Ngige’s insufferable arrogance, ingratitude

Dr. Chris Ngige’s conduct before the House of Representatives and his adoption of red herring as a response to the integrity question posed to him is regrettable. It left much to be desired.

Asked by an Adhoc Committee of the House of Representatives probing the affairs of the NSITF to respond to the allegation of sleaze against him as the supervising minister of the agency, Ngige went on a needless voyage, tracing his unenviable leadership trajectory and comparing himself with the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in eminence and glory.

What an insufferable arrogance! We categorically condemn attempts by Minister Ngige to drag Asiwaju Tinubu’s name into an unholy comparison, born of envy and jealousy. A comparison between Asiwaju and Ngige is that between day and night. Ngige should respond to the queries posed to him, rather than his inelegant diversionary tactic.

Seeking to compare himself with Asiwaju smacks of ingratitude. It is on record how Tinubu rescued him when former President Obasanjo and Chris Uba were baying for his blood. He was declared a personal non-grata in Anambra. As governor and chief security officer of the state, he could not stay in Anambra, talk less preside over her affairs.

It was to Tinubu in Lagos that Ngige raced to. If Ngige has forgotten how Asiwaju gave him a buffer when he was stripped of everything, we who followed the developments have not forgotten. Ngige had lost his state House of Assembly among other things. He was later escorted to Anambra like a child taken to be reconciled with his parents. It was Asiwaju who took it upon himself to preside over and broker Ngige’s reconciliation with his estranged assemblymen.

What Ngige’s benefactor like Asiwaju deserves is continued show of appreciation and gratitude. That’s not a way of diminutive Ngige, and this is sad indeed. However, no matter how short a man is, we thank God that he should be able to see the sky.

Ngige was marking time in APGA, in the obvious political wilderness, when he was rehabilitated via a political alliance that led to the creation of APC. Today, he prides himself a minister, which, to him, is a no-mean achievement. Pray, what contribution did Minister Ngige make to APC victory to justify the appointment, if not for the commendable policy of inclusion by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ngige could not win his state. In Anambra, APC polled a paltry 33, 298 votes, to the whopping 524,738 garnered by PDP. Despite that poor performance of APC in Anambra, which called his much-touted leadership status in the state into question, Ngige cornered the only ministerial appointment allotted the state, as typical of the greed and lust for the position by some of our politicians.

Ngige says he is a minister and Asiwaju is not. Yes, that is true. Unlike Minister Ngige, Asiwaju’s leadership and politics does not reside in cornering government’s appointments for himself or usurping what belongs to others. Without being in any public office since 2007, Asiwaju has continued to be relevant in the country. His essence consists of his cognitive abilities, tremendous skills, leadership experience, huge grassroots following and the affection he enjoys among the people across the length and breadth of the country.

Asiwaju has helped the career and political advancements of many who are today’s ministers, Senators, House of Representatives members and other top positions. He has also mentored many others to be who they are today.

As governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, Asiwaju constituted a cabinet composed of tested technocrats and administrators, the first of its kind in the country, with which he revolutionalised governance in the state, provided state of the art infrastructure and changed the face of Lagos and her fortune forever. What is Ngige’s record as governor of Anambra? It can only be dismal because his time as governor was hardly distinguishable.

Our advice to Minister Ngige: please confront the allegations against you and stop the pointless and incongruous comparison!

• This article is written by Association of New Igbo Democrats