From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
An unusual thing happened in Ebonyi State on Thursday, June 24, 2021. There was confusion across the length and breadth of the state, especially the capital city of Abakaliki, as residents of the state were greeted with “news” purporting the resurrection of Fidelis Nweze, the state’s Commissioner for Infrastructure Development for Concession, who died in an Abuja private hospital two days earlier.
Nweze, an engineer, said to be about 47 years old, was involved in an auto crash along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway and was rushed to the Turkish Hospital in Abuja for good medical care.
But while the family, friends and the whole state mourned his death, rumour broke out that the man whose body was in the morgue had risen from the dead after one so-called general overseer of a Pentecostal church prayed for him.
The social media immediately went haywire, while people who heard about it started making calls. In a short while, hundreds of people trooped to his Ezza Road, Abakaliki, residence, and many others rushed to his coun- try home in Okofia, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.
Commercial motorcycle (okada) riders, tricycle (keke) operators and members of youth groups in Ebonyi, the young and old, male and female, including members of the Winners’ Chapel, poured into the streets in jubilation.
They marched through the streets, drummed and sang loudly in praise of God.
Many of them were completely hysterical as they sang songs depicting God as a miracle worker, stressing that “What He cannot do does not exist.” Some persons streamed the happenings live on Facebook, which attracted more people just as it gave some level of credibility to the rumour.
Everywhere, people, including through social media posts, claimed that the wife of the deceased had told people who came on condolence visits that her husband “was not dead, he’s alive.”
Our correspondent who monitored what happened said that day would not be forgotten in a hurry in Ebonyi, as fake news caused serious stir and shook the state capital to its foundation. The entire city was brought to a standstill.
Nweze, who hailed from Okofia in Ezza South LGA of the state, was a civil engineer by profession. He had worked as senior civil engineer in charge of maintenance and training at the state Ministry of Works before 2015 when Governor David Umahi appointed him Commissioner for Works. He was redeployed to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development for Concession after Umahi’s re-election in 2019. Highly rated as a possible successor of the governor because of his wide acceptance across the state, Nweze died on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, in an auto crash in the Eke Obinagu axis of Enugu State on Saturday, June 19, 2021, when his vehicle rammed into a stationary truck.
Announcing the death Tuesday evening during an emergency State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki, Gov. Umahi said the former commissioner died of complications from ruptured intestines sustained in the accident, while his police orderly and driver who were in the same vehicle with him, sustained slight injuries and were treated and discharged.
According to the governor, Nweze died at Turkish Hospital, Abuja, around 9:50am that Tuesday. He described the late commissioner as a reliable friend, brother and a destiny helper, adding that he was one of the strongest pillars of his administration.
Umahi said: “It is shocking and unbelievable to announce the death of our Commissioner for Infrastructure and Concession, Engr. Fidelis Nweze. Nweze died this morning at about 9:50am at Turkish Hospital, Abuja. He was travelling to Enugu on Saturday about 7pm with his driver and orderly and around Obinagu in Enugu State they rammed into a stationary truck. He was on seat belt. They were all conscious. The orderly had a slight injury. He was treated and discharged. The driver had a slight injury and was treated and discharged. The seat belt ruptured Nweze’s intestines. They did a very successful surgery. They put him in the Intensive Care Unit to be there for three days. This morning, when
I called at about 8am, they said he had crisis. About 9:50am, Nweze gave up. I am so sad. He was one of the pillars of this administration. To me, he was like a friend, brother, son and destiny helper.
“Nweze was the chairman of the Ring Road. He cannot be replaced. First as Commissioner for Works and then Infrastructure. I, therefore, declare tomorrow public holiday in honour of Nweze and no market should be opened. No work in any of the offices; no work in any of the sites.
“Also in our liaison offices in Lagos and Abuja, we are going to be mourning from tomorrow till Saturday. All government officials and CAN will be fasting and breaking the fast at the Christian Ecumenical Centre by 4pm to 5pm.”
However, the following morning, June 22, youths from Ezza South, Nweze’s LGA, blocked the ever-busy Onueke axis of the Abakaliki-Afikpo Highway, protesting the demise of the commissioner and alleged that he was killed because of his gubernatorial ambition. The youths, who came out in their numbers, demanded that a full-scale investigation be conducted to ascertain the real cause of his death.
Reacting to the development, the governor, Wednesday evening, ordered an investigation and autopsy into Nweze’s death and directed the late commissioner’s driver and his police orderly to report to the police for investigation.
Meanwhile, amid the celebration and confusion caused in Abakaliki by the resurrection rumour, family members, friends, political associates and well-wishers of the late politician thronged his Abakaliki residence in jubilation.
Leader of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Victor Chukwu, told Daily Sun at the commissioner’s residence that the purported resurrection was the best news of the year, adding that God had answered the prayers of his Ezza people.
He said: “It is God that has the final say on the issue of life and death. It has pleased him to call our brother back to life and we are very grateful to Him for answering the prayer of Ezza people and, indeed, the entire Ebonyi State and many others Nweze had touched their lives. Nweze is a good man who has shown capacity in every assignment given to him and it’s too bad to say he is dead now that he is needed most. It is our prayer that the news remains permanent.”
Another stakeholder of Ezza clan also at Nweze’s residence to celebrate his “resurrection,” Kizito Nwankwo, described the news of the man’s return to life as the birth of a new Ebonyi State.
“Yesterday, Ebonyi was dead but today Ebonyi is back to life. Nweze represents the new Ebonyi State. He is a good man who has helped people without minding where you come from. You can see the way people are reacting to the news of his death even people from the other political divide were not left out. That is to show you the kind of person he is,” Nwankwo said.
A former Commissioner for Information and State Orientation in Ebonyi, Dr. Chike Onwe, who joined in the celebration, said although there had not been any pictorial or video evidence to back the news, they were celebrating in hope that the news would turn out positively, since there was nothing too difficult for God to do.
As people expressed profound hope that what they heard was true, the state government announced that the purported resurrection was a hoax. Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Francis Nwaze, said it was outright fake news.
“People should stop spreading news that is not verified. It is inflicting more pain on those that are currently mourning.
“No picture evidence; there is no confirmation from the hospital or mortuary.
So, why on earth should we engage in hearsay at this critical time? The state is still in a mourning mood. Though it is a very hard pill to swallow, but we have to accept the reality before us,” Nwaze said.
It was difficult to ascertain the origin of the fake news but some people close to the family blamed the late commissioner’s spiritual leader, whom they addressed as General Overseer, as the source of the resurrection rumour.
One of the family members, who begged for anonymity, alleged that the head pastor of the late commissioner’s church had called the widow, Chinwe, and told her not to worry again that God had resurrected her husband from the dead. The overtly elated woman, it was gathered, in ecstasy, reportedly broke the news to a motley crowd of mourning family members, friends and well-wishers. Immediately, they erupted into jubilation and celebration. People who lived around the area trooped into the compound and joined in the celebration.
However, by 6pm that Thursday, some Ebonyians who lived in Abuja had gone to the hospital and confirmed that the lifeless body of the popular politician was still lying at the Turkish Hospital mortuary in the nation’s capital.
One of them, a social media influencer, Chika Nwoba, had to make live videos of himself and other Ebonyians inside the hospital, urging Ebonyi people to disregard the rumour. It was at that point that some persons started depart- ing the politician’s home in disappointment. Some from Ebonyi who had made posts on social media celebrating the rumoured resurrection pulled down the posts. One of them, Comrade Okenwa Uka, announced that he was taking one week’s break from social media.
In all, Ebonyi people had wished that their amiable son and commissioner did not die or that came back to life.
A youth who was part of the jubilant crowd, Edwin Nweke, told Daily Sun that their love for Nweze made them believe the tale that he had come back to life: “We really love him; our prayer is that he wakes up. Nothing is impossible to God. I am not in deep pain alone; many of Ebonyi youths don’t still believe that Engr. Nweze is no more. They are in pains too. He was a mentor and source of hope to many of us. In fact, he lived for others.”
Unfortunately, the politician is gone. All they had that Thursday was a pipedream, the product of fake news.