TVC E. Former Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, who was appointed Minister of Works and Housing in 1999 has a story to tell. In a new book he titled ‘My Life and Nigerian Politics’, Anenih tells us of how Buhari threw him in jail in the ’80s, how he prevented Atiku from succeeding Obasanjo, how he advised late Chief MKO Abiola against declaring himself President.
Anenih also had a ‘big’ announcement to make–he’ll be quitting partisan politics. “I am persuaded that I have no more ambition nor any point to prove in politics. I am, therefore, glad to declare that, from today, I shall be withdrawing from active partisan politics.
“I shall, however, continue to avail the country of my experience, give suggestions and offer advice, as a statesman.”
The truth is that we don’t care what Anenih does or doesn’t do with his life hereafter. And no, we won’t be needing his ‘experience, suggestions and advice’ as we seek a better nation. We can point him where to shove those.
As for Anenih granting himself the title of a statesman, everyone wears that toga these days and the word has been so abused like we do everything else around here.
Okay, let’s even concede that Anenih is a statesman. But he isn’t a very decent one. He isn’t a role model kinda statesman. He’s certainly no one you want the kids to take after.
At 83 years of age, Anenih represents all that is wrong with Nigerian politics and governance. As Minister of Works, Anenih had nothing to show for the billions of Naira in budgetary allocation funneled to his office. The roads around the country were in such deplorable states soon after he left the Ministry, a certain Diezani Alison-Madueke who visited a stretch of the Lagos-Benin expressway dressed in overalls in 2007, devolved in a sea of crocodile tears.
Anenih earned the ‘Mr Fix it’ moniker because he helped rig all sorts of elections for the PDP. He was an expert in turning the rules on their head.
Only recently, Anenih was named as a beneficiary of the Dasuki loot–dispensing monies meant to procure arms, to political cronies and PDP faithful.
