His Excellency, Former Governor Dave Umahi Versus Onicha Igboeze

His Excellency

OpenLife Nigeria reports that Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos has congratulated Senator Professor Anthony Okorie Ani who was elected to represent Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the senate in a bye election which held on February 3, 2024.

In this exclusive interview at his Ikoyi office, the Lagos Ohanaeze Ndigbo President also congratulated governor Ogbonna Nwifuru and former governor Dave Umahi for supporting a son of Onicha Igboeze to represent Ebonyi South in the Senate.

He however calls for the setting up of a committee that would review the political differences between former governor Dave Umahi and Honourable Linus Okorie stressing that Dave Umahi means well for Ndi Onicha Igboeze

On February 3, 2024, professor Anthony Okorie Ani from your community , Onicha Igboeze, won the Ebonyi South Senate bye election. What do have to say about that?

Yes, I congratulate Senator Professor Okorie Ani and my name sake governor, Ogbonna Nwifuru and also former governor Dave Umahi who has proved that he has no problem with Ndi Onicha Igboeze .

If former governor Dave Umahi had fought tooth and nail against Onicha Igboeze not to have the Senate seat, Governor Ogbonna Nwifuru would have seen reasons to agree with the former governor.

Former governor Umahi gave Onicha Igboeze local government chairman position during his tenure which has been impossible since the creation of Ebonyi State on October 1, 1996.

He also gave Onicha Igboeze House of Assembly slot and commissioner including other opportunities like giving us former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Valentine Okike. My people of Onicha Igboeze, you all are my brothers and sisters and friends.

Please, look at this my advice. My people, I plead with you in the name of God to look into this my common idea which I want to throw as an advice.

If it is good, you take it but if it is not good for us, let us throw the idea away. But don’t throw me away because I, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, {Udocha} President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos, is still your son.
Dave Umahi and Honourable Linus Okorie started this Ebonyi political journey together.

Many of us who are not in their inner caucus will not know where the problem of these two former best of friends and brothers started and what caused it.

So, we have to set up a committee of Onicha Igboeze , made up of prominent individuals of Onicha Igboeze to look into what caused the problem between His Excellency, Dave Umahi and Honourable Linus Okorie.

I have volunteered to be part of the committee because I know how to manage such situation and get it resolved. I have seen a political quarrel that is worse than this.

For example, in Lagos, Eze Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu and Eze Hyacinth Ohazuluike were battling who will take the position of the first Eze Ndigbo and chairman of Ndi Eze in Lagos.

The combat lasted for 21 years. The case went to both court and police station. Ndigbo Elders Council in Lagos, headed by late Ndubusi Kanu also intervened but there was no result.

I, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos, settled it with a small question after my investigation and I pronounced who will take the position and the problem was resolved.

Leadership is all about wisdom, sacrifice and the interest you have for the people under your leadership.

There were two major things that made us not to achieve what we ought to have achieved in the administration of His Excellency, former governor Dave Umahi.

The first one was the misunderstanding between Honourable Linus Okorie and the former governor, Dave Umahi.

I can testify that when I started my campaigns for Lagos Ohanaeze Ndigbo presidency in 2018, I had to consult governor Dave Umahi through Honourable Linus Okorie.

And governor Dave Umahi gave me all the supports. When I visited him in his family house in the village, he called Senator Ifeanyi Ubah on telephone in my presence and former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano including the then President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, John Nnia Nwodo, that they should give Ebonyi State a chance for the Lagos Ohanaeze Ndigbo presidency.

That is to confirm how Dave Umahi was working for every community in Ebonyi State. That telephone call went a long way to help me. Am I not from Onicha Igboeze?

Second major problem that made us, the indigens of Onicha Igboeze, not to achieve much in governor Dave Umahi’s government can be traced to us as the cause.

We go to the governor and begin to blackmail ourselves “Chief Solomon Ogbonna is a no body. Honourable Linus Okorie is an empty vessel. Professor Okorie Ani who is now a Senator is a no body. It is not about big big grammar . He only knows about teaching job etc.”

And we forgot that God is the ultimate. He can change the life of anyone he chooses to bless.

In fact, I was one of the persons who totally lost out in governor Umahi’s government which was caused by all the blackmail by indigenes of Onicha Igboeze who Dave sees as my brothers.

They also tried to cause that enmity between me and His Excellency, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, in which they failed and he became one of the major financiers of my regime including Honourable Linus Okorie.

We are the problem of ourselves and not David Umahi or his government. We must be careful so that when this new government of Nwifuru settles down properly, we will not be the one to use our mouth to black list ourselves by condemning one another in pursuing favour.

So, we must stop black mailing one another if we want progress in Onicha Igboeze. In no distant time, the zoning of the governorship will come to our side again and if we continue with this attitude of blackmailing one another, we will not have any competent candidate to present.

We should stop killing ourselves with mouth. Dave Umahi has done better than any other governor in Nigeria. Anytime I go to Ebonyi State, I always doff my cap for him. Sometimes, I ask myself “am I in the Ebonyi State I know in the years past?”

So, we need to reconcile former Dave Umahi with Honourable Linus. Most of the people who are abusing Honourable Linus Okorie have gained something from his regime while some of them have not got the opportunity to have one on one contact with him but rely on hearsay.

I call Honourable Linus Okorie a friend and a brother. The same thing is applicable to me and Professor Senator Anthony Okorie Ani. As far as a person is from Onicha Igboeze, that is what the person is to me.

We should try to have integrity and principle like Barrister Onu John Onwe, the former adviser to former governors Sam Egwu and Martins Elechi on Legal Matters who is also the author of many books including the recent one titled: Anatomy Of Crime Of Corruption In Nigeria{Constitutional Framework As The Tap Root, Volume 1}.

I, Chief Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, don’t pester on anyone, no matter who you are. I so much believe that what God cannot do for anyone or direct who will do it for you, cannot come to pass. We should also learn how to hope on God and not man.

When Barrister Onu John Onwe decided not to follow the government of Dave Umahi, he has not been blackmailing anyone in pursuing of favour. He has been stable.

He has fallen back on his legal profession and operating from his chambers. That is a typical example I want every Onicha Igboeze person to emulate. Barrister Onu John Onwe is a true son of the soil.

In good governance, your leadership is not for a particular political party. One can get appointment without been in the ruling party.

For example, former President Obasanjo was a PDP man. But he picked late Bola Ige who was in Alliance for Democracy, AD and made him a Minister.

Above all, Ndi Onicha Igboeze, we must find time to go and pay a thank you visit to Dave Umahi in his family compound. My people, it is not easy to fight a big man or government. We must always wait for Gods time instead of envy, black mailing and jealousy.

If anyone had told Senator Okorie Ani that he would be a Senator two years ago, he will advise the person to be mindful of fake prophets. So, what man cannot do, God will do it.

We must come together and support governor Ogbonna Nwifuru and former governor Dave Umahi. If former governor Dave Umahi becomes the president of Nigeria, it will be much better for us than any other person.

Congratulations, once again, Professor Senator Anthony Okorie Ani.