Why Not Let The Dead Rest In Peace

EKENE OKOYE

Anambra’s claim to being the hotbed of South East politics may have been confirmed by the failed kidnap of a sitting Governor in 2003 and the subsequent mayhem, but the brand of vicious and unforgiving smear politics that has emerged out of the State in the last eight years seem to have consigned that era of absurdity to second spot.

The first was a jostle for power and supremacy between a godfather and an errant godson with attendant collateral damages . The second was fuelled by loss of influence by a closet godfather, whose bruised ego and vow for pay-back has bred an army of cheerleaders choreographed by one Valentine Obienyem. This Obienyem guy

has spared nothing in campaign of calumny against the current Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

For the avoidance of doubt, the demunitive Val, is an ex-Seminarian with penchant for the devious. A narcissist, with no capacity for empathy and for telling the truth. Propelled by hate and a willing sponsor, Val set up a structure for generating obnoxious content which he channels through pseudo account like Odumodu Gbulagu and a retinue of hirelings on Pay-Per-Attack roaster, primed to spare nothing once a target to smear is identified. Thus Obiano has been targeted with taunts and vitriol in the last six years. But to their utter frustration, the orchestrated campaign of calumny has toughened rather than deter the man from his set goals in office.

The Latin phrase, De murtuis nil nisi bene which suggests that it is inappropriate to speak ill of the dead does not mean anything to Val, the undertaker and his cohorts. What else could justify the insidious attempt to smear the Governor over the death of Patrick Okolo, the Managing Director of Pachuks Engineering, who reportedly died from complications associated with renal failure.

In his usual devil may care concoction, Val hid under his moniker, Odumodu Gbulagu, to pen another diatribe in utter disrespect to the memory of the late Pachuks Okolo, alleging that “Obiano owed him 3billion,” and that he died due to inability to access the funds. He also alleged that another contractor, MC Mouritz, who reportedly died of heart failure, was refused payment for work done. Nothing could be more devilish and far from the truth.

Why Val Obienyem, would go to such an extent to disparage the dead just to discredit Obiano is mindboggling. It is sad the extent he and his cohorts can go in order to gain political advantage. Thankfully, ndi Anambra do not take his lies seriously anymore.

Sadly, Val has chosen to dance on the corpse of his onetime benefactor, Pachuks, even before his remains are interred just to score a political point against a man they love to hate, Governor Obiano.

Again since Val does not wish to allow the dead rest in peace, one can only wish him well. But let him and his co-travellers be reminded of the eternal prose of John Donne, “…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee”.

• Okoye writes from Nawfia,  Anambra State.