“We Must Protect Hon Bede Eke” ➖ The Continuing Paradox of Human Choice

MAZI EJIMOFOR OPARA

Matthew 27:17 –

_”So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

The history of humanity is more about choices made. How these choices shape societal fate and outcomes are usually not of any concern to those making them, at least in the interim, especially where trifles of ephemeral pleasure dictate the form our sensibilities take per time. Does it then  mean that man is careless about posterity or mindless about consequence?

It was 12am, midnight, at Owerri Plaza Hotel sometime in 2014, prior to the PDP HoR primaries preceding the general elections of 2015, when Evangelist Bede Eke walked into the hotel in the company of a man he identified as Pastor Chibuzor of Overcomers Praying Assembly. The meeting, according to a member of the Aboh Mbaise PDP G13, was surmoned by Bede Eke to finalize arrangements for securing the group’s block votes at the primary election. Amongst other things, Evangelist Bede Eke, as he has since become, promised to procure a Toyota Camry car for each of the Group of 13 (G13) delegates and 3 recommendations for legislative appointments for the group,q only if they assured him of their votes on the day of the primary election. The group had thought of the agreement as a mutual gentlemen understanding or at best a co-signing of legal documents that would be binding on all parties. This was not to come as Evangelist Bede had better plans up his sleeves.

Pastor Chibuzor had come prepared, with mixtures of effusively smelling substances and a bible. It was then it dawned on the G13 that Evangelist Bede Eke had surmoned them for an oath taking session. This was not a problem as members of the G13 are no political neophytes. However, they could not really reconcile the the relationship between the self-professed Evangelist Bede, his criminal Pastor acolyte and the fetish act of oath-taking in the middle of an ominous night. My source, a member of the G13 who was also present that night, described to me the kind of tensed disappointment he felt. But, he consoled himself by a mental reminder that, indeed, “there is no virgin in the maternity ward” – politics is a dirty game, even a clergyman cannot play it clean.

Long story cut short. Bede and Pastor Chibuzor successfully administered the oath and the G13 meticulously ensured the votes were swayed to Bede’s advantage. Fast forward to 2015, Bede emerged winner in the polls and three years after none of the promises contingent on the oath sworn has been fulfilled by Bede Eke. Instead, the “guyman” quickly shifted loyalty to Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha, ceded the three slots of appointive positions to him and the later has since filled these positions with members of his immediate family. Today, it is on record that Hon Bede Eke is massively funding Ihedioha’s aspiration whilst retaining members of his (Ihedioha’s) family on his payroll. The neglected G13 members have retreated and now bemoan their ugly fate, not because they were conned and deprived, but because they were made to ingest lethal substances during the oath taking just to convince the ruthless Bede Eke of their resolve and consequent support.

This is the same Bede Eke who has suddenly become the dove and embodiment of virtue to those who shamelessly celebrated his three years of legislative irresponsibility. This time, his karma would begin from the PDP primaries. Members of the G13 have expedited campaign for a better Ngor Okpala candidate as they have resolved to return the seat to Aboh Mbaise in the event that the Ngor Okpala PDP fields a Bede Eke come 2019. They have further urged Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha to desist from making Bede’s mandate a part of his Governorship ambition. Little wonder, Evangelist Bede resorted to the same tactics on some ward chairmen recently. The extent to which this will play out good for him will be decided in the days ahead.

Bede has ruffled our collective integrity both by his private shady dealings and his public show of hypocrisy. Even if man leaves this unpunished, the God, whose divine office he impersonates, will surely recompense him in due coin. The year 2019 will be a time to accept Jesus and crucify Barabas for the sake of posterity.

#NgorOkpalaDeservesBetter