The crises rocking Anambra state in recent times appears to be getting worse by the day. Only a few weeks ago, the whole world was shocked by reports of human flesh featuring regularly on the menu of some restaurants in the state.
Then the battle of wills between Obiano and his predecessor started to heat the system up in a serious manner. Just a few days ago, as Nigerians were still celebrating the peaceful transition of power in Abuja , Onitsha, the commercial centre of the state was engulfed in a huge petrol tanker fire that claimed scores of lives.
These are really tough times for Governor Willie Obiano who has enjoyed immense goodwill from Anambra people. But the biggest challenge facing Obiano right now is from his Chief of Staff , Prof Joseph Anosike. According to aggrieved members of the public in Anambra, Prof Asike may soon consume whatever goodwill is left from the public by the manner he has chosen to go about his job.
According to old friends and confidants of the Governor, too many members of the public are pointing angry fingers at the Chief of Staff and wondering why the governor has refused to call the unpopular prof to order. The accusations against Prof Asike are many. Many people believe only the governor can call him to order because other officials in the corridors of power are afraid of the powerful chief of staff. They say he has taken advantage of the fact that he hails from the governor’s hometown of Aguleri to witch hunt people in and out of power. Many of the victims of power game at the state house blame their bad luck to his manipulations. According to informed sources, Prof Asike has set up a small team of powerful kitchen cabinet to work against the interest of people of Anambra in government house. They accuse the influential professor of working against the interests of people who are not from Aguleri but find themselves in his path in Awka. As Obiano’s Kinsman from Aguleri, he is said to have the governor’s ears and heart and he has cashed in on this to work for his personal intrest not minding the impact on the governor.
Apart from chasing people who are not from Aguleri out of government house, Prof Asike is also in the business of graft big time. He is said to work with another Aguleri man , Primus Odili, both of them US returnees to release fire on government officials in Awka. Primus Odili is called ‘wireless’ network by government officials because he is the one who peddles stories about his colleagues behind their backs.
Asike’s love for trouble is well known and feared by people in government. Some of his embarrassed friends allege that he has always been a sadist since he was thrown out of seminary for his disruptive behavior.
His seminary mate at the time of his eviction is said to be the current Archbishop of Onitsha . After spending several years in some unknown University in America , the Professor has returned with a huge burden of scandal that may soon draw the attention of the Anit-graft agency, EFCC.
Since his appointment as COS ,he has set up the Aguleri Mafia that dictates the day to day. activities of their brother, the governor. The governor is now completely a prisoner of the mafia headed by COS, as Prof Asike is fearfully referred to. The Mafia has ensured that all government appointments in the past one year is done in favour of Aguleri people. Even the Deputy governor and Secretary to the government are afraid of him as he has effectively taken over their jobs. With the equally influential Primus Odili working for him, they have combined efforts to ensure that they feed the governor regularly dose of negative reports about non- Aguleri people in government such that the governor is finding it difficult to work with people who are not from Aguleri.
A member of the mafia working for Prof Asike recently boasted at a public event in Awka that it was the mafia that removed the immediate past Commissioner of Information , Mr Onyima from office. The motive was to plant Mr. Primus Odili as Commissioner of Information unfortunately Primus was considered unqualified for the job. Their normal strategy is to bombard the governor with constant negative reports of the aide they want removed till the governor bows to their wishes. Now a huge storm is gathering in government house as a counter mafia arrangement is rumoured to be in the works by other non-aguleri aides. Even elders in the state have began to wonder why Obiano should allow himself be controlled by such a small minded prof in a richly endowed state like Anambra.
For an unknown Professor in America who was rehabilitated by his current appointment, Prof Asike appears set to deny Obiano a second term in government. Asike’s general recklessness and hunger for power has made him a major source of head ache to his colleagues in the corridors of power. Tongues are wagging as top government officials are complaining to their constituencies about the activities of the Aguleri Mafia headed by Prof Asike. He is fond of harassing every top civil servant and political appointee to report to him on every single matter with constant threats and insults. Many observers see him as a steadily growing obstacle to Obiano’s successful second term bid.
Some contractors are praying that Prof Asike’s greed destroys him before he destroys the governor. A few of them have threatened to call in the EFCC. While Akpokuodike is busy searching for investors to help him raise Anambra’s IGR, Asike who pretends to be above board to other aides is unfortunately neck deep in deals with contractors, scaling the surface to facilitate approvals. Dependable sources confirmed that his percentages are always paid in dollars.
The amount he collects for facilitation of approvals is $50,000 for each file. But the big deals are said to agreeable to him when it is paid in installments. Even the governor reportedly gave him some tongue-lashing for dipping his hands in many pies. His sordid deals with one Onwa blew open recently and embarrassed the governor.
The most damaging aspect of Prof Asike’s activities in government house Awka is his uncontraollable sexual drive.
Generally called the He-goat in Awka Government house, the man Asike who looks as solemn as a monk is known to have bedded almost all the young ladies in the government.
The story is that he even prefers the married ones, some even cook for him and that may soon be his biggest mistake. Grapevine sources claim that the husband of the woman he is currently making-out with is ready to unleash mayhem on the randy he-goat who was once spotted at a public gathering with one slim dark married woman in holiday location. With his Asian wife and kids out of the way the man operates in underground aristo style and does not discriminate whether the target is male or female. Let us hoped that Obiano will not be judged by this man’s activities.
-Culled from Icon Weekly
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