Former Governor of Anambra State and two times Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has expressed great shock and sadness over the death of the former Speaker of the House of Representatives of the third National Assembly 1992- November 17TH 1993),Agunwa Anaekwe, describing it as the uprooting of a big political iroko tree from Ibo land and Nigeria in general.
Ngige said: Late Agunwa was my friend, trusted political ally, who aligned himself with progressive politics since he joined partisan politics in 1991 through the defunct Social Democratic Party [SDP] emerging the Speaker of the House in a keenly contested Speakership race between the SDP and opposition National Republican Convention (NRC). Agunwa steered the House with a lot of dexterity, wisdom and patience and situation that saw that House having more stability than it’s Senate counterpart before the Military led by General Sani Abacha struck on 17th November 1993,after the annulment of the Presidential election won by Aare MKO Abiola of the SDP.
“He lost his seat when all the democratic structure were pulled down by Gen Abacha. He took the situation with equanimity but still joined us and the then former Anambra Governor HE Chukwemeka Ezeife in the fight for restoration of democracy.”
At the inception of the third Republic he joined us in the Vanguard of Dr Alex Ekwueme’ s alliance that went to form the Eastern flank of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He contested the controversial Gubernatorial of December 1998, and even though he didn’t make it, he accepted the results in good faith and while some others were going to party’s Appeal panel and Court, he joined us to deliver the then guber candidate HE Chinwoke Mbadinuju of blessed memory.”
“When I emerged guber candidate of the party in 2003, Ide Agunwa was the Battalion Commander of the foot soldiers who worked in Anaocha and Njikoka Local Governments, showed palpable presence in the elections producing advantageous outcomes.
“As Governor, he stood with me in the fight to behead the God-fathers that held Anambra hostage under Gov Mbadinuju resulting in “ years of the locusts “ situation with unpaid salaries and gratuities for workers, teachers resulting in closure of schools for one academic session, a situation we quickly reversed with restoration of payment of salaries and gratuities as and when due.”
“ Ide was one of the Governors Advisory Committee of Elders. We were allies again in the formation of Action Congress (AC) in 2006 and in my absence Overseas, after my removal by the Court, he stepped in and stood in as the first interim Chairman of AC Anambra Chapter, holding forte till I came back and we ran the Presidential and controversial 2007 Gubernatorial elections which was later nullified by the Supreme Court to enable Gov Peter Obi finish his four years term. Ide Anaocha accepted to be an interim State Chairman because of his penchant for progressive politics. Even recently having been a former Speaker House of Representatives, Ide stooped to be the APCE x- Officio for South East zoned to Anambra State in the party’s 2022 National Convention in order to give trusted, quality representation for the zone in the party’s National Executive Committee [NEC],despite his high status as a member of the National Caucus. His death has, therefore, created a very big void, difficult to fill because of the dearth of principled ,accountable and truthful persons in the murky ,dirty waters of Nigerian politics.”
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