At Ewenrem's Village, kinsmen Maintain Vigilant Silence

[chinedu uchechukwu]

Sunday, August 22, 1999
At Ewenrem's Village, kinsmen Maintain Vigilant Silence
By Collins Obibi
TWO men, a newspaper vendor and a businessman last week at the banking hall
of First Bank, Owerri engaged in a casual chat. The issue was Chief Evan
Enwerem, Senate President, who has been embroiled in a controversy over his
qualification for the exalted position.
The two Imo State sons had hardly spoken in unison about their joy over
Enwerem's triumph the previous week when the Senate gave him a clean bill
of health over allegations that he hid his status as an ex-convict,
falsified his age, and used his position as a public officer to enrich
himself, among other allegations, when a major disagreement ensued between
them.
The businessman had chipped in that Enwerem would soon go to court to "show
the magazine that masterminded the campaign against him a big lesson," but
the vendor thundered: "He will not and dare not," thereby drawing other
bank customers' attention.
The vendor asserted that pursuing the case further could throw up a lot of
things.
What things? one may ask. And so begins the story of a man whose kinsmen
simply described as an "illustrious son, lawyer and politician."
For the third week running, Nigerians have been inundated with publications
which portray the Senate President in unpleasant light. Leading the pack of
the publications that have, baring the constraints of research in the
society, dug into the past life and style of the Senate President is Tell,
the magazine that pulled the lid off the suspected evil deeds of the Senate
President.
In the August 9 edition, the magazine alleged that Enwerem was much older
than the 63 years which he claimed; that he was an ex-convict who was
sentenced in 1945 for stealing while working as revenue clerk in the
Eastern Region Government. The magazine catalogued a host of other
misdemeanour of the number three citizen.
Enwerem's defence the same week came like ice on hot weather. Addressing
point-by-point issues raised by the magazine, he sounded convincing. For
instance, he said of the alleged conviction that in life he never worked
for government and could not therefore have soiled his hands as alleged.
Again on the alleged variation in the age he gave while serving aqs the
National Party of Nigeria Presidential Liaison Officer in Imo in the early
1980s and when he served as governor of Imo State, the foremost legislator
reminded that he never served as PLO. Indeed the PLO for Imo within the
period was Chief Collins Obi.
Little wonder his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Senate
gave him a clean bill.
The magazine has, ever since the August 9 edition, led with the Enwerem
story in a seeming desperate attempt to nail him.
But like the poverbial cat with nine lives, Enwerem would ever defend
himself and draw sympathy from quarters that matter.
Just like the two men who at the banking hall savoured the joy of Enwerem's
seeming triumph, the atmosphere in Atta Ikeduru, his home town about 20
kilometres from Owerri, Imo State capital, is palpable gladness. It is the
same as in some other parts of the state.
A middle aged man reflected on why the community would rather stake
anything to keep Enwerem as the Senate President: "If Enwerem is disgraced,
it will be a smear on all of us. Tomorrow, if anyone comes up, they will
say he is from Enwerem's area. That's how they behave."
Pa Nwangbada in his late 70s and from Umuhu, Atta, Enwerem's village says
of the man at the centre of the controversy: "Don't mind all these things
that people say about him. He is a very good man. The light we use today in
the village, he provided it. Look at the road too. Anyone that speaks ill
of the man will suffer in the hands of God," the old man, a retired staff
of the Marine Authority (now Nigerians Ports Authority) said as he walked
home after a church service last Sunday.
Success has many friends. Also many people would not accept to be the ones
to be fingered as pulling down one of their own further, it is only natural
that family members would be united to face an outsider, notwithstanding
their internal differences. It is in this light that the present
disposition of many who had battled Enwerem in the past could be seen.
Take Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe and Dr. Alex Obi who dragged Enwerem to
court and canvassed some of the issues which now constitute the planks of
the campaign against Enwerem. In the court case after the Imo State
governorship elections of December 1991 Dr. Obi, Social Democratic Party
flagbearer who was defeated in the polls by Enwerem, then of the National
Republican Convention, for instance, canvassed the ex-convict allegation.
Obi was backed by people like Nzeribe.
But last week, Obi discountenanced the allegations he levelled against
Enwerem, describing many of them as unfounded. In his words: "We did not
obtain any record from the archives, neither did we have record of any
convictions. There were no good records. These were hearsay which are
usually common in elections."
On the paper he presented at the tribunal about the conviction, he said:
"It was one of those papers flying around. So I took it. And of course we
wanted to win. So if such a paper would help us win so be it."
Chief Nzeribe at the floor of the Senate has also been speaking of the
Enwerem he knows who never committed any of the offences of which he is
being tried in the public court.
Back home, in Atta Ikeduru, Enwerem appears to have very proud heritage.
The father, Pa Stephen Enwerem who died in 1989, by the town standard, was
a rich man; a businessman who lived most of his life outside the town,
particularly in Lagos. He was a merchant of general goods.
Pa Stephen built a very large family and accumulated children the same way
he sought wealth. He married four wives and had many children some of whom
are in diverse businesses in and outside the country.
Even on retirement to the village, the late Pa Stephen continued with
trading at Eke Atta. The building he used for the trade in provisions - a
bungalow with over six shops - adjoins the town's motor pack.
At Umuhu Atta, about two kilometres from Eke Atta on the Owerri-Okigwe
Road, the Enwerem family on the right is a large expanse. Adorned with
several buildings including three one storey buildings and over five
bungalows, the compound is walled round. The carcass of two broken down
vehicles - one, an old model mercedes Benz - is easily spotted.
It is not surprising that every stranger, particularly a journalist, is
viewed with suspicion in the compound. From the security man who one first
encounters to the middle aged man who ushers one to a sit and presents a
drink even when he is not prepared to let out any information about the
family, the feeling is "our own is good," and "I don't know how you will
represent me if I speak to you."
"The family is at peace with itself," Mr Emmanuel Enwerem, Chief Enwerem's
half brother told {The Guardian On Sunday}. He will not be drawn into
further discussion.
Few compounds away, Mr. Alex Nwagwu, the head of the Umuhu kindred meeting
said of the Senate President: "He is our illustrious son, a lawyer and
politician." He was done with comments on the the matter.
Elsewhere, the people are cautious of their utterance on the case. " Go to
the family and find out about their history. I don't know. Also don't
forget that many of these things happened several years ago when some of us
were not born and when the town was not as built up as you find it today,"
another man of about 50 years told {The Guardian On Sunday. } Moreso, he
said, Pa Enwerem just quite a number of years outside the town doing
business.
the senate president is a known businessman in the area. At various times
since the end of the civil war in 1970, he has been involved in several
businesses, including board appointments in government owned companies and
parastatals.
At various times he was in the board of Golden Guinea Breweries Ltd, and
Nigerian Airports Authority. He was also in the board of Sun Insurance
Company Ltd, and ABC Merchant Bank Ltd. Chief Enwerem is also chairman of
Crushed Rock Industries Ltd where another board member last week obtained a
court approval to sue him over fallout of a board squabble. These are among
other personal businesses that he is engaged in.
Back home, Enwerem commands followership. A citition for the conferment of
a chieftancy title on him by the traditional rulers government and people
of the Eastern states few weeks ago read: "After his sojourn abroad and his
call to the English and the Nigerian Bar, Chief Evan Enwerem set up a
flourishing legal practice in Lagos. He became a beacon of hope for his
people and a source of inspiration to many.
"It was therefore not surprising that the entire Ikeduru class followed the
lead provided by Atta community by honouring him with an unprecedented
chieftancy title of {Ogbuhuruzo} (pioneer, trailblazer, pathfinder).
Between 1978 and 1982 he was President General, Atta People's Assembly.
Though he maintains a small liaison office which has been moved from
Njemanze Street to Okigwe Road also in Owerri, it is in Lagos that he
operates some of his businesses, including a law chamber.
But Enwerem's present travails appear to stand on two legs. One is the jail
sentence which has not been established, and which a court had handled. The
other is the claim to having studied in three secondary schools, all in
Lagos, which is being challenged.
At CMS Grammar School where he claimed to have studied for instance, the
authorities deny he was ever there, so do old boys of the school.
The fact of his attending a secondary school before proceeding to the
university abroad is not much of the matter as making a false claim. In the
good old days, many people studied up to school certificate level from
their home. (A few still attempt such now though,) coming out in flying
colours in examinations such as City and Guilds of London, and General
Certificate of Education (GCE).
Besides, the electoral law provides that a candidate for the election would
have passed GCE O'Level or its equivalent. Enwerem's two degrees in law
secure his qualification for the election.
But the Senate president should not be seen to have told a lie concerning
the secondary school(s) he attended, hence the {brouhaha} over the yet to
be substantiated claim that he was variously at St. Saviour's High School,
Christ High School and CMS Grammer School School, all in Lagos. Chief
Enwerem still has the last word on this.