PRESS RELEASE July 2, 2007

The attention and curiousity of Chimaroke Nnamani, Senator of the Federal Republic, have been drawn to an emerging trend of manipulators to impute an atmosphere of division and disagreement between himself and new Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Sullivan Iheanacho Chime.
While viewing this development as known infantile designs of political amateaurs who fished where there were no waters, he was not surprised that such desperate efforts of known, though clearly defeated politicians, at carving footholds for penetration and inclusion, would follow. "You know, having woefully failed to muster the strength to prove their mettle in the field, this kind of falsehood, which is very familiar, appears the only option they have to explore being reckoned with."
According to the immediate past governor of Enugu State, 'Governor Chime is barely one month in office and it is not possible that I would have disagreed with him in so short a time. More importantly, why should any person think and hope that I would soon quarel with somebody I put in power. What would be the source of disagreement which I did not see in the last two or three months when his making as governor was underway? What actions has he taken to warrant any disagreement now and what would I have done to him in just a few days, having just returned to Nigeria from overseas holidays.'
Senator Chimaroke further declares: 'Governor Chime is one of us. He emerges from the Ebeano political family of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and we do not move against ourselves. The government he has set is from our structure and we are happy he has set to repeat our great feats in development of Enugu State.'
Regarding what he described as 'hasty and unfortunate interpretations' of reasons for his absence at the reception organised, last Saturday, for Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; Senator Chimaroke said: 'Those who know or those who wished to appreciate it understand very clearly the very personal reasons which are not far from the condition of our associates and staff, Chief Sam Ejiofor and Barrister Peter Mba, who are not yet free to move as we do, who are not yet free to hold meetings as we do, who are not yet free to organise as they did in the past and who are not yet free to contribute their quota in our various ventures.'
He said that these were far from the laughable suggestion that he wished to hold the Senate leadership position of Ekweremadu, which process and event were long known and those who had interest declared same at the time it was necessary. "Then, I was comfortably holidaying abroad, fully supportive of the development and so, cannot think of any such thing as personal personal interest. Isn't it laughable?," he querried.
In his words, "Ike Ekweremadu's success is my success. It is the success of the Ebeano family. I am sure that anybody who has the record of Ekweremadu's long and rewarding relationship with me, will not imagine such view as my being unsettled by his successes. I repeat, his success is my success. With every sense of modesty, Ekweremadu is my creation and I cannot object to the growth and evelopment of my creation. It is my wish and hope that those who arise of our political structure achieve such muscle that will certainly be of benefit to us and to all."
He argued that it was so surprising to him that those who ought to know the correct position, as those who ought to cross check with him, readily jumped into the ring, "to dance to the drumbeat of traditional bashers of Chimaroke Nnamani. They even ignored clear lines of communication in cases as this," he regretted.
Senator Chimaroke said however, that he was not so worried that childish tantrums had been employed by persons he described as "retiring politicians who fished where there were no waters. What they are looking for is a gap so they can move in. They wish that I quarel with Governor Chime so that he would come under their thumb. They wish I quarell with Senator Ekweremadu so that they can find the gap to move in. Clearly, quarel between friends is their 'entry' behaviour. But they have always failed."
He further declared that he was certain that his friends and political associates were not moved by the antics of persons he described as "men who expend energy on fallow lands and still wish to reap bountifully. They have my sympathies."

Igbonekwu Ogazimorah.