By Valentine Amanze
The Vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has described Hon. Chuma Nzeribe as a man that loved Anambra State demonstrably.
Obi spoke during the requiem mass for Nzeribe’s mother, which was presided by the Emeritus Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Mbaise, Dr. Peter Okpaleke.
He explained that before he became the governor, he heard many tales about Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, stressing that concerned friends even warned him to keep a distance from the “Dangerous man”.
Obi, who said that he had learnt to judge people by their present circumstance, said that the much he dealt with Nzeribe made him believe that he was essentially a good man who had the misfortune of operating in an environment that promoted negative understanding of his essential being.
His words: “As the governor, I was pursuing N2 billion due for Anambra State. I had to seek all manners of intervention until I was advised to meet Hon. Chuma Nzeribe, who was at that time in the House of Representatives.”
Obi said that once he contacted Nzeribe that he took up the fight unattached and handed him the cheque.
The former governor also said that he did one thing remarkable on the basis of which he formed an opinion about him.
Obi said: “After I received the cheque, we decided, as was advised, to officially do PR for him. Surprisingly, when others would have requested PR as the basis of helping, he rejected our token and only requested we use the money to commence the construction of Ebonesi road, and that was how that road was constructed.”
Obi recalled how he enlisted his assistance towards the Second Niger Bridge. He said that it was Chuma’s altruistic intervention that led to the cancellation of the initial plan to make Delta and Anambra states contribute 10% each of the total cost of the project. “In our determination to have that bridge constructed, we initially agreed, myself and my Delta State counterpart, to contribute 10% each, but when the commitment was secured, we used Hon. Chuma Nzeribe to trash that harsh clause.”
