Chief Audu Ogbeh's Letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo
December 6, 2004
His Excellency,
The President, Commander-In-Chief,
Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja
RE: ANAMBRA AND RELATED MATTERS
About a month ago, the nation woke up to the shocking news of a
devastating attack on Anambra State resulting in the burning down of
radio and television stations, hotels, vehicles, assembly quarters, the
residence of the state Chief Judge and finally, Government House, Awka.
Dynamite was even applied in the exercise and all or nearly most of
these in the full glare of our own police force as shown on NTA for the
world to see. The operation lasted three days.
That week, in all churches and mosques, we, our party, and you as Head
of Government and Leader of this Nation came under the most scathing and
blithering attacks. We were singly and severally accused of connivance
in action and so forth. Public anger reached its peak.
Recommendation
You set up a reconciliation committee headed by Ebonyi State Governor,
Dr. Sam Egwu, and we all thought this would help calm nerves and perhaps
bring about some respite. But quite clearly things are nowhere near
getting better.
While the reconciliation team attempted to inspect damaged sites in
Anambra, they were scared away by gun fire, further heightening public
anger and disdain for us.
Bomb explosion in government house, Awka
On Tuesday, the 30th day of November, 2004, another shocking development; a reported bomb explosion in Government House Awka. Since then,
the media, public discourse within and even outside of our borders, have
been dominated by the most heinous and hateful of expletives against our
party and your person and government. It would appear that the
perpetrators of these acts are determined to stop at nothing since there
has not been any visible sign of reproach from law enforcement agencies.
I am now convinced that the rumours and speculations making the rounds
that they are determined to kill Dr. Chris Ngige may not be unfounded.
The question now is, what would be the consequences of such a
development? How do we exonerate ourselves from culpability, and worse
still, how do we even hope to survive it? Mr. President, I was part of
the second republic and we fell. Memories of that fall are a miserable
litany of woes we suffered, escaping death only by God’s supreme
mercy. Then we were suspected to have stolen all of Nigeria’s
wealth. After several months in prison, some of us were freed to come
back to life penniless and wretched. Many have gone to their early
graves un-mourned because the public saw us all as renegades.
I am afraid we are drifting in the same direction again. In life,
perception is reality and today, we are perceived in the worst light by
an angry, scornful Nigerian Public for reasons which are absolutely
unnecessary.
Mr. President, if I write in this vein, it is because I am deeply
troubled and I can tell you that an overwhelming percentage of our party
members feel the same way though many may never be able to say this to
you for a variety of reasons.
But the back stops at your table and in my position, not only as
Chairman but also as an old friend and loyal defender of your
development programmes which I have never stopped defending, I dare to
think that we can, either by omission or commission allow ourselves to
crash and bring to early grief, this beautiful edifice called democracy.
On behalf of the peoples Democratic Party, I call on you to act now and
bring any, and all criminal, even treasonable, activity to a halt. You
and you alone, have the means. Do not hesitate. We do not have too much
time to waste.
A.I. Ogbeh, OFR
National Chairman
cc: Vice President
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Speaker, House of Representatives
Read: President Obasanjo's Reply
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