Peter Mbah's Radio Outing, Chijioke Edeoga Brays in Distraught: A Rider to "Mbah's Radio Interview a Thoroughfare of Lies, Red Carpet and Pussyfooting"

By Ogbonna Asadu 

The title to which I hereby respond purportedly written by one Dr Job Onuzulike from the first sentence to the last echoes the voice of Chijioke Edeoga at the background. The tone, mood, style and everything about the piece point unmistakably to Chijioke Edeoga, the author of the malice-ridden piece of thrash. He knows that I know it is his piece. How Chijioke Edeoga found time to write such an insipid humdrum while he should be campaigning beats imagination, especially when he has no manifesto.The time he uses to fixate on Peter Mbah, looking for a pound of flesh to cut, should have been devoted to generating a manifesto to save himself the shame of electioneering without manifesto. It is not surprising he had time to pen the mechanical trifle since Chijioke apparently sticks to Peter as the fly would the corpse. He has yet to recover from the defeat at the PDP gubernatorial election of 25th May, 2022. He has been sulking all this while like a baby, and has pursued malice to witless end. His every breath is to impugn the person of Peter Mbah, and that was why he had wished an inquisition on Peter, grumbling that the radio interview crew did not ask him hard questions, as though he could answer any of the questions. The fact that Peter handled the questions with expertise and equanimity could not have gone down well with the villainous Edeoga. He had to let it out in writing, pouring out with venomous hate his frustration with the superlative performance of Peter on radio, rolling   his forked tongue in serpentine fashion.

It is no longer news that Chijioke Edeoga pursues his dead aspiration with childish desperation. Edeoga in his vile piece had claimed Peter was reluctant to attend live radio programmes untill he was able to assemble   a malleable team. Uche Anioke is the presenter of Freedom Square on Solid FM. Edeoga practiced journalism at a lower ebb than Anioke. Uche Anioke by all standard is not a malleable journalist. If anything, he is frontline journalist who knows his onions much more than Edeoga could have known as a journalist. Meanwhile, Peter had been engrossed with town hall meetings at the 68 development centres in Enugu State which was rounded off on 3rd February, 2023. He had yet to rest, but had to schedule for the live radio interview in order to meet the yearnings of Ndi Enugu who had wished to hear him on live radio programme. Peter obliged them at the right time. 

Chijioke Edeoga had roamed radio stations in Enugu as would a fugitive, like a displaced politician, a homeless prodigal, a rolling stone that gathers no moss, seeking validation which eluded him as would the PDP governorship ticket. Yet Edeoga could not articulate issues of governance and economy all through. What he rather did was throw jabs at any perceived opponent in attempts to besmear them. Within two hours of Peter's appearance on air, he via his creative link to seven other radio stations, an innovation in radio journalism unprecedented in Enugu State, engaged issues of governance and economy with exquisite expert delivery. He  yet again delivered his manifesto masterfully to the people, something that attracted avalanche of encomiums  from callers to the programme in expression of their satisfaction with his candidacy.

In that same lacklustre piece, Edeoga lied that "one Alex Ogbodo, tested journalist belonging to Dream F M(sic) and reputed for asking tough questions was part of the interview crew, but was not permitted to ask a single question" Who asked the question about Peter's programme concerning water in Enugu State, a question Peter handled with clarity and expert knowhow, proffering solutions to the age-long water challenge in Enugu metropolis, recognizing the efforts of the present Ugwuanyi administration and how he would build on the solid foundation the administration had laid via Ajali water scheme and 9th Mile water crash programme?  It is either that Edeoga deliberately lied about this in order to validate his claim that the crew was malleable, or he was being malicious and mischievous as ever. Edeoga's preoccupation with the spirit of malice made him pay less attention to important issues of the interview to which he  might have listened half-heartedly.

Again, Chijioke has never done without Reuben Onyishi. Onyishi seems to have been the worry of the Edeoga camp; otherwise, how would he mistake James Eze, a caller to the  programme from Nsukka for Reuben?  When Reuben coughs, Edeoga catches cold. What art has Edeoga to carve out Reuben Onyishi of James Eze, except that he sees Reuben as his albatross?  If a lion pursues Edeoga in his dream, it is Reuben Onyishi. If anybody raises objection to Edeoga's infantile politics, it is Reuben Onyishi. He claims Reuben alone runs thousands of accounts solely dedicated run him down. The same Reuben Onyishi had written Edeoga to limelight, even to the extent of putting his life on the line. Edeoga paid him back with the betrayal of absconding to Labour Party after he had asked Reuben to work with Peter. How would Edeoga eat his cake and have it? Edeoga himself recommended Peter to Reuben and the young man has tasted the sweet flagon and won't have the bitterest loqautinda from Edeoga's cup of ingratitude any more. Who would! No one encounters Peter whose doubts are not healed, as Reuben would say. Edeoga should know that Reuben is not his problem, overambition, desperation, vindictiveness and infantile grovelling rather are.

Now 90% of the callers to the programme was satisfied with Peter Mbah's performance, and expressed it in praises to Edeoga's pains. He would rather they descend into the cesspool of vilification and fictitious tales of woes as himself. Edeoga was also worried the crew addressed Peter Mbah as His Excellency. Why not when all Edeoga seeks is to be addressed as such too? What actually drives his aspiration? Nothing but desperate overambition, for it is clear to everyone Chijioke has no idea what governance entails. Governor Ugwuanyi, his cousin, knows Chijioke in and out, and could not have mortgaged the fate of Ndi Enugu to such a decrepit indolence with its attendant incompetence and absolute lack of character and capacity.

Edeoga like an ass brayed yet again at the fact that the presenter told Ndi Enugu that Peter Mbah had satisfactorily answered all questions put to him and cleared all shadow of doubts and suspicion around him. Of course, he did, and there was nothing strange about that statement as it was clear Peter left no one in doubt about the true situation, especially as regards the empty allegations with which Edeoga and his odious minions have continued to serenade our ears. Truth stands straight; it flows with seamless ease in the mouth with every ounce of verisimilitude and probability, unlike the improbable make believe Edeoga and his camp of  imbeciles churn out every now and then with impunity, all meant to deceive the public and tarnish Peter Mbah's image. Peter cleared the air and it was not professionally wrong of the presenter to  say so as Edeoga would want us to believe.

The rest of the claims Edeoga raised in his porous hogwash of criticism are neither here nor there. They all coalesce into his characteristic crab of besmear campaigns serially but foolishly deployed with mischievous and malicious intents to ruin Peter Ndubuisi Mbah's reputation. Chijioke Edeoga's plea bargain, EFCC, FBI, Ego Ndi Enugu, NYSC certificate forgery and all vile imaginations have petered into thin air. They had no impact on the love, goodwill, good name and acceptance Peter Mbah commands among Ndi Enugu. If anything, the owner of evil load has carried it on his head. Chijioke Edeoga has been caught in the net he laid against Peter Mbah; he has fallen into the pit he digged. His political career is wasted and his misadventure into the governorship, taking into account the vicious way he plays it, is a ruinous heap in the dustbin of historical semblance of political stupidity.

Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has discharged himself creditably on all fours. His radio outing was elucidating and intelligibly rewarding to listeners. Ndi Enugu are waiting for 11th March to do the needful, and on May 29th, 2023, he shall be sworn in as the governor of Enugu State to the delight of the people and to the glory of the Almighty God who has raised us a great leader in Peter Ndubuisi Mbah. Indeed tomorrow is here.