- As Erondu accuses Nwafor of sabotage
Things have finally fallen apart in the kitchen Cabinet of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, as top close aides of the Governor, who have been in cold war since the beginning of the government, have finally decided to take their battles of who controls the governor to the public.
Erondu Uchenna Erondu, the Special Adviser on General Duties to the Governor, fired the first shot at Enyinnaya Nwafor, an unofficial aide to the governor, and a major local contractor in the state.
Though Nwafor is officially not holding any office, he is considerable influential. In fact, he influenced the appointment of his younger brother, Chimaeze, as the Personal Aide (PA) to the Governor, after he (Chimaeze) left the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Abuja.
Both Enyinnaya and Chimaeze are sons of former deputy governor of the state, late Dr Chima Nwafor from Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state.
They’re very close allies and confidants of the family of the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Theodore Orji, until recently when they parted ways following their clash of interest in who becomes the Chief of Staff to Ikpeazu.
Also, Erondu, who hails from Obingwa local government area, is also an ally of the immediate past governor. Investigations revealed that it was Senator Orji that insisted, in 2014, that Ikpeazu, then as a governorship aspirant, should accept and work with Erondu, who was as at then, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Abia State.
The cold war between Erondu and the Nwafors became public knowledge when Erondu lobbied vigorously to become the Chief of Staff (COS) to Ikpeazu, with the backing of the Orji family, while the Nwafor family were backing the former commissioner for finance, obinna oriaku, for the COS job.
Ikpeazu, however, appointed Dr ACB Agbazuere as the Chief of Staff, and re-appointed Erondu as the Special Adviser on General Duties, while Oriaku, who the Orjis swore would never get any appointment in the Ikpeazu 2nd term, was completely left out of the government. This was a lost battle for the Nwafors, have returned to their trenches plotting how to remain in control in the Ikpeazu administration.
The Nwafors are accused of being behind one Miss Chidinma Uwa, who currently resides at Khari Mohammed Crescent Asokoro in Abuja. Sources revealed that through Chidinma Uwa, the Nwafors use her influence to get whatever they want in the government.
She has a member of her family, Mrs Oluchi Uwa, who works as close ally of Enyinnaya Nwafor, managing a Non Governmental Organization, known as Each One Aide One, which is being used by Enyinnaya Nwafor, who is already plotting for Governorship in 2023 after Ikpeazu.
Meanwhile, 80 percent of road constructions in Abia is handled by the Nwafors, through Enyinnaya’s Companies- Tunnelend Construction and Rock Waters Construction. Even in the face of this situation, Abia Government sees nothing wrong in all the constructions executed by the Nwafors. The ministry of works headed by Bob Ogu as commissioner, is very close to the Nwafors, thereby making it impossible for the ministry to question them and allowing them to get away with constructions in the state.
However, Erondu appears to have picked courage, and has decided to rock the boat, when in a recent telephone message to Enyinnaya Nwafor, which he also forwarded same to some major players in the government, he accused Nwafor of plotting to rubbish the Governor, and advised him to redeem his dwindling image.
He wrote: “Engr. Enyinnaya Nwafor, good evening. I feel a moral burden as your elder brother to tell you this.
“Please, do all within your reach to redeem your dwindling image in your local Osisioma Ngwa by fixing all the road contracts executed by your firm in your Local Government.
“It’s on record that you have executed quite a good number of road projects in Osisioma Ngwa LGA for the State Government. It is also on record that none of these roads are passable end to end as at today.
“More worrisome is that these contracts were awarded in good faith, executed and commissioned, full payments made, while they have become death traps today.
“Roads like Omini, Kamalu, Umuola, Ukaegbu, Ehere were all commissioned same day by former President Obasanjo.
“Today, Omini built in Osisioma Ngwa by you, a son of the soil, has become a death trap, while the rest have continued to stand the taste of time.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that your main purpose of coming into this government is to rubbish the hard earned name of Governor Ikpeazu. This you have continued to demonstrate by the quality of road contracts you have executed from 2015 till date.
“You have reconstructed the umuobiakwa bypass a 2nd time, yet it is left with uncountable number of portholes as i write this.
“The Abia part of Umuaro-Ekwereazu-Nto Edino road you delivered 8 months ago causes motorists nightmare while the Akwa Ibom part is a beauty to behold.
“The Umuocheala road you executed with your crony has been abandoned by motorists who prefer using the Enugu PH Express road to that death trap you built.
“You and your cohorts will end at nothing to cause disaffection between the Governor and his people. Hijacking peoples ideas and executing same without shame. Your game is up as the triumph of evil over good is nothing but temporal.
“I STRONGLY advise you to suspend whatever inordinate political ambitions facing you now and concentrate more on redeeming the name “NWAFOR” before it gates late. It took De Chima, your father of blessed memory years of hard work, honesty and steadfastness to achieve this name you people are tarnishing today.
“A stitch in time saves nine.Thank you while praying God Almighty to give you the wisdom to see the truth in this.” Erondu said.
