Former Governor of Anambra State and ex-Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has revealed how he deliberately employed individuals once considered “bad boys” during his time as governor to strengthen local security.
Ngige explained that through the Vigilante Services Law he pushed through the state assembly, communities were asked to identify both trustworthy youths and known troublemakers.
“We hired the bad boys and told them: if you make a wrong move, you’re dead. But you owe the state loyalty.”
He said these men helped fight insecurity, often going as far as other states like Abia to apprehend criminals who had fled Anambra. They were paid ₦30,000 monthly then a significant amount fed twice a day, and equipped with transportation and communication tools.
According to Ngige, that was the proper use of security votes unlike many governors who treat it as “pocket money” or use it to acquire property.
Ngige equally narrated that his ouster from office in 2006 stemmed from his refusal to appoint political godfather, Chris Uba, as his deputy governor.
Ngige, who served under the late President Bola Tinubu, explained that powerful figures within the political establishment had made the demand, but he chose to resist, even at the cost of losing his position.
“I know those who orchestrated my removal. They showed their hands and gave me conditions. One of them was to make Chris Uba my deputy governor,” Ngige said.
He recalled a meeting facilitated by the late Senator Ibrahim Mantu, who conveyed the request from political actors seeking to control his administration. “Mantu came and said someone sent him. When I refused, he took me to the person, who directly told me the major condition was to appoint Uba as my deputy.”
Ngige said he rejected the proposal on two critical grounds: first, the threat to his personal safety if Uba, as deputy governor, gained immunity; and second, the likely backlash from the people of Anambra State. “If he became deputy, he could shoot me and walk free. Also, the people of Anambra, who already knew the actors involved, would revolt,” he said.
He recounted how political thugs, allegedly linked to the same group, set fire to several state institutions, including the House of Assembly, Government House, and Broadcasting Service, in a bid to take over power. Despite being ousted, Ngige said he bore no regrets and viewed the experience as divine will.
“I accepted my removal as God’s plan. When someone cried to me, saying he would have committed suicide if it were him, I told him, ‘Let me get you a rope.’ I wasn’t born governor; I was born Nwabueze Ngige, son of a carpenter.”
Ngige reaffirmed that he remains a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), though currently on sabbatical from active politics.
About Author
