Open Letter: “It Is A Matter Of Accountability….” Citizen To Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President

Senator Ike Ekweremadu; Nigeria's Deputy Senate President

Senator Ike Ekweremadu, CFR

Deputy President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

National Assembly Complex

Three Arms Complex

FCT, Abuja, Nigeria

Dear Senator,

My attention has been drawn to your onslaught against my person on the news media (including the TV, the newspapers, radios, and the internet) for asking simple questions to my representative in the Legislature. Some of your tales even bear an infantile imagination that my community and Enugu West Senatorial Constituency have denounced me for our clement campaign for transparency and accountability in government (see: http://citifmonline.net/news/ekweremadus-projects-community-constituents-denounce-skc-ogbonnia-over-false-claims  or  This Day Newspaper December 28, 2013:http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/enugu-battle-i-cant-be-distracted-says-ekweremadu/167440/). 

The Honorable Senator, you are keenly aware that such dishonorable acts by you and army of fifth columnists cannot be any farther from the truth. The truth is that we are no longer in the military era—no community or constituency visited you or will visit you to condemn a law abiding citizen committed to the greater good of the society, especially one pointing out projects that were said to exist but found to be nonexistent. Now, did the Ugbo town that you have continued to cite in your different presentations tell you that they have a library as claimed in your pamphlet? Of course, not! So your whole scheme (including fictitious names and positions) is nothing but a convenient lie adopted to deceive and distract.

This dimension of your politics is very troubling and explains why our true constituents as well as fellow Nigerians around the world are dismayed that rather than provide simple answers to serious charges, you have once again resorted to what has become a pattern of impersonation, intimidation, blackmail, deceit, and slander. As an unbiased Enugu-West scholar wrote in many fora, “The name-calling was unnecessary; it is no longer about SKC... assuming it ever was about him…the DSP should discourage the so-called "community" condemnation of his constituents who simply ask uncomfortable questions of their reps.”

For the umpteenth time, this matter is far from a personality contest between SKC Ogbonnia and Ike Ekweremadu. It is a matter of accountability and checks and balances critical to the survival of Nigeria’s nascent democracy. Besides, this movement is not only beginning to take root in our Enugu-West constituency, it is also taking off state-wide and nation-wide and should therefore not be discouraged nor distracted at a village level. (See: http://www.transparencyng.com/index.php/news-categories/106-opinionsinterviews/8574-the-problem-with-enugu-state-an-open-letter-to-ohaneze-ndigbo).

So, the main question remains: Given that it is now crystal that some of the projects listed in your pamphlet of accomplishment are abandoned or do not exist and have never existed; what is next?  It is written that you have gone to assert that a legislator “does not handle money for projects”, which is ordinarily true (see Daily Post, December 24, 2013;http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/12/24/protect-projects-attracted-communities-ekweremadu-tells-constituents/); however, you can also agree that such peripheral statement does not and cannot address the real question.

Finally, I must not fail to recognize your efforts in adopting some of our initiatives by forming a project monitoring committee of your own. However, the purpose of your committee (as reported in the Daily Post) is merely to ensure that projects are not vandalized. It does not serve the important purpose of bringing to justice those responsible for looting the funds budgeted for the various projects listed in your pamphlet but so far found to be nonexistent. Granted that you are neither the executive nor the contractor, but in view of the fact that you have already taken credit for attracting the abandoned or missing projects; please truly serve the constituency by using your good offices to acknowledge such projects, the names of the contractors, the amounts budgeted for the specific projects and amounts thus far disbursed, dates the projects were supposed to have started and completed—so we, the constituents, can then employ every civil means to hold them very accountable.

Sincerely,

Dr. SKC Ogbonnia

Houston, Texas

Mobile:  281-802-3449

Email: SKCOgbonnia@firsttexasenergy.com