Bende peace moves: Too Late, too little

By Victor Ukaogo

I read with great consternation about a hurriedly arranged press conference footnoted by face-saving pronouncements by Chief Frank Chinasa, LPs House of Representatives candidate in Bende federal constituency in the last general elections. In the press conference, chief Frank also known as Dogo laboured almost in vain to convey his belated and stunted realization of the ties of brotherhood that ought to hold Bende together. He wasted and lavished kind words of brotherhood and sincerity on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu who he had wished to feed a national disgrace as breakfast, launch and dinner.

It’s possible to deceive many people but it is impossible to deceive everyone especially on matters as clear as the election tribunal sitting on Bende HoR elections. We were not unaware of the peace moves to mend fences between Hon Ben Kalu and chief Frank and we supported this. Many people reached out to both of them to find a common ground and allow peace to reign. Close aides and friends of the Deputy Speaker were all in support and he obliged us to accept every such move. Without doubt, he was disappointed when Dogo smartly reneged and pulled a fast one appearing in court the same day the peace meeting was scheduled to hold and proceeded to testify against the Deputy Speaker who was waiting for him to arrive.

The sensibilities of the tribunal was abused by Chief Dogo as the matter he brought to court had already been treated by the Appeal court before now. Dogo wasted the time of the tribunal. The question put to the Dogo and his lawyer by the judges is very instructive; if they were in the know that the totality of their grievances had been decided long ago by a higher court of competent jurisdiction. They feigned ignorance.

It is morally wrong that after failing to embarrass the Deputy Speaker publicly, Dogo is struggling to make public peace with the one he is threatening to disgrace and embarrass. Is it not rather shameful and a mark of character deficit for Dogo to openly canvass the same argument of brotherhood with which we all failed to convince him to thread with caution? Would it not have been more honorable to have hearkened to the pleading voices of esteemed Bende monarchs including the very fatherly and revered Ozuo of Uzuakoli who he insulted on this same matter; refusing to have audience with him than coming surreptitiously to address the press Nicodemusly with the intent to hoodwink all of us?

The Deputy Speaker is a kind fighter but he is careful picking who to fight. Dogo is a Bende son and was unwilling all through to fight him for whatever reasons. Bende people will remember that the trio of His Excellency, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Hon. Ben Kalu and my humble self became perennial election losers in Bende at different levels being members of the same political family. In all these of electoral losses, Ben Kalu refused deliberately to take Hon. Nnenna Ukeje to court. In a manner of saying that he was unwilling to take his sister to court no matter how good his case looked in the eyes of the law.

After Dogo reneged on the peace moves he initiated himself, and as our team flew to Owerri enroute Umuahia a day after Dogo’s appearance and testimony to keep a date with the same tribunal, I watched the pain on the Deputy Speaker’s face ostensibly on account of the reality that he will be in court against a Bende son that he had previously vowed not to do. Gazing out of the window, he probably was wishing that this should not happen. We all knew Dogo had no case but we also know that the Deputy Speaker owns a large and accommodating heart to forgive. Dogo is Ben’s brother. It’s well.

But if truth be told, Dogo should come clean and apologize to Bende monarchs including the very revered Ozuo of Uzuakoli ancient kingdom. He should also apologize to Ben his brother for dragging him this far. This is better than playing smart as he did with the press conference. He should also encourage his sponsors to allow him space to relate with his brother. And to his supporters, he should encourage them to be less spiteful as they were supporting him in ignorance and from a distance. This remains a path of honor for a supposedly honorable man like him.