NIGERIA MASTERWEB DAILY NEWS

By Valentine Obienyem

I laughed to my heart’s contents as I read the above piece published by Dr. Okey Ndibe. He writes: “Last week, Mr. Obienyem wrote and distributed a piece titled ‘entitled’ {sic} “Anambra: May God Help Okey Ndibe!” in response to his piece. In his usual offensive language devoid of civility, he was at the crest of his curve pouring vituperations on the Governor. Though he poured it more on me, I do not care for he seems helpless in his penchant for vitriol. I am often worried when he speaks unrestrainedly about the Governor because it is not about Mr. Peter Obi, but about the exalted seat he occupies which Ndibe delights in desecrating.

Whenever I read the type of language he uses against eminent people of the State, I wonder at his lack of maturity. Okey went to school, (Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu), but what influence has that had on his life if he could be so petty and childish in his outbursts. If at his age, and supposedly exposure, he could write with such a cavalier contempt about constituted authority, we wonder if he understands what he is doing.

A distinguishing feature about Okey is to attack anything that has to do with Governor Obi like a frolicking puppy dog gamboling with children. If you recall, the world-revered Prof. Dora Akunyili was an object of his rabid attacks for identifying with Governor Obi, whom she calls “my Governor”. As part of activities celebrating Anambra @ 20 on the 27th of August, those that attended took a day to visit Obi’s projects and returned a common verdict that he remained the best thing to have happened to the State. Based on this, Okey disparaged Chief Emeka Anyaoku, one of those that commended the Governor, in his column of 27 September. If he could do this to these two illustrious Anambra citizens on the pages of the newspaper, why are you surprised over what he did to Igbo leaders on the site he jointly owned and manages with Sowore, Saharareporters? A Governor who does not have anything on ground cannot invite people to inspect his projects. Governor Adams Oshimohole did it with the Guild of Editors when they recently held their meeting in Edo Sate. Governor Godswill Akpabio did it when Akwa Ibom celebrated its 24th years of creation. Many Governors are doing it now – another innovation in governance introduced by Obi and embraced by those that are proud of their accomplishments.

Okey said that I ran Obi’s “Sordid Propaganda Machinery,” and described me as Obi’s “Man Friday.” I have done a long treatise on propaganda, but from what Okey writes, he is not interested in understanding its meaning. As for calling me "Obi’s Man Friday"' a term, which through strange odyssey that characterizes philology entered into English lexicon through Daniel Dafoe’s Robinson Crusoe, I do not actually know what he intended to achieve. If Man Friday is a faithful male assistant as I understand it, that is what I will remain to Obi until... I am not afraid of identifying with him. If you have been privileged to deal with him or serve him as I am doing, you will agree that the Governor is an institution. By daily contact with him, one, willy-nilly, gains wisdom by osmosis.

In my career progression, I have remained grateful to those that helped me climb the rungs in the ladder of life. As a young school leaver seeking admission into the University, I was Personal Assistant to Dr. Okey Ikechukwu. He mentored me when I was barely out of diapers. I cut my ‘journalistic’ tooth under him. I worked closely with him and when he had to move to Abuja, he took me along. When President Olusegun Obasanjo suddenly removed Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu as the Minister of Information, we lost our jobs. But like a great man who suffered shipwreck and had all his property burnt but still confessed that he had lost nothing, counting on the intellect, we lost nothing. A week after that incident, a Senator approached me to come and be his Special Assistant but I declined. I confided that in Mallam Abukakar Jijiwa, who was just confirmed as the substantive Director General of the Voice of Nigeria(VON), who quickly signified interest to have me as his Special Assistant. I obliged for the man is whatever positive point one looks out for on people – courteous, affable, intelligent, and supremely humane.

The day I told him I was invited to join the Government of Mr. Peter Obi, he told me that he would certainly miss me, but that since the appointment was for my growth and development he offered me his prayers and said he was not entertaining any fears about me. Today, whenever Ikechukwu, a real intellectual and my mentor I am always proud of and with whom I always feel at home discussing metaphysical realities of death, eternity, being, the nuemenon and phenomenon as well as the unseen real and the unreal seen, he jokes: “Val, I have refrained from asking the Governor to pay me for having you, because no amount will pay for the services I am sure you will render to him .” Okey referred to me as lacking in intelligence, but I can go on and on, while apologizing for my immodesty, to tell him the schools I passed through to inquire what they think about me. His Parish Priest at St Matthew's Catholic Church, Amawbia, Fr. Jonas Okoye, was my teacher, he may wish to start from him. I do not intend to blow my own trumpet but since in his usual thoughtlessness, Okey has elected to put my character in question, I only helped him out.

“Thank God that Valentine Obienyem never made it to ordination as a priest.” In ancient Hebrew society that valued men, men would always thank God for making them in His own image; while women thanked Him also for making them according to His will. I thank God for taking me where I am today according to His will. Perhaps, I might have made a bad priest, I thank Divine Providence for making me whatever I am today. I hope Okey is satisfied. Let me even go further to tell him that my younger brother was in the Seminary too. Upon completing his philosophy, he said he would not continue. At our family meeting, we asked him to pray over it and allow the will of God to be done. It is better, infinitely better not to become a priest, alter christus, another Christ, and become a scandal to Christendom in any way as Okey has become to the pen fraternity. I hope I have explained my stand to my friend, Okey. Rather than use the pen to do havoc to people, Okey should have prayed to God for other callings. All arts, including writing, are designed for the greater glory of God.

Okey said that he refrained from responding to rejoinders to his column to allow others right of reply. What was he saying? The aim of writing is to barter ideas. In the cross fertilization of different opinions through whatever medium, thoughts flourish and beget nobler and more rarefied thoughts. Any writer who refrains from responding to rejoinders is intellectually weak even though he may write in florid language or know how to rephrase in courteous elegance the unvarnished utterances of people. These are not and cannot be substitutes for wisdom and deep thinking.

I refer Okey to the history of civilization and he would discover that philosophy regarded as the custodian of all knowledge, Regina Sciantorum (Queen of Sciences) debated over so many things. Those who proposed nonsense did not keep quiet when they were challenged, otherwise knowledge would have remained becalmed in its transition. When Al-Ghazali wrote the “Incoherence of the philosophers”, where he talke about transcendental dialectic; Ibn Rushid(Averroes) countered in his “Incoherence of the Incoherence.” Ideas fight and cancel out one another, otherwise it would not develop from its inertia. Having been reading him, does he think I will rightly invite him to an intellectual joust, if any?

Thank God that Okey has dissociated himself from the aspersions cast on the people of Anambra State. It raises hope that he may still wake one day and denounce all he has written castigating Governor Obi. It is not necessary for him to devote his time digging where I had nursery, primary, secondary and university education. The earlier he starts thinking positively about Anambra like our people in Canada and ASA USA are doing, the better for everybody. We know his history in African Guardian, Guardian daily and Next newspapers and how he was booted out. We will not leave more edifying issues to spend time on his misadventures.

When Okey first wrote his nonsense, our people in Canada on October 1 donated books, for the new Library at Awka. Such a gesture does not appeal to him. When ASA USA people who joined in the inspection of projects during Anambra @ 20 celebrations came to the new Amaku Teaching Hospital, they cried in amazement over structures Okey said were not fit for prisoners. Clearly something is wrong with him as all evidence point to that.

As to the 200 Million Naira Okey was referring to, I do not want to dwell much on that as I was not even at the scene of the event as could be verified. If he wishes to continue drawing news from Internet gossip, good luck to him. In any case, the incidence has long been buried as the truth has been discovered.

Hypocrite, A beg commot for road!

Obienyem wrote this piece from Awka, Anambra State.

Photo Above: Valentine Obienyem

Photo Above: Map of Anambra State, Nigeria.

RELATED ARTICLE => Anambra: May God Help Okey Ndibe!

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