done in your life and you need to bury your life in shame Sir. Sir, below are your words; the same you that led many youths to make enmity because of you. And you wrote these:

"WHY I WILL MASSIVELY MOBILIZE VOTES FOR DR DR PAT ASADU

"I know several thousands of my Supporters, Fans and Partners reading this my mind on paper now are curious to see if this topic is serious or drama. It is serious matter because those who know me well know I have been purpose-driven from my tender age. I truely want to unveil my readiness to begin to mobilize votes for my brother Dr Pat Asadu, same man I contested with over the seat of Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency. I may not have DELEGATES, but I have support of tremendous voters, especially youth, students and women of Nsukka/Igboeze South Federal Constituency.

Here are my reasons:

1. 

DR PAT has never done any evil against me:

It's just about one year now that I met Dr Pat for the first time in my life. I believe he also met me first time that day at Edeoballa Nsukka where I delivered a speech on Gburuism Farms at the monthly PDP LG meeting, as demanded by my humble but maradonic PDP Chairman, Rt Hon Fabian Onah, OKANUME. Having likely been impressed by my oratory grace that moment, Dr Pat fell in love with me, then as SA to the Governor On Youth Affairs. I remember it was after that day Dr Pat saw me give my Gburuism Digital mega phone as a "seed" to PDP that Dr Pat promised to replace that mega so Gburuism would keep gbururizing. I was shocked that Dr Pat kept his promise. Till today, we still use that megaphone at GBURUISM. One thing you can't take away from Dr Pat is his "ATMic" attitude; Dr Pat is a cheerful giver.

2. HIS MATURITY THROUGH OUT THE CAMPAIGN:

Early this year or so, I told my friend Dr Pat that I would not support his 4th term vision, giving him reason that I would carry Not Too Young To Run on my head as one of the vibrant youth leaders in South East, and Dr Pat laughed. We were very close then. One thing I love about Dr Pat was that he would always remind me how God helped him in his previous political contests. I would always tell the Man popularly called OZIOKOJA that I was going to win him. Trust me, I usually talk big! But Dr Pat was never angry with me, but smiled and smiled!

All the media attacks (though political) targeted to bring his political dream down never distracted Dr Pat. In fact, I never saw him reply or speak against anybody. He knew what he wanted. Many of us thought that his dream was never possible, but God gives power to whoever he wishes. I admire the maturity Hon Pat Asadu displayed THROUGH out the political battle. He scored a very good mark on his emotional intelligence, unlike APC politicians who fight at any political events or moments.

3. PARTY IS SUPREME:

Another reason I will massively mobilize votes for Dr Pat is because in politics, party signal is final. I would have preferred Not Too Young To Run Aspirant to win the ticket but the choice of PDP remains the best for me.

4. DR PAT SUPPORTED GBURUISM EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM:

When last year Dr Pat Asadu saw the good works of Gburuism, he donated 2million naira to support youth Entrepreneurship under GBURUISM. He instructed me to give 40 young entrepreneurs 50,000naira each, that I should use the balance as logistics to plan the training program. He was so surprised the way I made the amount (2m) public through WeeklyMERIT. He later told he had never seen such integrity since he joined politics, that politicians don't usually announce the exact money they receive. But I would always remind him jokingly that Emeka Asogwa would rather go hungry instead of eating what doesn't belong to me. He loved me since that moment more. Another truth about Dr Pat is that he appreciates young talents.

5. DR PAT LOVES GOD AND MY GOVERNOR:

Just like my Governor, Dr Pat loves God. He also loves my boss, the Governor. When you love Gburugburu, Emeka Asogwa will certainly love you. Dr Pat has always told me that God was his campaign Manager. And I think God is. For a man like him without the support of a sitting governor and his party to win his 3rd term during Governor Sullivan Chime, you can now see probably why he won again now he has the support of Governor Ifeanyichukwu UGWUANYI and our party.

...to be continued.

(Note: Someone may say, chai, dey don settle this Not Too Young To Run oooo. Please nobody gave me a Kobo. I only expressed myself. That was why I never spoke against Dr Pat as a person throughout the campaign. I only was against interest which was not accordance with mine.)

Emeka Asogwa

SA to Enugu Governor

DG GBURUISM"

Is this not an act of cowardice, inconsistency and hypocrisy? When I saw you giving reasons that your statements were merely political statements, I shuddered both in unbelief and in fear. You? I mean, you? So you were not sincere with us? So you were simply deceiving us? How then are we sure there is any honesty in you at all to represent a single mortal in politics? The next reason was that Wike was against Atiku and that after the primary, he started supporting him. But Wike never established Atiku as an evil man; he simply preferred Tambuwal other 12 others including Atiku. Wike saw how the election was done in free and fair manner. But you, after the PDP national primary, came to us on Facebook and told us that the Nsukka/Igboeze-south PDP primary was not free and fair. Still about a day after, you still came up with the above shameful write-up. Even the politicians we have are always insincere in what they say, making it risky for us to trust their words, must we the new generation continue in such despicable lying nature to play our politics? Do we expect our society to be developed in this bedrock of insincerity?

Sir, immediately Atiku won the PDP Primary you rushed to meet with his son to discuss how the Southeast youths can be carried along. Sir, are you sure you did not make that move simply to regain back the money you lost during your campaigning for the House of Reps? Are you sure you do not want to steal in the name of mobilizing the Southeast youths? 

Sir, I am not happy writing this to the one who mentored me, but it has become dangerous for me to keep quiet at this stage. I need to be honest with you Sir: many youths are already seeing you as a scam. I am afraid that this allegation might be increasingly justified if you continue in politics. I am afraid that your insincerity with the youths following you might end up drowning the person you are campaigning for. Your profile is going down Sir. Still, it is not too late. You have built your profile through your motivational talks and youths empowerment programme. Sir, I would advise you to quit politics and go back to this your divine call now that a little of your reputation is still remaining. I say this because, any mistake again, it might be too late for people to believe you even if you leave politics then and go back to your motivational speech. Sir, I advise again, quit politics now, you have nothing to offer there.

Comr. Ekene Ugwuanyi

President General, Coalition of Igbo Progressive Youths (CIPY),

Federal Republic of Nigeria.

07066090476

The article is not the opinion of Nwaigba info media but that of the author. You can object or commend him  by Contacting him with the above phone number.

To get your Article Published, Kindly Email nwaigbaturtlestar@gmail.com or Ezehemmanuelval@gmail.com

For Objection, Suggestion and Or Contribution; You can forward your Mail or Message to Ezehemmanuelval@gmail.com or Call 07064393826