From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has described the upcoming Anambra State gubernatorial elections as a choice between freedom and chains, as he thanked Governor Willie Obiano for recognising his contributions towards deepening democracy in the state.
In a press statement issued by his media team on Wednesday, Ngige spoke against the backdrop of criticisms from various quarters alleging that he was lackadaisical in handling the issues of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which resulted in an ongoing strike and the squabble between the Kaduna State Government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
According to the minister, Obiano’s forthrightness is commendable, adding that the truth cannot be suppressed.
He warned that the burden of eternal vigilance over the Anambra peoples’ hard-earned freedom rests with them.
The statement maintained that the 34 months renaissance of Ngige as Anambra governor was indelibly etched in the minds and subconsciousness of the people, adding that no official lies can ever suppress it.
‘Ndi-Anambra have been faced with this strange official suppression of their history. Thus, the tribute from our Governor is an escape of suppressed official facts from the highest state quarters. For the first time, a successor government acknowledged Ngige as the architect of the modern Anambra, thereby smashing the over a decade long billow of lies from the chimney of mischief at the Government House, Awka.
‘Governor Obiano deserves commendation for breaking away from the years-long official suppression of the superlative achievements of the Ngige liberation era. And we pray that this political catharsis by our governor will break further bounds so that Ndi-Anambra will continue to be bound in freedom.
‘The state government has finally told the truth that Ngige pioneered a revolution in education, health, security and incapacitated the godfathers who enslaved the state resources.
‘However, we wish to add that this re-discovery is non-inclusive of the in-depth exploits Ngige made in these and other areas of infrastructure development. In spite of this. Governor Obiano’s decision is overly instructive for the time there was when the official policy of the Anambra State Government was to deny and vitiate Ngige’s legacies,’ the statement read.