Our attention has been drawn to the plethora of write-ups littering the public domain, especially several online platforms, pertaining to one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominee for Imo State; Professor Tony. G. Anwukah. Before we commence, we would want to state our belief in Mr President’s near absolute prerogative to select ministerial nominees. After all, these persons would contribute to his administration’s success or failure. Also, we wish to state that Professor Tony Anwukah qualifies, as a result of his Nigerian citizenship status, to be duly nominated to serve in this capacity. Based on the foregoing, we, as a collective of concerned Imo state citizens, had decided to let the nomination of the Professor, fly. As a matter of fact, to let sleeping dogs lie.
However, our decision to rescind on our earlier resolution not to partake in the attacks on the nomination of the ‘erudite and cerebral’ professor was premised on the email purportedly sent to a blogger, Ms Dimokomorkus who runs the blog ‘www.stelladimokokorkus.com’. In that email which has since gone viral, having been posted by Ms Dimokomorkus, Dr Tony Anwukah, who incidentally happens to be the first son of Professor Tony Anwukah as well as the son-in-law to the incumbent Governor of Imo state, His ‘Excellency’ Mr. Anayo ‘Rochas’ Okorocha, lamented the bad press that his father was receiving on account of his recent ministerial nomination. He blamed his father’s current travails on two major instances, namely: His decision to tackle a corrupt administration head-on in Imo state and his inability to provide $100,000 in bribe money to reporters working for Sahara Reporters. He alleged that as a result of the former, the then ‘CORRUPT’ government of Mr. Ikedi Ohakim set up a ‘Kangaroo Panel’ to penalise his father through an indictment.
Furthermore, Dr Anwukah proceeded to make available, documents relating to a ruling of the High Court purporting to exonerate his
‘transparent’ and ‘honest’ father.
Having gone through the contents of the email and perused copies of the High Court ruling contained in Dr Anwukah’s email, our curiosity has, of course, increased instead of subsiding. The contents of the High Court ruling indicates that Prof. Anwukah was not the Claimant/ Plaintiff in the matter and that the prayers of the claimant were at variance with what his son erroneously wants us to believe! The Imo state University was not even joined as a party to the matter. Going by information, most of which we are privy to
and having been actively involved in the events of Imo state since its creation on the 17th day of March, 1976; we have found it pertinent to ask that Professor Anwukah as ably represented by his son, Dr Anwukah, provide us with answers to certain questions. These questions would assist in proving Prof. Anwukah’s culpability or otherwise, at least in the court of public opinion; where his son has decided to drag us into.
The questions consist of the following, namely:
1. What was the duration of Prof. Anwukah’s tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the Imo State University?
2. Who was the Visitor to the University/ Governor of Imo State at this time?
3. Who commissioned the Administrative Panel into the University’s affairs and what was this panel’s term of reference?
4. Was this panel’s term of reference focused only on Prof. Anwukah’s tenure as Vice Chancellor?
5. When were the offences for which Prof. Anwukah was allegedly indicted, committed?
6. Was Prof. Anwukah the only one indicted by this panel?
7. Why and when was the panel’s recommendation of outright dismissal for Prof. Anwukah reduced to compulsory retirement?
8. Could that be as a result of his friendship with the incumbent governor at the time, Mr. Ikedi Ohakim?
9. Did Prof. Anwukah tackle the Ikedi Ohakim administration for corruption before the institution of the Administrative Panel or after the Panel’s recommendations had been sent to the Visitor to the University/Governor for implementation?
10. At what point did Prof. Anwukah realise that the Ikedi Ohakim administration was corrupt? Could it possibly be when he was the leader of the People’s Democratic Party in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo state and a regular caller at the Douglas House, Owerri?
11. Did Prof. Anwukah go to court to contest his indictment?
12. Why did Prof. Anwukah not join other indicted persons, like Prof. Innocent Okonkwo (the substantive Vice-Chancellor at that time, Mr. Emma Esomonu, and several others, in contesting the recommendations of the Panel in a court of appropriate jurisdiction?
13. Was he in possession of some information that we were not privy to, perhaps?
14. Is he aware of the ruling secured by other indicted persons at the National Industrial Court?
15. Did he at some point in 2011, upon the commencement of the incumbent administration and acting in his capacity as the Secretary to the Government of Imo State, issue a letter to the University seeking the reinstatement of all indicted persons by fiat?
16. Why did the Visitor to the University/ Governor of Imo State demand the withdrawal of that letter and insist that the status quo remains as it concerned the reinstatement of these persons?
17. Being an ‘honest’ man with high ‘transparency’ credentials, could Prof. Anwukah publicly display his assets declaration for pre and post Vice-Chancellorship tenure as well as pre and post Secretary to the Government of Imo State days? It takes more than just a mere mouthing of honesty and integrity slogans to be conferred with one of these adjectives!
18. Does Dr Tony Anwukah want to imply that the incumbent administration which is led by his father-in-law and under which his father served for four years (2011-2015) was less corrupt that that led by Mr. Ikedi Ohakim?
19. If yes, can he ask his father, Prof. Anwukah to point us towards any advertorial in any national newspaper as stipulated by the Public Procurement Act (2007) where the tenders detailing the numerous contracts for infrastructural developments in Imo were advertised? This is in his capacity as the Secretary to the State Tenders Board/ Secretary to the Government of Imo. At least, this would show some level of orderliness and adherence to the rule of law and due process for the rudderless contraption which had been foisted on Imo people under the toga of a ‘RESCUE MISSION’ government!
20. Did his father impose a humongous levy on all the 27 Local Government Area transition committee chairmen to fund his wedding last year?
21. Can Prof Anwukah convince his bosom friend and in-law, the governor, to also heed the cries of Imo-lites as led by the revered Archbishop of the Catholic Church, Amarachi. A.J.V. Obinna, to publish the accounts of the state?
We do fervently pray that Prof. Tony Anwukah and his son, Dr Tony Anwukah find it imperative to provide answers to these questions, not just for the sake of securing a senate confirmation- which we have no significant objection to- but also for posterity sake- our major concern.
Signed,
Fidelis Udukwu, MSc
FF: Committee of Concerned Residents of Imo State