By Christian ABURIME

In the labyrinthine world of political discourse, truth and falsehood often dance a perilous waltz, and the pen is said to be mightier than the sword. Yet, when wielded by those with malicious intent, the pen can become a tool of deceit rather than enlightenment, and truth can become a captive of manipulation.

Such is the case with Janus-like so called  ‘Prince’ Ikenga Tony Ezeimo, a man who has proven time and again that he is unworthy of the princely title he so boldly flaunts.

His recent garbage rant, framed as an “Open Letter to His Excellency, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State” and titled “Anambra is Bleeding,” is a glaring example of his penchant for falsehoods and duplicity, a fact that becomes all the more evident when one examines his track record.

With the notoriety of a Machiavellian schemer, Ezeimo has woven an epistolary tale of parody and fallacy against Governor Soludo, making wild spurious claims and passing flawed verdicts, seeking to manipulate public perception for his nefarious ends. It is a dance we have seen before, an all-too-familiar charade that must be unmasked.

But first, let us provide a conceptual background for Tony Ezeimo’s duplicitous misadventure. In 1513, over 500 years ago, the Italian diplomat, philosopher, and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli published a controversial seminal work in political theory, titled “The Prince”. Basically, Machiavelli’s emphasis is on the notion that the ends justify the means, making ‘Machiavellian’ a term synonymous with political cunning and manipulation.

In “The Prince”, Machiavelli speaks of those who achieve power through deceit, who cloak their true intentions behind a veneer of respectability. As a noteworthy universal theme, “The Prince” seems to take it for granted that depraved acts are justified if they can help attain political gains. Prince Tony Ezeimo is such a Machiavellian prince steeped in intellectual and moral depravity for selfish political and pecuniary ends.

The reason is obvious: his latest attack disguised as a letter to Governor Charles Soludo is a recycled litany of falsehoods, a near-carbon copy of his October 13, 2020 diatribe against former Governor Willie Obiano titled “Anambra is Sinking”, published online on Odogwu Blog. The striking similarity between the two articles, with mere alterations in names, dates and other details, exposes Ezeimo’s depraved agenda.

Shamelessly or shamefully, lacking any real mental depth or tangible case against Governor Soludo, Ezeimo set out with pathetic self-regurgitation. Let’s see a few examples of his lazy copy-and-paste effort that renders his entire “Anambra is Bleeding” tirade a disposable trash. In his 2020’s “Anambra is Sinking” letter to former Governor Obiano, Ezeimo’s opening statement “Sequel to your reelection bid, there were high hopes in Anambra State. Many Ndi-Anambra believed that your second tenure will be far better than your first tenure” becomes addressed to Governor Soludo in 2024 as “Sequel to your election bid, there were high hopes in Anambra State. Many Ndi Anambra believed that your reign as a Governor will put a permanent end to a couple of misdeeds of the poor governance we experienced under Akpokudike Aguleri and his brothers.”

He goes on. “Your Excellency, Anambra State of today, is everything short of what it should be. Anambra is sinking!!!” becomes “Your Excellency, Anambra State of today is everything Anambra should not be. Anambra Is Bleeding!!!” Lies. Then, Ezeimo goes on to copy and paste other endless false ramblings: The legacy of the revered Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is being “polarised, bastadized, mesmerized and privatized” Lies.; Local Government elections not conducted. Twisted; MOUs signed by the government are not effective. Clueless.; Lack of projects. Is Ezeimo blind?; Government officials are extortionists for collecting taxes. Dumb assumption; and so on.

Aside pathetically rambling on other copy-and-paste trivialities, Ezeimo also mischievously criticised Governor Soludo on security, the African Dubai vision, roads, and education. On security, his statement “Your Excellency, Anambra before your coming was better secured. Our lives and properties were safe under Chief Obiano” exposes a brazen lie and self-contradiction. It was open knowledge that Anambra before Governor Soludo was under the vicious grip of daredevil Unknown Gun Men who perpetrated all manner of atrocities. This was the first challenge Governor Soludo decisively confronted when he assumed office as he drastically reduced criminality and made life safer in Anambra. Then, how disingenuous of Ezeimo to have denigrated Governor Obiano’s era as “Anambra is Sinking” in 2020 and now declared “Our lives and properties were safe under Chief Obiano” in criticism of Governor Soludo’s government? Is someone thinking straight here?

On Governor Soludo’s vision of transforming Anambra into an African Dubai, Ezeimo, just like his fellow clueless critics, fails to grasp how vision translates to reality. The thriving Dubai that we know today took decades of laying critical foundations to arrive. Modern flourishing Singapore took much longer. And so are other prosperous global economies. What Governor Soludo has done within over two years is laying the foundational fulcrum of infrastructure, human and governance transformation upon which the Anambra of a Dubai nature will emerge. Does Ezeimo expect the Dubai-Taiwan vision to arrive in only two years?

The vision is being constructed in a strategic manner, brick by brick with reforms in security, road infrastructure, energy, education, healthcare, industrialization, ICT, investment, environment, urban regeneration, agriculture, transportation, and so on. For more details, critics willing to learn the truth can find records of Governor Soludo’s many foundational achievements online. Just a little search puts the lie to Ezeimo’s inanities.

On roads, Ezeimo first thanked and commended Governor Soludo for constructing roads. Then, in a fit of mischief, he turned around to disparage the roads being constructed as “substandard”. This sounds like the exasperations of a confused mind. Can Ezeimo mention which of the constructed roads are “substandard” instead of making a sweeping general statement of falsehood? Or perhaps, is Ezeimo also a civil engineer who could technically ascertain the standards of roads in addition to his expertise in engineering propaganda and fallacy?

On education, Ezeimo once again betrayed either crass ignorance or willful distortion of reality in questioning Governor Soludo. Hear him: “Your Excellency, as a member of the Academia and an Erudite Professor of international standard, can you tell us how many Anambra students have you sent to various developed countries of the world on fully funded scholarships to learn the newest technological innovations as your Northern counterparts do?? Don’t you know that if these students are sent abroad to learn and compete with their mates across the globe, they will come back to generate technological innovations that will put Anambra State in a world map.” Plain ignorant questions!

Was Ezeimo living under a prehistoric cave when news after news of Anambra students winning national and international academic competitions keeps flooding in since last year? Did he not read or hear about how Anambra students went to Malaysia, leading Team Nigeria, to beat other contestants from different nations in a competition? Or how three female students from Anambra recently won a national ICT challenge in Abuja?

Since Governor Soludo came to office, he has been intentional about unleashing the prodigious potential of Anambra State students to enable them excel nationally and globally. The governor last year hired 5,000 teachers at a go for schools across the state and he is recruiting many more. He has also abolished fees and other fees in public schools to ensure every student has access to education and to relieve their parents of financial burdens. ICT equipment and resources are being invested in for our schools, while many other educational infrastructure are being upgraded. So, what exactly is Ezeimo griping about?

Obviously, Ezeimo is simply waltzing in tomfoolery while thinking he is playing the music of de-marketing for Governor Soludo. In concluding his lazy copy-and-paste garbage, he asked Governor Obiano in “Anambra is Sinking”: “Finally Your Excellency, do you think that your beautiful daughter; Dr. Gechi Obiano will be proud to come back from America to live and work in Anambra because her Father; the Governor has put Anambra State in the global plane of civilisation???”

In “Anambra is Bleeding”, Ezeimo said, “Finally, Your Excellency, do you think that your ‘wonderful’ Son Ozonna Soludo will be proud to come back from UK to live and work in Anambra because his father; the Governor has put Anambra in the global plane of civilization???” This lazy recycling of misinformation underscores not only Ezeimo’s lack of originality but also his lack of respect for the intelligence of his readers.

Ezeimo’s modus operandi is transparent: he is a mercenary propagandist, his pen for hire to the highest bidder. This became evident when, on June 26, 2021, he also penned a sycophantic piece on Notch News Online titled “Ifeanyi, Son of Ubah: A Child Destined to Save His People.” In this article, he lavished praise on Ifeanyi Ubah, a political rival to the incumbent Governor Soludo. The stark contrast between his vitriolic attacks on Soludo and Obiano and his sycophantic adulation of Ubah lays bare his duplicity and the forces behind the Ezeimo’s mask.

So, the allegations Ezeimo levels against Governor Soludo in “Anambra is Bleeding” are as baseless as they are repetitive. By regurgitating his past accusations against Obiano, Ezeimo reveals a lack of originality and an overreliance on smear tactics. His claims are not only unfounded but also a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of a governor who has demonstrated commendable leadership.

As the next gubernatorial election approaches, it is imperative for the people of Anambra to remain vigilant against the machinations of deceitful writers like Tony Ezeimo, especially now that he has been appointed an aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, courtesy of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, an APC guber aspirant. His pattern of attacking incumbents and eulogizing rivals is not a coincidence but a calculated strategy to serve the interests of those who seek to undermine genuine progress for their political gain.

In conclusion, Prince Tony Ezeimo stands unmasked as a vacuous, hired prince. Governor Charles Soludo’s accomplishments speak for themselves, and no amount of baseless attacks can diminish the positive impact of his administration on Anambra State. The people deserve better than Ezeimo’s recycled falsehoods; they deserve the truth. We call on Ndi Anambra to always seek the truth from credible sources. It is through informed scrutiny and critical analysis that we can discern the truth from the fabrications peddled by mercenary writers. The truth is that Anambra is not bleeding; it is thriving under the transformative stewardship of Governor Soludo.

_Aburime, Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, writes from Awka, Anambra state.