By Patrick Ochei
In an apparent show of superiority in the game of politics, the Honourable Commissioner for Technical Education and former House of Representatives member for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Hon. Pastor Joan Onyemaechi popularly known as Ada Anioma, has made known her stance as far as Aniocha South Chairmanship election is concerned in line with the zoning arrangement which currently favours the Ubulu clan, stating that those trying hard to blackmail her think that politics is their farm land where they can always harvest even without sowing.
The Ada Anioma made this revelation in a special interview session with some select media representatives who had approached her to make comments on recent protest and allegations by some politicians from her local government area.
She started by giving a background of her meteoric rise in politics, giving credence to her long standing loyalty which has continued to earn her some juicy patronage from government.
According to her, this had been the bane of contention and conflict from the opposing political side in her local government area, who prefer to always drag her name whenever there was issue of contest of political interest.
Her words, “I refuse to be blackmailed by those who see politics as their farmland. The tussle for power is normal, but when you do it in the wrong way, it becomes injurious to you. I perfectly understand what it means to have power and to be in power.
“Nobody can blackmail me because I am an appointee of Government and my brother at the same time is contesting for the office of Chairman in our local government area. I am not the first person who had been favoured to be in government and at the same time having a relation who is also in government. My appointment is at the discretion of the Governor, while that of my brother is his right to contest, and based on the zoning arrangement in my local government area, he deserves to do a second term as Chairman.
“The Nsukwa clan did theirs for two terms, the Ogwashi clan completed theirs of two terms, now is the turn of Ubulu clan. The young man had done one term and he deserves his second term in office. How is it my fault that I am patronised by government with an appointment? Our party the PDP and government respect zoning. They knew that my brother was the chairman of our local government before appointing me as Commissioner.
“The worst of their mischief was coming to protest with a forged Governorship election result of the last election. They had claimed I did not win my ward and units with a fake result, but here is the authentic result which is in the public domain (she shows it to the press in her phone). They said the local government does not belong to me and my siblings. What does that mean? They were just clever by half and ended up shooting themselves in the foot.
“I am a grassroots politician and a woman who knows how to press the button. They can never undo what they can’t undo; so they should stop wasting their time and face the reality.
“I have a slogan of Thank You for everything that had ever been done to me in politics. That had kept me going. I advise these set of blackmail politicians to imbibe the virtue of contentment, which is a great virtue in politics. Because when you are desperate, you can never be balanced.
“To me, experience matters. I had been PA to former Deputy Governor and then Commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission from where I moved into Legislature as member of the State Assembly and then member of the Federal Assembly. Now, I am a Commissioner in the State who must be able to make presentations at Exco and administer a Ministry. It makes me a rounded politician and one who has brought experience to bear in governance, and as a platform to mentor the younger ones in government. This shouldn’t be anybody’s problem but an added advantage to my people.
“Those clamouring to bring Ada Anioma down and using the youths in a wrong way should have a rethink. How many of them did they empower positively when they had the opportunity? They should support human capital development and not negatively influence the youths to do their illicit bidding”, Ada Anioma maintained.