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Ngige's 2003 Blunders in New York Revisited
New York---Commonsense dictates that when a responsible public official, for whatever reason/s, commit blunders and wants them to go away, he or she will have to resolve those. If left unresolved, the blunders linger and that is precisely what is happening now; revisit of blunders former Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige committed in New York in October/November 2003 when he a state governor in Nigeria. The Request from Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige: Organize events to meet with the New York business and political leaders Anambra State Governor, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige wrote our Executive Director Bonaventure Ezekwenna requesting us to organize events for him in New York to meet with the New York business and political leaders to seek investment in Anambra State, Nigeria. The Preparations We hired an event management consultant, rented a hall at the elegant Marriott Marquis, which is in the strategic heart of New York City, and meticulously organized elaborate and decent reception for the governor. We printed and distributed invitations, did publicity, invited the press and prepared a plaque to honor the governor. We also contacted/requested the New York/New Jersey Ports Authority to arrange a memorial for the Governor to lay wreathes at the site of the former World Trade Center in solidarity with the American people; a very prestigious honor and privilege reserved for foreign leaders friendly with the US. To convince New York/New Jersey Ports Authority to extend this honor and privilege to him, we sought ways to connect the kidnapping of Gov. Ngige by Obasanjo cronies in Anambra State, Nigeria to the terrorists attack on World Trade Center in New York, US and convinced them that both incidents were state-sponsored terrorism. They asked for proofs that Ngige was victim of kidnapping in Nigeria and we submitted news articles about the incident. After consideration, our request was approved by New York/New Jersey Ports Authority which manages the World Trade Center site. They organized a memorial and invited the officials of New York City and New York State governments, New Jersey Cities and New Jersey State governments, representatives of Families of Victims of September 11 and the press, among other invitees to be present to receive the Nigerian, Gov. Ngige on November 2, 2003. It was hoped that after that colorful memorial which will be covered by the US media; highlight of which will include the fact that the Nigerian governor was also a victim of terrorism, which will pave the ground for Ngige to make his pitch to attract western investment. We kept the Gov. Ngige's office abreast of every arrangements and developments, and they were very excited and approved. We incurred tremendous expenses. Directive from Governor Ngige via Mr. Uche Udedibia, Permanent Secretary at Anambra State Governor's Office:
Mr. Uche Udedibia, Permanent Secretary at Anambra State Governor's Office, Awka who Gov. Ngige directed to liaise with us on this matter informed us that Mr. Fred Chukwuelobe, Press Aide to the governor, would contact our office when the governor’s entourage arrives in New York on Friday October 31, 2003 between 6.00p.m. –7.00 p.m. We followed this directive but never received any call. We contacted Mr. Chukwuelobe at Marriott LaGuardia at about 11.00 p.m. and he told us to call back the next morning being November 1, 2003. We called back the next morning and Mr. Chukwuelobe invited us to the hotel for some discussions. Meeting with Gov. Ngige's Press Aide: Mr. Fred Chukwuelobe at Marriot LaGuardia, Queens, New York In summary, Mr. Chukwuelobe stated that Anambra people in US were discouraging the governor from attending the events we planned because our organization is human rights activist in nature and that we are working with US government to stop abuse and exploitation of under-privileged fellow Nigerians in United States; and that one couple was arrested and imprisoned when it was discovered that they trafficked a 13 years old poor girl from Nigeria with promises of education and better, but turned around to terrible exploit her for 9 years and when she started working, they seized her paychecks for 2 straight years, as well. We asked Mr. Fred Chukwuelobe whether something was wrong with being a human rights activist organization that comes to assistance of the abused and exploited under-privileged fellow Nigerian immigrants. He replied that the problem was that the governor was under pressure not to attend the events he requested us to organize for him. Meeting with Jimmy Asiegbu, President of Anambra Association USA (ASA-USA) Some individuals privy to the behind closed-door schemes introduced our Executive Director Bonaventure Ezekwenna to Jimmy Asiegbu, President of ASA-USA and urged them to talk with view to abort the plots. Speaking with Mr. Asiegbu was when we realized the awkward and misplaced mentality of some of the people involved. Jimmy Asiegbu stated that ASA-USA originally invited the Governor to US; that he came specifically for their convention and nothing more and that if the Gov. will attend any other event they have to know about it. He, however, explained further that there were other people that were opposed other than ASA-USA members. Meeting with Some Key Members of Gov. Ngige's Entourage from Nigeria We approached some of the members of the governor's entourage from Nigeria and explained the truth of the matter and the implication of the blunder about to unfold in view of preparations at World Trade Center site and all the U.S. dignitaries already invited there. They then realized that they, including the Gov. Ngige had been misled by mischief-makers. Mr. Dan Ulasi and Chief Joe Okonkwo (Ofiadiulu) went to meet with the governor to explain the truth to him, came back and told us to come to the hotel the next day being November 2, 2003 at 1.00 p.m. to lead them to Marriott Marquis, which is the reception venue. Demand for Bribe by Gov. Ngige's Entourage and Supporters in US Meanwhile, some other members of the Governor Ngige’s entourage and US-based Anambra indigenes in US, including officials of ASA-USA were asking us to ‘settle’ (bribe) them to convince the governor to attend the planned event, to which we replied as follow: To the governor's entourage visiting from Nigeria, we told them that it is illegal to give bribe in United States, and to US-based Anambra indigenes, including officials of ASA-USA, we told them that we do not operate our business that way because we do not have line item in our budget for bribe. The Rude Cancellation The next day being November 2, 2003, the day of the first event at Marriott Marquis, we were at the Marriot LaGuardia Hotel at 10.00 a.m. but were informed that the governor finally succumbed to pressure from Anambra people, including his relatives not to attend any of our planned events. We were also informed that he had decided to use the time he had scheduled for our events to visit friends, relatives and do shopping at Sach's Mens Clothing Store at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York. That was how Governor Chris Ngige rudely canceled his requested and scheduled events disappointing not only our organization, but the New York/New Jersey Ports Authority, officials of New York City and New York State governments, New Jersey Cities and New Jersey State governments, representatives of Families of Victims of September 11 and the press, among others. That was quite a height in colossal official irresponsibility and rascality. Plaque Presented to the Governor A plaque had already been prepared in advance for the governor and we decided to go ahead and bring it to him at the hotel handed it to him right there. We also gave him copy of some work we did on Nnobi community crisis at that time, and urged him to resolve it because we had information that the trouble-makers at Nnobi were clearly his associates. He later sent delegation that resolved the Nnobi crisis. Efforts to Resolve Ngige’s Blunders Quietly Three letters were sent to the governor expressing our outrage and seeking refund for the expenses he had caused us to incur, but got no reply. Our telephone calls were not returned, either. Senior civil service officials at Anambra State Government House were outraged when they got details of Gov. Ngige's conduct in New York. They stated that even if for any reason a state governor wants to cancel his appearance at such event, there is a proper civil way to do it. The most senior civil servant in Anambra State Government House was Mr. Uche Udedibia (Permanent Secretary). He answers our telephone calls though. He invited us to Nigeria to meet with him face-to-face with view to resolving it. We traveled to Nigeria and upon getting to Anambra State, the atmosphere was very tense because the court had just ruled that Dr. Ngige was not duly elected, and hence not a governor; the governor's police security details were withdrawn, and he was reportedly in and out of hiding running away from the police who were reportedly sent from Abuja to arrest him, coupled with so much problems he was having with former President Obasanjo and his cronies in Anambra State. There were militias all-over the place. Mr. Uche Udedibia wanted us to meet him in his office at Anambra State Government House which was under siege at that time. Noticing the tense situation, we were advised to obtain a written invitation from Mr. Udedibia to show that we have business in the governor's office before going there. We requested for letter of invitation or appointment from Mr. Uche Udedibia but he stated that nobody ever requested for such letter to visit him, and that word of mouth is how they operate and that is enough over there. Since he was not willing to give us a written note, and seeing the tension and lawlessness around Anambra State Government House, we did not meet with him. Governor Ngige Opened Attacks on Our Organization on Pages of Nigerian Newspapers We were also shocked to read from the Nigeria newspapers that the governor has unleashed attacks on our organizations, calling us slanderous names, and challenging us to go to court. That, notwithstanding, we remain focused on recovering our expenses from the governor until he was finally sacked by Nigeria's Court of Appeal which sided with the lower court that declared him fraudulently and illegally elected. Then he escaped from Nigeria and fled to United States where he stayed until former President Obasanjo left office in 2007. Our investigation and findings Key contributory factor to governor Ngige's blunders in New York in 2003 was the fact that Anambra association in New York was deeply engaged in internal crisis and in-fighting at that time. There were 2 factions of the association; one was supporting the ASA-USA convention in New York and invitation of the embattled Ngige, while the other faction was opposed to both ASA-USA conventions in New York and Ngige governorship. None of our officials belong to the Anambra association, talk less of belonging to any faction. However, to create more confusion, some mischief makers threw in the insinuation that we may belong to opposing faction. As ridiculous as that sounds, that further terrified the already unstable Governor Ngige, according to sources. Another major factor was that Gov. Ngige somehow does not have the skill and wisdom required of his office to discern between gossips report and intelligent reports. He elevated gossip reports to the level of intelligent reports and used them to make uninformed and disastrous decisions. We also had information that Gov. Ngige had since realized that both the ASA-USA leadership at the time, Anambra association leadership at that time, and others mischievously misinformed and misled him to foolery and blunders, but somehow it is very difficult for him to correct them. Throughout his stay in New York in 2003, Gov. Ngige surrounded himself with known hardcore criminals, both men and women, some of who had spent time in various US prison systems for various crimes. Therefore, Gov. Ngige's press attacks publish in Nigerian newspapers that he was prepared from Nigeria to attend our events but canceled upon arrival in New York because he was informed that the organization is dubious is pure nonsense. Confessions from Repentant ASA-USA former Officials Recently a few former officials of ASA-USA had come forward to confess their role in misinforming and misleading Gov. Ngige in New York in 2003. They stated that they acted out of bandwagon effect at that time. According to them, they were inside the governor's suite at Marriot LaGuardia when all sorts of negative banters were thrown at our organization. They also mention that a certain prominent relative of the governor brought up topic and made uncomplimentary comments about our organization and a human trafficking case in New York. To look good before everyone else present in the suite, they "chipped in few comments as well", because they were aware of the human trafficking case, but never know the whole story, according to them. But now they now the truth, including the association of the prominent relative of the governor with the couple convicted of human trafficking in that case, they regret whatever role they had played. We accepted their apologies. Apart from few that express regrets, many other key players still justify their roles. Recent Attacks and Death Threats from Associates and Relatives of Ngige in US Occasionally, this unresolved issues crops up in our assessment and awareness on Gov. Chris Ngige and that does not appear to seat well with his many associates in United States. Recently, an individual posted death threat email on the internet online forums threatening to assassinate and decapitate the head of our Executive Director. The death threat was written in Igbo tribal language spoken by Igbo people in eastern Nigeria. The emails also threaten our organization's IRS status. Initially the death threat was difficult to trace because the person that posted it used fake names. However, it has been traced to a female identified by people familiar with her postings to be a sister to Governor Ngige. Another attack directed at us was also posted on internet online group forums; this time it was posted by a known associate of Dr. Chris Ngige in United State. In his attacks, he posts that our Executive Director is dead already. Hardcore criminal associates of former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige appear to have banded together in coordinating and issuing some of these threats, according to information. Way Forward Our resolve to hold former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, and Anambra State Government accountable for this abysmal conduct remain unshaken despite all forms of threats, intimidation and harassment from his goons in United States and elsewhere. Who We Are Africans In America, Inc., (which is publisher of Africans In America News Watch) is a leading human rights organization [501 (c) (3)]addressing social issues concerning the larger African immigrant community in United States. Website: www.aiainc.org Africans In America News Watch is online news service based in New York, United States. Our team is made up of ordinary citizens that for betterment of mankind are fearlessly reporting news and writing reports without barriers, oblivious of borders and regardless of frontiers. We will report as major events unfold. Africans In America News Watch |
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