Insults on Ikpeazu: Abia elder statesman asks Otti to caution aides

An Abia elder, Ochiagha Ufomba, has said the continued insult on former state governor Okezie Ikpeazu by some aides of Governor Alex Otti is worrisome.

The Isiala-Ngwa-born political stalwart therefore called on the Abia governor to caution his aides, describing the insults as unwarranted, unprovoked and undeserving.

The elder statesman said this in an open letter to the Otti, titled, “RE: Need to Uphold the Sanctity of Abia State Order of Precedence: Dr Okezie Ikpeazu on my mind.”

He said that he was constrained to write Otti the open letter at “this critical moment in Abia’s political trajectory”,  adding that recently, they had all met in the political trenches, working for and against each other, but with the overall interest of the state in mind.

Ufomba said he directed the letter to Otti out of courtesy and as a foremost banker, averse to risks and knowledgeable in the negative consequences of both contingent and vicarious liabilities, and how the unfolding scenarios might impact on his administration.

Ufomba explained that he wanted to kill many birds with one stone as follows: abuse of office; abuse of protocols; abuse of due process; abuse of the rule of law; abuse of persons and erosion of attributes.

He gave the name of the seventh bird which he said is the most important as social media, which he said has become a market square where Abia young men and women buy and sell, gather for information, entertainment and inspiration, consuming whatever is sold hook, line, and sinker, and believing same to be true, coming from supposedly high moral grounds.

He added, “Regrettably, some of the items and pieces of “(mis)information and ill-trainings and acculturations the young Abia people assimilate from those who should know better are poisonous and retrogressive.

“It is for these reasons that I am using this medium to also purge us of those negative vices and influences at the exact scene of crime. In the words of our elders ‘sacrificial rituals are best performed at the scene of abomination’.

“I, therefore, most candidly seek your kind understanding and indulgences for using the social media platform to address these matters of urgent public importance.

“We had had cause in the past to discuss the fortunes of our dear God’s own state. Frankly, I was convinced that one area in which you will do well as governor is in the area of corporate governance and financial engineering, all things being equal.

“This is judging by your background as a foremost banker. I do not share in the rumour mill that you are autocratic and dictatorial. We are all sinners in this autocratic sin to the extent that every good leader must have his pepperish side and a mind of his own.

“Having a mind of our own is the only way we can point the torch, show the way, and remain on top of all issues. I am thankful to God that the election has come and gone, without the loss of precious lives, even as the outcome is being challenged at the Election Petition Tribunal. I wish the winner the best.”

Ufomba said that the best position can only be attained through the sustenance of existing peace in Abia; through meticulous, through innovations, and through ingenious reasoning and acts that lead to the transformation of our state under the rule of law and due process.

Ufomba lamented and said that he was distressed that the very moral fabric he talked about in his book was being eroded by Otti’s aides.

“The festering malignant abuse of the constituents of the state order of precedence, as encapsulated, should not be allowed to metastasise. In specific terms, the unwarranted, unprovoked, and undeserving media attacks on your predecessor, Dr Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, by your aides of no-cabinet status are nauseating and very unbecoming.

“The holy bible enjoins us to do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. These unconscionable attacks are largely unsolicited, pedestrian, irritating, disgusting, unnecessary, despicable, and combustible, and do not represent your ideals.

“They also do not represent who we are as a people. Instead, they impact negatively on the very high moral grounds, the finest tenets of our democracy, and the very foundation upon which your government is built. These cannot remain the hallmark of your administration and legacies for our children.”

Ufomba begged Otti to caution his aides to order, adding that under no condition shall Abia be seen to be aiding and abetting insubordination and/or dialling up her negatives further.

“If the government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu was as useless and worthless as your aides want the world to believe, please follow the law in bringing the government to account. If you want to probe him, please do so by following the law.

“If you want to crucify him, please follow the law. This ridiculing and pervasive media trials should stop. Tied to the stakes for execution, Col Buka Sukar Dimka requested only one thing: that the junior officer positioned to shoot him to death must first salute him.

“His reasons are that it is customary for junior officers to salute their superiors on all matters and in all circumstances. Politics is not a rank-less business,” he added.

Ufomba said that the majority of Abia people did not feel entertained by actions he described as sensationalism, theatrical acts, and media trials.