By Emma Eze
Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo became the first civilian governor of Enugu State, in 1992 as candidate of NRC after he had replaced his older sibling, Dr.Joe Nwodo, now deceased.
The former governor was, perhaps still, the only medical Dr.in the influential Nwodo family of Ukehe…
And crucially, he is the only one with tempered, moderated behaviour, particularly with regards to earthly acquisitions and propensity for power-grab!
At the time circumstances threw him up to be governor after Joe was disqualified with Rev . Hyde Onuaguluchi, he was neither politician nor enthusiastic about the high office; he loved and was preoccupied with his medical practice!
Joe chose him as replacement, having considered him perfect, obedient place-holder, who had no ambition of his own, and had no power-grab mentality or avaricious proclivity, unlike Nnia, their youngest sibling …
As governor for some 19 months or thereabouts, Joe and Nnia, turned an executive governor, Okwy, to ceremonial head, whose only official function was to sign off the federal allocation once it came from Abuja, leaving only the little required to pay workers’ salary!
He was told the investment made to make him Governor was too big, and that it would take at least two guber tenures, for the “financiers” to recover just half of the financial outlay!
Governor Okwy bore the burden of living on salary as governor like a donkey;they took away even his security vote and left him high and dry!
It was unprecedented, but he sat in and absorbed the humiliation, answering his Excellency while his older and younger brothers and wives feasted on the state resources, AGAINST HIS WILL!
His wife, first lady protested, shouted herself hoarse, and ran to close family friends to lay her complaints and predicament of her husband; to no avail!
Very close sources confirmed that it was the strident complaint and prompting of the FIRST lady that Okwy as governor, seized the left-over of the federal allocation for last few months before President Babangida aborted the 3rd Republic!
He then used the funds to invest in a few properties and modernized his private hospital building on Zik’s Avenue; that was a he got for his household…
The former first lady who was emasculated and prohibited from functioning as such by the thieving, brashy duo of Joe and Nnia, against the intervention and wise counsel of associates!
They hated her the more for constantly reminding her husband that He as Governor was the person that would go to jail in the event of an official probe, so putting up with his brothers’ looting spree was a personal liability!
At a point, she urged the Governor to resign from the post, and put a stop to the heist, “maka odi nma mu na umuaka m!”
Till today, they have not forgiven that woman, for her bravery and outspokeness!
Okwy Nwodo’s wife and children are still hurting from the ugly experience that husband and father, was governor for so long while his own siblings made all the money, while his own household wallowed in penury!
They remain inconsolable, implacable!
That is why Okwy, his wife and children saw Edeoga’s projection by Nnia as another ploy to gain wealth to the exclusion of others, and unattractive endeavour…
They would rather take their own destiny in their own hands, than being led by the nose by hustlers and power merchants…parading as Nsukka guardian angels!
